Irfaan Sulaiman

I'm a Lead Solutions Architect and Data Architect with over 37 years of IT experience, specializing in enterprise data architecture, cloud platform design, and large-scale technology transformation. My career spans from mainframe-era development through to modern cloud-native architectures on Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure — giving me a rare depth of perspective on how systems evolve and what actually holds up at scale. Over the past several years I've focused on architecting end-to-end data and analytics pipelines — from client application events through to KPI dashboards that drive real business decisions. Recent work includes leading a greenfield Azure Data Warehouse migration for Spur Corporate (Condorgreen), architecting GCP-based data pipelines and AI-powered chatbots using Gemini AI for Lewis Stores (Offernet), and a 30-month engagement with MTN designing hybrid GCP/Azure architecture for the MyMTN and MTN Play platforms. I spent 32 years at Old Mutual, where I grew from software programmer into Lead Solutions Architect and, later, Digital Architect — researching and applying Gartner Magic Quadrant and Forrester frameworks to guide enterprise technology direction. During that time I led teams as large as 21 people, travelled internationally around 150 times as lead architect for Old Mutual's global subsidiaries, and received multiple innovation awards for solutions that measurably improved business performance. My technical toolkit spans 15+ programming languages (Python, C#, Java, JavaScript, React, Vue.js, and more), 7+ database platforms, and deep hands-on experience with GCP services (BigQuery, Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, Pub/Sub, Vertex AI) and Azure services (Data Factory, SQL Server, App Service). I also bring strong data governance experience — building enterprise data catalogues, defining MDM strategies, and embedding security and compliance into architecture from the ground up rather than bolting it on afterward. What sets me apart isn't just technical range — it's the ability to translate ambiguous business challenges into clear, actionable architecture, and to communicate that clearly to both engineers and executives. I hold a BSc in Statistics from the University of Cape Town, which still shapes how I think about data: not just moving it, but making it trustworthy and tellable as a story. Outside of architecture, I'm a lifelong learner — currently deepening my hands-on experience with machine learning and deep learning to extend the AI integration work I've already delivered in production (Gemini-powered chatbots, error interpretation systems) into more predictive, model-driven territory.

No client reviews yet.

Sign in to hire Post a job

Click to copy · share with clients