Deloitte Certified Architect Program: Gary Arora

February 8, 2023

Gary Arora is a Deloitte Certified Chief Architect with deep experience in architecture and delivery of large-scale cloud native and industry-first solutions. He has consulted across industries and continents, focusing on technology modernization, cloud innovation, and product-to-platform shift. Arora is an avid contributor to the tech community through his publications and open source libraries. He is also an AWS Partner Network Ambassador for the North American market.
 

Tell us about your architecture journey and how you became interested in architecture.

I started out as a software engineer, developing applications by following the design choices made by the architects on my projects. I noticed the natural fault line between architects and developers manifested itself through a growing gap between outdated design and modern engineering practices. Hence, I decided to become an architect myself and design solutions that are current and grounded in reality.

How has the Deloitte Certified Architect Program helped you in your career at Deloitte?

A formalized, dedicated effort to recognize, nurture, and grow architects in-house is one of the best investments we have made. The program is an avenue to exchange ideas and foster long-term relationships with architects across technologies. I have been able to tap into this for challenges on my own projects. I also had the pleasure of mentoring apprentice architects through capstone projects, which ranged from developing IoT prototypes to AI Ops.

What makes Deloitte a destination for top architect talent?

Deloitte is on the frontier of solving some of the many complex problems for our clients. Often these are an industry first, such as developing a real-time anomaly detection solution using AI to reduce millions of dollars in penalties at an investment bank or a government client leap-frogging from a decades-old archaic mainframe onto a cutting edge, serverless, zero infrastructure maintenance solution. These exciting challenges flex creative, architectural muscles.

We don’t pigeonhole ourselves into a fixed skillset and career trajectory. If you join us as a specialist on A, then became interested in B, that’s not only possible, but is encouraged! I benefited from this first-hand and was exposed to various facets of technology and consulting, helping me figure out what I enjoy the most.

What advice do you have for younger professionals who are interested in architecture?

First, go deep. Then, go wide. Pick any technology, platform, or language and become a specialist in it. Certifications are fine but opt for hands-on learning first. Seek out opportunities to contribute to open source and/or pro-bono engineering projects to deepen your skills. Once you unlock the “specialist” level, you can focus on developing breadth. You will find it easier to translate your experience into other technologies and platforms.

Work on your communication skills. Traits of a strong architect are listening, distilling, and being able to persuade a range of people, such as team members, client stakeholders, and leadership, on the value proposition of your solution. Not everyone is equally tech savvy or can understand and appreciate a good design. How you articulate a solution plays a vital role in the perception and success of your solution.

What are you most excited about regarding the future of architecture and technology?

I am excited about the growing role of AI in healthcare and autonomous driving. I expect to see mobility-as-a-service offerings soon. I’m also excited about quantum computing and its role in designing novel materials and drug development through quantum chemistry. Cloud services, especially edge computing and 5G, will be key in enabling the innovation of the future.

Now, more than ever, businesses are embracing change and looking to technology to enable their transformation. If you want to work with leading thinkers, tackle some of the biggest challenges, and have the most impact—you want to be here.
 

NextGen Architecture Program overview 
Read more about Gary on the Deloitte on Cloud blog 
Learn more about DCA Jeff Aryanto 
Explore technology jobs at Deloitte 
Learn about the Apprentice Architect Program experience