Umesh Siddanagaiah

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT UMESH SIDDANAGAIAH

I’ve always believed that if a task has to be done twice, it should probably be automated the third time.My journey into high-scale engineering didn’t start with complex AI or cloud-native clusters. It started with a frustration many developers know well: a mountain of repetitive manual testing that was slowing down a critical release. Instead of just \"checking the boxes,\" I decided to build a bridge. I spent my nights teaching myself how to replicate those manual workflows into Python-based automation. That bridge didn\'t just save time; it changed how I look at software.Fast forward 9+ years, and I’ve had the privilege of building \"bridges\" for some of the biggest names in the industry:At Cigna: I am spearheading the transition from manual QE to full-scale automation, leveraging Azure OpenAI to transform legacy test-case generation into a high-velocity, intelligent engine for P2P workflows.\"At BNSF Railway: I stepped into the world of computer vision, using Cogniac and Azure Containers to automate the detection of microscopic defects in massive locomotive parts—saving more than just time, but ensuring safety through data.At Verizon: I lived in the clouds, managing the lifecycle of virtualized network functions (VNFs) on OpenStack and ensuring high-availability for national-scale infrastructure.Whether I\'m architecting a financial estimation tool in Flask or collaborating with COBOL developers to modernize legacy claim processing, my goal is always the same: Build systems that are resilient, scalable, and—most importantly—smarter today than they were yesterday.Core Technical Stack: Languages: Python (Django, Flask, FastAPI), Java, C#, SQL, Bash. Cloud/DevOps: AWS (EC2, Lambda, IAM), Azure, OpenStack, Jenkins, Git.🤖 AI & Automation: Azure OpenAI (LLMs), Cogniac SDK, Robot Framework, Selenium, Gherkin (BDD).I’m always looking to connect with fellow engineers, leaders, and innovators who are pushing the boundaries of what automation can do. Let’s talk about how we can build the next bridge together.