Araf Karsh Hamid

With over 25 years of experience, Araf Karsh has consistently demonstrated expertise in designing and developing mission-critical, object-oriented, and web-based applications for leading organisations such as Bank of America, CIBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Energy. His career reflects a remarkable ability to lead software production teams, pioneer new products, and leverage cutting-edge technologies to deliver innovative solutions.

Areas of Expertise:

Karsh’s technical acumen spans a wide range of domains, including Agile methodologies, AI/Gen AI, Blockchain (HyperLedger/Ethereum), Big Data, Containers, Design Thinking, Lean Startup, DevSecOps, Kubernetes, Kafka, Microservices (Domain-Driven Design, Event Sourcing & CQRS), SOA, Service Mesh, and Zero Trust Architecture.

Career Journey: Four Distinct Phases

Karsh’s career evolution can be divided into four phases, each reflecting a progression of expertise:

1. Distributed Computing (Early to Mid-1990s): In his first eight years, Karsh specialized in distributed computing, building applications deployed across 20 cities in India interconnected via a Wide Area Network—a pioneering effort during this era.

2. Security and SIEM Solutions (Early 2000s): During the next eight years, he focused on cybersecurity, architecting and developing the industry’s first SIEM solution. He also designed a high-speed Event Correlation Engine utilized by U.S. government organizations and global enterprises. This solution became a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for SIEM tools.

3. Cloud and Low-Code Platforms (Late 2000s to Mid-2010s): Karsh transitioned to building cloud-based solutions in Security, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), along with pioneering low-code platforms that simplified application development and enhanced productivity.

4. Cloud-Native Applications and DevSecOps (2016 Onwards): Over the past six years, Karsh has consolidated his expertise to develop highly scalable Cloud-Native applications by integrating principles of Design Thinking, Microservices, Containers, Kubernetes, Zero Trust, and DevSecOps.

Passion for Training and Mentorship

Karsh is deeply committed to Elastic Engineering training and mentorship, delivering hands-on workshops for organizations such as Dell, Philips, Baxter, Publicis Sapient, Walmart, and ZScaler, as well as direct clients like Reliance Industries, Nutanix, Glassbeam, and the Aditya Birla Group. Through platforms like Manipal University, Jigsaw Academy, and UNext, he has trained countless professionals in cutting-edge technologies.

Vision and Leadership

Karsh excels in crafting cost-effective, innovative solutions to complex business challenges. His leadership style emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and empowerment, inspiring teams to build future-ready solutions that align with organizational goals and vision. His core strengths lie in aligning IT strategies with evolving business needs, leveraging technologies like Cloud-Native Applications, IoT, Blockchain, Zero Trust, and GRC to create transformative products.

Beyond Technology

Beyond his professional pursuits, Karsh maintains a website where he explores his diverse interests in Relativity and Quantum Physics, Eastern Mysticism, Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Economics, and Technology—showcasing his multidisciplinary approach to understanding the world.
http://www.arafkarsh.com/.

Patents
o 7,877,804 B2 U.S. Patent on Comprehensive Security Structure Platform for Network Managers
o U.S. 2011/0289588 A1 Unification of Security Monitoring and IT GRC (Pending)