Ira Kaul

About Ira Kaul

Welcome to my LinkedIn profile!I am a tech-savvy and results-oriented professional with 20+ years of experience in IT, Telecom, and Cloud domains, specializing in managing large-scale technology programs, optimizing cross-functional operations, and driving product innovation. My background includes leading impactful programs for global enterprises like Microsoft Azure and T-Mobile, where I excel at strategic planning, process improvements, and cultivating strong stakeholder and vendor relationships.Key Expertise:• Cross-Functional Leadership: Skilled in aligning diverse teams with business objectives, enhancing operational efficiency, and fostering productive vendor partnerships.• Security & Operational Efficiency: Demonstrated history of advancing security initiatives and implementing process improvements that drive program efficiency across multi-regional environments.• Data-Driven Decision Making: Certified in Agile methodologies and AI-driven decision-making, bringing a data-informed approach to complex projects to ensure alignment with business goals and timely, high-value delivery.Notable Contributions:• Increased Azure Confidential Compute presence by 200% across 40+ regions through strategic service alignment and readiness initiatives.• Successfully delivered twelve critical security updates in 2023/2024, establishing a more efficient cadence and improving response times.• Drove a 20% increase in efficiency for ACC security patch deployment.• Enhanced proposal process efficiency, facilitating over proactive weekly submissions by reengineering and streamlining the bid process.• Reduced software patching duration by 50% through optimizing vendor applications on OpenStack.I am passionate about leveraging my technical and program management expertise to advance innovation and operational excellence in high-impact environments. Let’s connect to explore opportunities to drive value through transformative technology programs!

Experience

1. Senior Technical Program Manager, Azure Confidential Compute

   Microsoft

   May 2022 — Present

   As part of my job duties, I spearhead the Azure Confidential Compute (ACC) Intel SGX Program, which includes overseeing SGX VM offerings (DCsv2, DCsv3, and DCdsv3) and defining SGX-based IaaS strategy. In this role, I manage feature development, operations, and rigorous security updates to ensure robust, secure service delivery. My responsibilities include supervising foundational ACC tasks, such as shiproom management, regional expansion planning, and CapEx oversight to optimize fleet security and performance.Moreover, I work closely with the Azure capacity management team to enable scalable regional rollouts, facilitating efficient growth across global markets. Additionally, I drive the end-to-end design and execution of new product features, leveraging market insights to prioritize roadmap developments that align with evolving customer needs and industry trends. Through these efforts, I ensure ACC remains a leading solution in secure cloud computing.Below are my key contributions that I would like to share: • Developed and formalized the Customer Architecture recommendations, security update workflow and documentation, improving compliance and response times.• Led ACC strategy, security, feature development, and regional expansion initiatives.• Facilitated cross-functional collaboration and vendor partnerships with Intel and AMD, ensuring coordinated feature deployment, operational support, and timely security updates.• Resolved high-severity incidents and provided detailed RCAs to customers, strengthening reliability and trust.

Education

• University of Mumbai

  Bachelor of Engineering - BE, Electronics and Telecom

• University of Washington

  Certification in Project Management

  2020

• Harvard Business School

  Executive MBA PLD, Leadership and Strategy

  2021