Nalaka Fernando
Ja-Ela
Summary
Visionary engineering leader with 15+ years of experience driving product innovation, software development, and enterprise-scale AI adoption. Proven expertise in leading global engineering teams to deliver high-value solutions across publishing, legal, and technology domains. Specialized in Generative AI and Agentic AI, with a strong track record of transforming editorial and content workflows into scalable, automated, and compliant systems. Skilled in establishing governance frameworks, ensuring data residency and regulatory compliance, and implementing guardrails against AI model drift and hallucinations. Trusted partner to international stakeholders, with extensive experience in RFP leadership, SaaS product rollouts, and aligning engineering roadmaps with strategic business goals.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Vice President – Engineering
Innodata Inc.
01.2024 - Current
- Provide strategic leadership aligning engineering roadmaps with business and innovation goals.
- Drive adoption of GenAI & Agentic AI solutions to deliver automation, scalability, and business value.
- Establish governance frameworks covering compliance, data residency, and guardrails against model drift/hallucinations.
- Mentor and scale engineering & R&D teams to foster innovation and continuous improvement.
- Partner with global stakeholders to expand opportunities, lead RFPs, and demonstrate differentiated AI capabilities.
Senior Product Manager / Technology Program Management
Innodata Inc.
01.2022 - 01.2024
- Led successful implementation of GenAI projects optimizing editorial workflows.
- Directed large-scale software development initiatives in publishing, legal, and airline sectors.
- Oversaw cloud migrations, improving scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency.
- Implemented Agile methodologies across distributed teams.
Technology Project Manager
Innodata Inc.
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Managed engineering teams across Sri Lanka & India ensuring on-time delivery.
- Revamped publishing processes for a U.S. legal publisher, improving time-to-market.
Senior Business Analyst
Innodata Inc.
01.2008 - 01.2019
- Conducted requirements analysis and client workshops for major international customers.
- Proposed technology solutions addressing publishing and media workflow gaps.
- Engaged in presales and delivery for multiple SaaS & publishing platforms.
Education
B.Sc. (Hons) - Business & Information Technology
Staffordshire University
UKSkills
- Generative AI
- Agentic AI
- SaaS
- ML Governance
- Agile/Scaled Agile
- Stakeholder Engagement
- RFP Leadership
- Global Delivery
- Strategic leadership
- Agile methodologies
- Project management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Effective communication
- Innovation management
- Problem solving
- Service delivery management
- Mind mapping
- JIRA
- Confluence
- Git
- Python
Accomplishments
- Scaled GenAI-powered editorial automation across Wolters Kluwer workflows.
- Delivered SaaS-based authoring and publishing platform (IAPP) for global clients.
- Led multi-continent teams delivering SaaS, AI/ML, and cloud solutions.
- Improved publishing productivity and reduced costs through automation.
Timeline
Associate Vice President – Engineering
Innodata Inc.
01.2024 - Current
Senior Product Manager / Technology Program Management
Innodata Inc.
01.2022 - 01.2024
Technology Project Manager
Innodata Inc.
01.2019 - 01.2022
Senior Business Analyst
Innodata Inc.
01.2008 - 01.2019
B.Sc. (Hons) - Business & Information Technology
Staffordshire University