Arun Dhanaraj
Vice President/Senior cloud Architect
Mizuho

I am Arun Dhanaraj, all my friend and peers call me as “AD”.  I've been through a lot of changes in the last 15 years, going from a humble start to becoming a leader in technology and infrastructure. My father was a driver, and I grew up wanting to break free from the limits of poverty. I put my drive into education and new ideas. Even though I went to a public school and had a lot of trouble with my schoolwork, I graduated with first-class honours in engineering from Anna University. This shows that hard work and passion can get you through anything.

My father, who was a self-taught TV mechanic who fixed complicated electronic problems just because he was interested, inspired me to become very interested in technology and problem-solving. This made me move from the world of traditional TV to the world of computers. I started out as a desktop engineer and worked my way up to Vice President of Cloud Practices. My path is a mix of technical skills, leadership, and a constant desire to come up with new ideas.

I have a lot of important skills, such as Windows, Linux, DevOps, Terraform, infrastructure architecture, AKS, ARO, SQL, networking, cybersecurity (PCI, ISO, CIS, pentesting), cloud technologies (AVS, VDI), AI tools (Prisma, Wiz), and incident management. I've also improved my skills in leadership, mentoring, optimisation, and project management, which lets me get important results in a variety of work environments.

In addition to my technical accomplishments, I'm proud to be a co-author of The Great Digital Migration, a book that looks at how technology can change things. Because of my work, I've gotten prestigious memberships and media recognition, which makes me even more committed to improving the tech industry. 

My story shows how strong will, curiosity, and the desire to be the best can help you get through tough times and change the way infrastructure and cloud computing are done in the future. I still inspire and mentor others, showing that no matter where you start, your passion and drive can lead to amazing things.