Perficient unites the brightest minds to help the world’s most admired brands embrace AI-driven innovation with trust and care. Sushma Kulkarni, a delivery lead and solutions architect in Perficient’s Data Solutions practice, brings a mindset of continuous learning and strategic problem solving to every client engagement. Over the past year and a half, she has built trust as a leader through empathy and transparency, effectively bridging the gap between business stakeholders and technical teams. Continue reading to discover how her diverse industry experience and keen interest in emerging technologies have shaped her leadership approach.
What is your role? Describe a typical day in your life. 
As a delivery lead and solutions architect, I wear multiple hats. I am a project manager and a scrum master, ensuring that we deliver on our promises to clients. My job is well-aligned with what I like to do. My managers and leaders support my professional growth, and I’ve been pursuing certifications consistently for the past 20 months since joining Perficient. When managing projects, I dive into whatever technology is needed to stay ahead of the curve. This lets me relate to my team, appreciate their work, and see the challenges from their point of view. As a project manager, I believe my role goes beyond asking for updates. It’s about understanding my team’s obstacles and making their jobs easier and fairer.
How does your finance background apply to your current role?
As you grow, you become a well-rounded professional. It helps to look at problems from various perspectives. My experience spans roles as an accountant, auditor, and SOX auditor, managing a wide range of responsibilities throughout my career. I started as a chartered accountant and became a certified public accountant (CPA) after moving to the U.S. Along the way, I earned several certifications, including the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).
Eventually, I transitioned into the IT industry as a business analyst because I was working closely with IT and business teams. I became a middleman who could translate business requirements into technical language. For this role, I learned many new technologies through training and certifications. This background gives me a unique perspective because I can understand the challenges of both business users and IT teams, and I translate between them well.
Whether big or small, how do you make a difference for our clients, colleagues, communities, or teams? 
I make a difference by understanding our clients’ needs and exceeding expectations. A key practice I follow is discussing work internally with my team before taking anything to the client. This review helps catch most issues early. It’s always good to have a different set of eyes review, as quality assurance (QA) helps here. When I encourage my colleagues to review each other’s work, I ask them if someone else has already checked it. Often, the second reviewer points out something that was missing.
By the time we meet with the client, all work is thoroughly reviewed. Clients often say their job is easier because we’ve already done the legwork. We provide them with screenshots of our internal testing as evidence. Coming from an auditing background, I believe that doing the work is not enough. We should also be able to prove it. Showing the clients what we did, including the defects we found and fixed, builds confidence and reassures clients that nothing was overlooked.
READ MORE: Perficient’s Quality Assurance Services
What are your proudest accomplishments, personally and professionally? Any milestone moments at Perficient?
The first data transformation project I worked on at Perficient involved Databricks, which I initially knew very little about. Before my client interview, I spent an entire week preparing and took some training. The interview went well, and it was a great moment for me. They asked me a question I didn’t know the answer to, and I was honest in my response. Since I was applying for a project manager role, the interviewers didn’t expect me to know the intricacies of the technology. They appreciated my honesty and offered me the role.
As a takeaway, I decided to learn Databricks. Within two months, I earned my first Databricks certification. Since then, I have completed four certifications. Passing the interview and delivering the project successfully were proud moments for me.
What has your experience at Perficient taught you?
My managers and leaders encourage me to take training during office hours and are super supportive of my professional development. I find this unique about Perficient because I enjoy learning and growing in my role. My managers motivate me, and I also encourage training and knowledge sharing among my teammates. This enthusiasm is contagious—everyone wants to participate, which is rewarding because we all benefit from it.
I’m also an early riser and like to start my day by connecting with my colleagues personally. What sets Perficient apart is our appreciation for our colleagues’ time; no one is expected to work beyond certain hours. Our people and culture truly respect our global colleagues, no matter their location.
Why did you choose Perficient? What keeps you here? 
I joined Perficient because of my previous manager, who valued my work, so I felt at home right from the start. Everyone I’ve met is professional and yet personal. I can openly discuss problems with my teammates. I’m adaptive and flexible with them, making sure that no one feels pressured by their workload. When needed, we step in to help and offload tasks within the team. We are committed to timely delivery but can still accommodate our people.
How have you grown your career at Perficient?
I’ve earned several Databricks certifications—including Data Analyst Associate, Data Engineer Associate, Gen AI Engineer Associate, and Machine Learning Engineer Associate—to gain a broad understanding of upcoming technology. My recent project involved Azure, so I did the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification. Last year, I also completed the Certified SAFe® Agilist. Recently, I completed the Registered Product Owner certification.
Beyond certifications, I regularly train to stay aligned with projects. This helps me communicate effectively with my team, understand their work, and contribute meaningfully. I have grown through the different projects I’m involved in, and working in our Data Solutions team has encouraged me to learn beyond any single technology through collaboration. My latest growth area has been in AI and machine learning, which is quite exciting.
READ MORE: Perficient’s Award-Winning Culture Prioritizes Growth for Everyone
How have your AI skills contributed to your growth? 
AI has helped me save time on simple tasks, like uploading meeting transcripts and asking Scarlett or Microsoft Copilot to create a summary or draft an email for me. If I’m creating a presentation, I’ll ask AI to draft slides for me. I’ve also used AI to create project tasks and support our project management work. It’s not perfect, but it saves a lot of time—so why not use the technology? There are so many things it can do.
With our leadership embracing an AI-first approach, I want to be using these technologies. My goal is to be equipped with AI and use it more often. That way, we are not just working hard but also working smart.
LEARN MORE: Revolutionizing Work With Microsoft Copilot: A Game-Changer in AI Integration
If you had to define yourself using one Perficient value, which would it be and why?
I’d pick integrity and collaboration. Collaboration isn’t just with our teammates—it includes clients too; when I say, “my team,” I mean both Perficient and the client. Integrity means I’m upfront about what’s possible, and I deliver honestly.
What are you passionate about outside of work?
I’m very fond of pets and animals. I like to go on long walks and visit animal sanctuaries. Along the way, I enjoy the beauty of nature—watching the trees, leaves, and flowers. I’m always happy to see the animals, whether they’re pets or wildlife.
I also love music, mainly North Indian classical music, but I enjoy other genres too. We’re on screens almost all the time, so stepping away to listen to music is calming.
It’s no secret our success is because of our people. No matter the technology or time zone, our colleagues are committed to delivering innovative, end-to-end digital solutions for the world’s biggest brands, and we bring a collaborative spirit to every interaction. We’re always seeking the best and brightest to work with us. Join our team and experience a culture that challenges, champions, and celebrates our people.
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