Technology & Data Executive

Scaling global consumer brands through AI, data & automation @ startup speed.

Technology executive who scaled a global consumer products company to $100M+ in annual revenue across 8 international markets — while reducing the technology budget from $5M to $1.5M. Built the entire data and AI capability from zero.

$100M+ Revenue Enabled
$5M → $1.5M Tech Budget Optimised
8 Global Markets
AI Output Velocity
Akshay Sapra
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Building from zero
to enterprise scale.

I'm a technology executive based in Sydney, Australia, with a career spanning four continents and industries from telecom to retail to higher education. My speciality is taking organisations from zero data maturity to enterprise-grade — building the teams, platforms, governance, and culture needed to make data a genuine competitive advantage.

At Love to Dream, I was recruited as the founding member of the technology function and built everything from scratch — a unified data platform integrating 22 sources, production GenAI features, AI agents that tripled team output velocity, and a Master Data Management strategy spanning 8 global subsidiaries. The result: $100M+ in annual revenue on a technology budget that's a fraction of industry benchmarks.

Before that, I led data strategy at Coles ($40B+ revenue), built enterprise systems at Monash University, and managed 30+ engineers across 5 countries at Amdocs serving 100M+ telecom subscribers.

I hold a Master of Data Science from Monash University and certifications in Databricks, Azure, AWS, and Power BI. I believe the best technology leaders are those who can present an investment case to the board as fluently as they can design a data pipeline.

Akshay Sapra at Love to Dream

Numbers that matter.

Key outcomes from building and scaling global technology operations.

📊 $100M+
Annual Revenue Platform
Architected the enterprise technology stack underpinning $100M+ in annual global D2C revenue, enabling record $11.1M months and $3.2M BFCM invoicing weeks.
💰 $5M → $1.5M
Technology Budget Optimised
Reduced the global technology budget from $5M to $1.5M while growing the business twofold — through AI automation, vendor renegotiation, and build-over-buy decisions.
🤖
AI-Driven Output Velocity
Deployed AI agents across development, ERP customisation, data pipelines, and financial analysis — achieving 3× output velocity with a lean team of 5.
📉 95%
Infrastructure Cost Reduction
Built a proprietary iPaaS replacing Workato, slashing annual integration costs from $300K to under $15K. Negotiated $350K+ in vendor credits.
📈 100%
BI Adoption
Built the entire data platform from scratch — 22 sources, 135+ reports, Power BI Champions program achieving universal adoption across all business functions.
🔒 Zero
Security Incidents
Established PCI-DSS, GDPR compliance, and enterprise data governance with zero security incidents over 4 years of global operations.

How I create value.

Selected projects demonstrating the intersection of technology investment and commercial outcomes.

Data Platform

Enterprise Data Platform — Zero to Scale

Inherited a company with no data infrastructure, no reporting, and all decisions made on gut feel. Designed and built the entire data platform from scratch, integrating 22 disparate sources (NetSuite, Shopify, logistics, marketing) into a unified Databricks lakehouse. Delivered 135+ automated reports and launched a Power BI Champions program that achieved 100% BI adoption across all business functions — from the CEO to warehouse managers. Delivered a 7-million-row analytical dataset directly supporting investor due diligence and the company sale process.

22 sources integrated 135+ reports 100% BI adoption 7M-row M&A dataset
AI & Automation

AI Agentic Workforce — 3× Output Velocity

Identified that the majority of the team's effort was spent on repetitive tasks — ERP customisation, data pipeline maintenance, financial reporting, and routine development. Designed and deployed AI agents using Claude, LangChain, and custom agentic frameworks to automate these workflows. Achieved 3× output velocity with a lean team of 5, eliminating dependency on external contractors. Also shipped production GenAI features (product-fit Q&A, natural language analytics via Databricks MCPs) with CEO-endorsed rollout to the wider organisation.

3× output velocity Lean team of 5 2 production AI features
Cost Optimisation

$5M → $1.5M Technology Budget Transformation

Took ownership of a $5M global technology budget and systematically reduced it to $1.5M while the business grew twofold. Built a proprietary iPaaS replacing Workato ($300K/year → under $15K). Negotiated $350K+ in vendor credits and achieved 55% savings across all technology contracts. Managed total cloud spend under AUD $30K/year. The result: technology costs that are a fraction of industry benchmarks, freeing capital for growth investment.

$5M → $1.5M $300K → $15K iPaaS $350K+ vendor credits 55% contract savings
Global Expansion

8 Markets in 4 Months — 95% US Sales Growth

Led the technology delivery for launching 8 international D2C storefronts and 1 B2B site in just 4 months, achieving 4.8% conversion rate, 4.7 CSAT, and 73 NPS from day one. Implemented NetSuite ERP across 8 global subsidiaries, unifying finance, supply chain, and operations with real-time executive dashboards. The platform directly contributed to 95% YoY US sales growth and record $11.1M revenue months.

8 storefronts in 4 months 95% YoY US growth $11.1M record month 4.8% conversion
MDM & Governance

Master Data Management & Enterprise Governance

With 8 international subsidiaries, 22 data sources, and no unified data model, the business had no single source of truth. Architected an enterprise MDM strategy that standardised product, customer, and financial data across all systems. Established data governance policies, PCI-DSS compliance for global payments, and GDPR controls for EU markets. This foundation enabled the financial analysis dashboards and self-service BI that now drive board-level decision-making.

8 subsidiaries unified PCI-DSS compliant GDPR compliant Zero incidents (4 years)

Career timeline.

A decade of building, scaling, and transforming technology organisations.

Aug 2021 — Present
Head of Technology & Data
Love to Dream — Sydney, Australia (Global)
Reporting to the CFO. Built the entire technology function from scratch for this high-growth global baby products company. Architected the data platform, ERP systems, e-commerce infrastructure, and AI capabilities underpinning $100M+ in annual revenue across 8 international markets. Presents technology strategy and investment cases to the executive leadership team and board.
Oct 2020 — Aug 2021
Senior Data Consultant
Coles — Melbourne, Australia
Led data strategy and cloud migration for Australia's second-largest supermarket chain ($40B+ revenue). Enhanced predictive analytics for inventory management and led enterprise data migration to Azure, delivering 40% operational efficiency improvement.
Jun 2018 — Oct 2020
Lead Software Engineer
Monash University — Melbourne, Australia
Led software engineering for the Faculty of IT. Designed enterprise systems serving 1,000+ academic staff. Published peer-reviewed research in Human-Computer Interaction.
Jun 2014 — Jun 2018
Lead Software Developer
Amdocs — USA, LATAM, India
Managed 30+ engineers across 5 countries delivering solutions for Telefónica and América Móvil (100M+ subscribers). Primary technical liaison across 3 time zones and 4 languages.

What others say.

"Akshay was not only highly reliable but also managed to consistently exceed expectations… single-handedly building our entire data and analytics platform from scratch… [He] saved the business hundreds of thousands of dollars."
James Peck
Product Leader (Former Manager)
"Akshay was integral in delivering business data strategy… to help the entire organisation make data-driven decisions. Along with his technical and strategic capabilities, he is also an amazing person who would be an asset to any team."
Paco Albie
Co-Founder, Digital Immersion
Let's Connect

Interested in technology leadership conversations.

Based in Sydney, Australia. Australian Citizen | E-3 Visa Eligible (US).

Akshay@AkshaySapra.com