Bernard Warnakulasooriya

Experience

• 

  EMC

  Jun 1998 - Oct 2016

  As the Director of Engineering Strategy and Product Management in Hardware Engineering, I found myself at the helm of a central hardware engineering function. This function was tasked with catering to the diverse needs of several business units, each with its unique requirements and timelines.In response, I devised and implemented a framework that capitalized on common platforms and technologies across these units. This was achieved by striking an optimal balance between routine next-generation platforms and strategic next-generation technologies.To ensure smooth operations, I established robust roadmap planning and change management mechanisms. Additionally, I introduced the concept of internal account teams, each focusing on a specific business unit. This allowed us to realign our development plans in response to shifts in technology, competition, and market dynamics, thereby enabling us to venture into new markets and segments.Furthermore, I instituted a mechanism to stay ahead of the ever-evolving technology landscape and competition through continuous innovation and competitive analysis activities. Here, I created a competitive analysis competency to supplement our technology leadership.DELIVERED RESULTS:➣ Led competitive analysis, managing a critical program with 2 partners and yielding millions in annual savings.➣ Saved multimillion dollars in 2012 by integrating new acquisitions into the strategic roadmap, leveraging common platforms. Show less As a Senior Manager in Hardware Engineering, I embarked on an expatriate assignment to establish the company’s first overseas hardware engineering organization in the China Center of Excellence in Shanghai from the ground up. Here, I formed all engineering functions, including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, thermal engineering, program management, firmware engineering, power engineering, and quality assurance. I had the privilege of building and leading a diverse team of over 50 engineers and program/project managers. Our expertise spanned various disciplines, including electronics, mechanical, thermal, power supply design, and quality assurance, mirroring the organization in the US.In this role, I held full accountability for the deliverables of 5 hardware platforms while building, hiring, and training the team and changing the design process from internal-only design to co-development with original design manufacturer (ODM) partners. These contributions were significant, generating multimillion dollars in annual revenue.One of my key implementations was the PMO and processes. This strategic move ensured we consistently delivered on our engineering commitments. It also injected ownership and accountability into the newly built team, making them very successful.DELIVERED RESULTS:➣ Evaluated and formulated an engagement with tier-1 out-sourced (ODM) design partners for joint product development and delivery.➣ Interviewed, recruited, and trained staff.➣ Selected and outfitted facility with state-of-the-art hardware design and validation lab.➣ Created multiple business processes to efficiently engage between US teams and Shanghai Teams. These processes are followed to this day. Show less

  • Director, Engineering Strategy & Product Management, Hardware Engineering

    Apr 2011 - Oct 2016

  • Sr. Manager/Manager, Hardware Engineering: Expat Assignment – China Center of Excellence (CoE)

    Aug 2007 - Apr 2011

  • Manager, Hardware Engineering

    May 2006 - Jul 2007

  • Principal Engineer

    Feb 2006 - Apr 2006

  • Senior Design Engineer

    Jan 2002 - Jan 2006

  • Design Engineer

    Jun 1998 - Dec 2001
• 

  Dell Technologies

  Oct 2016 - now

  As a Senior Director, I was responsible for a novel role that aimed at transforming the potential of our business transformation PMO, Data Analytics, enterprise solutions, and engineering operations into significant performance advancements. I led a diverse team of over 150 professionals, including Data Scientists and AI Engineers and program managers, to reshape our organizational ethos to be more customer-focused.In this position, our primary goal was to enhance customer satisfaction through every decision we made. We leveraged large-scale data-driven insights to pinpoint and address systemic issues. Our emphasis on data science and engineering excellence was a key factor in our achievements.My team, comprising direct and indirect reports, handled multimillion-dollar operational and capital expenditures. Throughout this transformative journey, we not only changed our operations but also our mindset, placing the customer at the core of every decision.DELIVERED RESULTS:➣ Established a robust PMO, saving multimillion dollars annually by employing data science methodologies across the customer journey.➣ Projected millions in annual savings via an in-progress generative AI solution that accelerates customer issue resolutions.➣ Converted data analytics into predictive insights, facilitating proactive predictions and enhancing user experience while enabling multimillion-dollar cost reductions.➣ Enabled revenue surge in 2022/23 by validating Dell products’ compatibility with key solutions, ensuring seamless integration for customers.➣ Led engineering operations, enabling multimillion-dollar savings via transformative and strategic initiatives. Show less As the Senior Director for Engineering Strategy and Operations within the ISG, I was entrusted with a key executive leadership role. My mandate was to set up and steer the engineering operations of a leading R&D organization. Here, I transformed the functioning of a unified ISG engineering organization, sparking innovation across a comprehensive enterprise technology portfolio.My role involved formulating a long-term investment planning strategy, managing a substantial R&D OPEX budget, and workforce planning. I aligned all operations with strategic priorities, fueling large-scale innovation and efficiency.Here, I fostered a “One Team” cultural mindset, integrating members from diverse organizations into a cohesive, large-scale engineering function. Additionally, I developed a flexible methodology, effectively mobilizing team members across the engineering ecosystem from early-stage to near-completion programs.DELIVERED RESULTS:➣ Led a digitalization initiative, reorganizing operational data and improving investment planning.➣ Transitioned thousands of employees to new processes, bridging a significant budget gap.➣ Developed a digitalization strategy, reducing complexity and securing executive support and resources.➣ Drove the modernization and adoption of processes and tools through digitalization.➣ Created robust business continuity plans for swift recovery from unexpected events.➣ Saved millions annually by swiftly redeploying talents, equivalent to the cost of hundreds of engineers for a quarter.➣ Built a scalable business management system, enhancing visibility and decision-making for efficient program execution. Show less Following a significant merger, I led the transition from EMC to Dell Technologies, overseeing the integration of the hardware engineering organizations. A detailed synergy analysis led to the merging of similar roles, the removal of surplus teams, and the birth of a unified, efficient organization.As the Senior Director of Engineering Operations and PMO, I directed the program management team to complete hardware programs for Dell’s storage products, ensuring they were delivered on schedule and within budget. I was responsible for the technology roadmap of the hardware engineering organization, ensuring all enterprise product roadmap commitments were met.I led the strategic initiative of combining Dell server, network, and storage hardware organizations with EMC’s hardware engineering organizations into a single unit. I also introduced a process for assessing investments in multiproduct tech programs, enabling accurate ROI analysis and guiding optimal investment decisions in substantial financial projects. This strategy ensured the allocation of resources and the achievement of significant returns.DELIVERED RESULTS:➣ Led operational strategies, achieving multimillion-dollar annual savings through make-buy decisions, offshoring, and cost-area transitions.➣ Closed high-cost regions, shifting work to the low-cost regions.➣ Enabled 10s of millions of savings by developing a unified hardware framework, enhancing leverage and reuse across enterprise products.➣ Launched a common form factor design strategy, standardizing components and achieving millions in savings over several years. Show less

  • Sr. Director, Data Analytics, Enterprise Solutions, Eng. Operations & Business Transformation PMO,

    Feb 2022 - now

  • Sr. Director, Engineering Strategy & Operations, Infrastructure & Solutions Group (ISG)

    Feb 2021 - Jan 2022

  • Sr. Director, Engineering Operations & PMO, Platform Engineering

    Oct 2016 - Feb 2021