Nihal Naidu
AI-Enabled Portfolio Governance

Strategic PMOs
that own AI
are becoming indispensable.

I'm Nihal Naidu, a PMO/VMO portfolio leader and hands-on AI practitioner. I build the governance frameworks and AI systems that keep portfolio leaders at the center of enterprise strategy.

See AI Projects →Get in touch
$85M
Portfolio led
+40%
Forecast accuracy
160 PMs
PMO reach
Nihal Naidu
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About

Where portfolio governance meets applied AI.

I'm a PMO/VMO portfolio leader who turns strategy into measurable outcomes. At Kaiser Permanente, I led an $85M multi-market IT portfolio, improving forecast accuracy by 40%, lifting chargeability 8% in 60 days, and stabilizing utilization in eight weeks after a seven-month dip. Prevented $1.2M in overruns.

My work spans portfolio governance, ServiceNow SPM, value-stream decision-making, and AI-enabled operating models. I've built and coached PMOs through demand & capacity redesigns, financial forecasting overhauls, and analytics maturity work that gave executives the visibility they had been asking for.

Since leaving Kaiser, I've built production-grade AI systems: a real-time AI coaching engine and a multi-source job aggregation pipeline. I bring AI engineering and governance together to help organizations act faster on portfolio data.

Engagement Profile

Lead with clarity, metrics, and outcomes. Add human stories when needed. Use future-state narrative for AI topics.

Goal-drivenTask-drivenPeople-drivenVision-driven (AI)
$85M
Multi-market IT portfolio led at Kaiser
+40%
Forecast accuracy improvement
across 5 markets
+8%
Chargeability gain
in 60 days via ServiceNow SPM
35–40%
PM admin effort reduced
through process standardization
+15%
Vendor delivery acceleration
via SOW/milestone refinement
160
PMs reached
across 8 markets
AI Projects

Production AI builds. Not prototypes.

Every project below is live or has been live-tested. Engineering judgment and delivery discipline: mine. Code generation: AI-assisted.

2026Active

Job Search Automation Engine

Built in 2 days. 1,300+ LinkedIn role checks per day across 4 sources. Daily review time cut from 90 minutes to 15.

Python 3requestsopenpyxl+2 more
Read the build →
2026Active

WarmUp — Networking Practice Simulator

Practice real networking conversations with AI before the stakes are real. Get coached on your communication style, one focus to carry forward, and exact phrases that land better.

Next.js 16TypeScriptClaude Sonnet 4.6+3 more
Read the build →
2026Live

Interview Simulator

AI interviewers built from your actual job description. Every answer scored, broken down by component, and rewritten using your own stories.

Next.js 15TypeScriptClaude Sonnet 4.6+4 more
Read the build →
Career

Twelve years inside an enterprise PMO. Building production AI systems.

  1. Applied AI & Independent Work

    Apr 2026 – Present

    Independent AI Practitioner

    Production AI builds, each purpose-built to solve a real problem. Engineering judgment and delivery discipline: mine. Code generation: AI-assisted. See AI Projects →

  2. Kaiser Permanente

    Mar 2013 – Dec 2025

    Sr Manager, PPM (Portfolio & Program Management)

    Promoted through 5 roles over 12 years

    • →Led $85M multi-market IT portfolio across 5 markets and 45+ concurrent initiatives.
    • →Improved chargeability +8% in 60 days via ServiceNow demand/capacity governance, reaching 160 PMs across 8 markets.
    • →Reduced forecast variance 40% across 5 markets; identified $3.5M in operational efficiencies.
    • →Refined vendor SOWs and milestone criteria. Accelerated delivery 15%, reduced post-project disputes.
    • →Stabilized portfolio utilization in 8 weeks following a 7-month dip. Prevented $1.2M in overruns.
    • →Delivered $1.47M in operational savings; identified $7M in long-term optimization through application rationalization.

  3. Logic House, Ltd

    Oct 2007 – Mar 2013

    Senior Systems Analyst

    Delivered technology solutions for federal and healthcare clients. Achieved 10–15% improvements in operational efficiency through workflow automation and systems integration.

  4. Global Enterprise Management Solutions

    Jan 2007 – Oct 2007

    Business Systems Analyst

    Built secure line-of-credit products for Baxter Credit Union. Delivered 15% efficiency lift, 10% cost reduction, 20% rise in member usage.

  5. Vianix, LLC

    Jan 2004 – Jan 2007

    Applications Engineer

    Supported enterprise sales and client integrations through IVR and speech-recognition technology; +25% partner adoption via improved documentation and onboarding.

Education
  • MS, Electrical Engineering
    Texas A&M University, Kingsville
    Visit →
  • BE, Electronics & Communication Engineering
    Bharathiar University, India
    Visit →
Certifications
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)®
    Project Management Institute
    Verify →
  • Certified SAFe® 6 Agilist
    Scaled Agile
    Verify →
  • Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM)
    Project Management Institute
    Verify →
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900)
    Microsoft
    Verify →
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
    Microsoft
    Verify →
  • AI Implications for Business Strategy
    MIT Sloan School of Management
    Verify →
Fractional Consulting

Where I plug in.

I take on select fractional engagements across AI, portfolio governance, and ServiceNow SPM. Typical commitment: 1–3 days a week, 90-day minimum.

AI Governance

Strategy

Frameworks for safe, accountable AI delivery in regulated industries. Covers risk posture, model approval, evaluation gates, and operating-model fit.

PMO / VMO Modernization

Operating Model

Operating-model design, demand & capacity governance, executive reporting, and the change muscle to make it stick across markets.

ServiceNow SPM

Platform

Implementation, governance maturity, and chargeability optimization. The same playbook that delivered +8% chargeability in 60 days at Kaiser.

Portfolio Intelligence

Analytics

Power BI dashboards, predictive metrics, and value-stream decision-making. Turn portfolio reporting into portfolio judgment.

Currently taking select fractional engagements.
DC / Baltimore area · remote-friendly · regulated industries preferred.
Start a conversation →
Contact

Let's talk.

Open to conversations about AI-enabled governance, portfolio intelligence, or new AI builds.

Emailnihal.naidu@gmail.comLinkedIn/in/nihalnaiduLocationDC / Baltimore