Jan Zerrich didn’t take the traditional route.
He skipped university, choosing instead to follow his instincts — curiosity, honesty and relentless drive. Straight out of business high school, Zerrich plunged directly into real-world experiences and industry certifications. That hands-on learning became his classroom. Over time, he navigated complex IT transformations, earned the trust of global teams and rose to become a Principal Architect at Kyndryl in the Czech Republic.
“I’m likely a good example of the adage: use common sense, work hard, embrace challenges, speak up — and success will follow,” said Zerrich.
Today, Zerrich leads Kyndryl Delivery’s network modernization strategy, driving the shift to a future-ready hybrid cloud network that will make delivery platforms and applications more adaptable, efficient and resilient. His work helps shape critical infrastructure and contributes to Kyndryl’s growth strategies.
Here, Zerrich reflects on his journey and the guiding principles behind his success.
What is the meaning of innovation?
Innovation represents opportunities to enhance and fix what’s broken.
In a career of highlights, what have been your biggest plays?
Leading the network migration of Kyndryl Service Technology Platform to Microsoft Azure is a memorable milestone in my career. Looking back, it was so much more than a migration — it was a complete transformation of every technological domain. Designing and architecting the infrastructure from the ground up is always an exciting challenge, and I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished this past year.
What is your most exciting current challenge?
I’m developing a new global backbone network for commercial tooling using Microsoft Azure cloud networking services, which is being deployed and operated with the Infrastructure as Code approach. I believe this will help Kyndryl deliver its services to customers in a quick, seamless and standardized way.
What keeps you motivated?
I feel incredibly fortunate to have been with Kyndryl since its inception — a time of significant transformation within the company. Any period of change comes with many challenges and tasks, but that’s what keeps me motivated.
How have you found a sense of belonging at Kyndryl?
Seeing the tangible impact of my work for customers and knowing that it drives growth and innovation at Kyndryl gives me a sense of belonging.
What is your best piece of advice?
Don’t be afraid to take on challenges. When you think something should be done differently or you identify a roadblock, you should speak up. Only then will people around you take note of your insights.
