In the modern banking and finance sector—where digital transformation is a must and compliance an absolute necessity—resilient architecture is the underground scaffolding that has to hold up every trusted transaction. Global banks process trillions of dollars under stringent regulations and heavy scrutiny, where a poor data governance or design flaw would not just be a tech failure—it would be an existential crisis. Regulatory reporting technology represents almost 15% of core banking IT spending, as examination of central banks and public markets continues to increase, according to a Deloitte report. In this climate, Ohm Hareesh Kundurthy's work doesn't merely stand out—it's the benchmark now.
Kundurthy is not a loud voice in the tech sector or Silicon Valley. He's not a platform evangelist or trend chaser. But within some of the world's most reputed and regulated banks, his name still carries a quiet credibility. That's because his work addresses a fundamental question often overlooked by the people who talk most about the future- What actually makes systems last?
While the rest of the industry talks stacks, Kundurthy talks systems thinking. His point of view is straightforward, almost countercultural in today's architecture: The work of architecture isn't about tools — it's about truth. It is engaging technology quite deeply with the business need, juxtaposing regulatory intent with data nuance, and creating frameworks that outlast the latest software version that no one remembers.
"Technologies age fast. But methodologies age well," he says. "An architecture is original when it offers clarity in the face of complexity, and business value in the face of hype."
This point was also even more apparent during his tenure with National Australia Bank where he was charged with integrating a recently acquired regional retail mortgage lender's data into the bank's global reporting platform, as part of a consent decree with national regulators. It was a complex problem with thousands of data points, conflicting formats, and no margin for regulatory error. Kundurthy's solution wasn't to throw tools at the problem; it was to think. He dissected reporting obligations, matched them against business rules, and built a data architecture that not only achieved full compliance but saved the bank an estimated 2 billion AUD in capital costs. As a result, NAB confidently achieved Basel II's advanced Internal Ratings-Based (IRB) approach — something that most companies find challenging to operationalize. Here, innovation wasn't loud. It was precise.
This principle of thoughtful construction guides his current role at Santander Bank US as well, where he now leads regulatory reporting platforms for over $150 billion in assets. In a banking landscape where only a handful of IT leaders handle this level of complexity, Kundurthy's leadership is both rare and essential.
But what really distinguishes him isn't position—it's perspective. In his widely read piece, "Beyond the Buzz: Why Great Architecture Is Built on Thinking, Not Just Tools," he challenges three dangerous myths that dominate enterprise tech:
- The Illusion of "New": Not everything that's cutting-edge is enduring. Mainframes, built in the 1960s, still run critical financial systems because they were well-architected.
- The Myth of High Performance as Endgame: Fast systems that miss regulatory context are functionally useless. "Speed without purpose is waste," he writes.
- Originality Is Method, Not Machinery: A system is only as original as the clarity of thought behind it.
What he brings to the table is -architectures that are not only scalable, but accountable. He accretes his architectures with compliance traceability, integration ease & configuration adaptability. He embeds auditability, so systems don't just run — they prove they are running right.
What comes out of his work isn't flashy — it's foundational. It provides financial institutions with a smarter way to satisfy capital demands and supports business users with systems that reflect regulatory logic, not just technical ambition. It reassures regulators that what's under the hood is as disciplined as what's on paper.
In 2024, Kundurthy was promoted to Director at Santander (Reg Reporting App Development)—a milestone that recognizes not just tenure, but impact. But what's more telling is the niche he occupies: fewer than 40 IT leaders in the U.S. manage platforms and lead teams that support liquidity risk at banks with more than $150 billion in assets. That alone speaks to the trust placed in his judgment.
Yet for Kundurthy, the recognition isn't the point. The enduring idea, as he puts it, is to "build systems that offer business clarity, even when technology changes." His architecture is less about stacking the latest tech, and more about filtering signal from noise. It is a deliberate stand against a culture that confuses motion with progress.
In the financial world, where trust is currency, Ohm Hareesh Kundurthy is quietly shaping the systems that make trust possible. He isn't seeking applause. But he is ensuring that when the next regulatory wave hits—or the next digital fad fades—banks won't just survive. They'll be ready.
