SHAKEEL SHAKKEER
Dubai
Summary
Solution Architect and Technology Leader with nearly 20 years of experience designing, modernizing, and governing large-scale, enterprise-grade platforms across education, government, finance, transport, real estate, and loyalty domains. Proven expertise in modernizing complex monolithic systems, leading cloud and ERP/CRM transformations on Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365, and delivering VAT-compliant, high-availability financial platforms operating at scale. Strong track record of partnering with executive stakeholders and cross-functional teams to translate complex business and regulatory requirements into secure, scalable, and sustainable technology solutions.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Manager – Software Development / Solution Architect
GEMS Education, Dubai
Dubai
06.2011 - Current
- End-to-end architectural owner for Phoenix, a mission-critical enterprise platform supporting 50 schools across 4 countries and serving 80,000 parents, 140,000 students, and 20,000 staff, with direct accountability for platform stability, scalability, and compliance.
- Architectural owner for GEMS Connect, the all-in-one mobile application for parents, integrating academic, finance, transport, communication, and engagement services into a single digital experience, while ensuring secure backend integrations, scalability, and consistent user experience across schools.
- Driving a multi-phase, hybrid transformation of in-house platforms into Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Customer Engagement, covering Revenue Management, Finance, and Employee Self-Service, while ensuring zero disruption to live academic and financial operations.
- Accountable for VAT-compliant finance architecture (live since 2018), including invoicing, statutory reporting, multi-currency handling, and automated posting to D365, supporting approximately 1 million financial transactions annually.
- Defined and governed enterprise integration architecture across Phoenix, D365, Salesforce, GEMS Connect, Power Platform, and external systems, ensuring financial accuracy, audit readiness, and resilience of high-volume transaction flows.
- Own Azure cloud strategy and production reliability, leading lift-and-shift and modernization initiatives and sustaining 99.6% platform availability with strengthened disaster recovery and business continuity posture.
- Defined and governed enterprise adoption of the Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI) as a controlled extension layer, enabling rapid workflow automation and analytics while enforcing security, data, and architecture standards.
- Championed AI-assisted automation and data-driven decisioning, leveraging Azure AI services and Python-based processing to streamline high-volume operational workflows and reduce manual effort in finance and operations.
- Act as decision authority on architecture standards, technology selection, AI usage, and platform evolution, advising executive leadership on risk, scalability, compliance, and long-term sustainability.
- Lead, mentor, and performance-manage approximately 15 onshore and offshore engineers, setting technical direction, delivery standards, and accountability across multiple concurrent enterprise programs.
- Established architecture governance and change-management frameworks that control risk, reduce operational incidents, and enable safe, predictable rollout of enterprise-wide changes.
- Led implementation of multiple payment gateways across UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Egypt, and Qatar.
Systems Executive
Bluechip Computers, Dubai
Dubai
05.2007 - 06.2011
- Implemented ERP solutions for multiple client organizations across industries.
- Owned customization, support, and reporting for inventory and contracting modules.
- Delivered complex MIS reports aligned with client business requirements.
- Led systems study, development, implementation, and maintenance of finance and administration modules.
- Managed databases including performance tuning, security, backup, and monitoring.
Software Developer
Information Kerala Mission, Dubai
Dubai
06.2005 - 03.2007
- Developed and implemented software solutions for local self-government organizations.
- Worked closely with business users to understand processes and recommend systems integrations.
- Supported smooth operational workflows across departments through reliable system support.
Education
Advanced Management Program - Information Technology
Indian Institute of Management
Kozhikode, India06-2023
Bachelor of Engineering - Computer Science
P.A College of Engineering
Mangalore, India06-2005
Skills
- Solution Architecture, Architecture Governance, Technology Strategy
- Digital Transformation, Legacy Modernization, Scalable & High-Availability Systems
- Microsoft Azure, Azure Cloud Architecture, Cloud Migration
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, ERP Implementation & Transformation
- CRM Integration, Salesforce Integration
- Enterprise Integration, API Integration, REST, SOA, Event-Driven Architecture
- Messaging Systems, ETL Processes
- VAT Compliance (UAE), Revenue Management, Payment Gateway Integration
- NET, Microsoft SQL Server, Python, Database Design, Performance Tuning, Reporting & MIS
- AI & Data Solutions (Applied AI, Azure AI Services, Automation, Data Processing)
- Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI)
- Agile, Scrum, Change Management, Release Management
- Vendor Management, Stakeholder Management
- Domains: Education, Government, Finance, Transport, Real Estate, Loyalty
Accomplishments
- Directed modernization of a mission-critical enterprise ecosystem supporting 240,000+ active users, reducing technical debt and lowering ongoing maintenance and enhancement costs by approximately 20–25% through platform consolidation and architecture standardization.
- Delivered VAT-compliant invoicing and statutory financial reporting integrated with Dynamics 365, processing approximately 1 million transactions annually while reducing manual reconciliation effort by approximately 30% and significantly lowering regulatory and audit risk.
- Established and governed Azure cloud and enterprise architecture standards, achieving 99.6% platform availability, strengthening disaster recovery, and reducing production incidents and outage-related operational risk by approximately 40% across critical systems.
- Standardized payment gateway frameworks across 5+ countries, improving online collections and financial control.
Certification
- Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure (AZ-204)
- Project Management Professional (PMP) – Training
- Designing and Implementing Azure AI Solutions (AI-100)
- Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, Integration Services, and Reporting Services
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Hindi
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Timeline
Manager – Software Development / Solution Architect
GEMS Education, Dubai
06.2011 - Current
Systems Executive
Bluechip Computers, Dubai
05.2007 - 06.2011
Software Developer
Information Kerala Mission, Dubai
06.2005 - 03.2007
Advanced Management Program - Information Technology
Indian Institute of Management
Bachelor of Engineering - Computer Science
P.A College of Engineering