They didn’t gather on a stage or pose for applause. But a quiet shift took place across time zones and teams at Kyndryl: A few engineers were celebrated not for a single breakthrough but for their bodies of work that have shaped how the company builds, mentors and innovates.
The nearly 4-year-old company, which has been steadily cementing its identity as a technology services powerhouse, honored its newest class of Distinguished Engineers and Principals. The titles are more than ceremonial. At Kyndryl, they represent the apex of technical achievement — and a mandate to lead with purpose.
Elly Keinan, Kyndryl’s Group President, and Chief Technology Officer Antoine Shagoury recently co-hosted a ceremony recognizing the company’s Distinguished Engineers, a class of innovators driven by a relentless ambition to shape the future.
From left: Dr. Gongyi Liu, Distinguished Engineer; Antoine Shagoury, Chief Technology Officer; Suraj Subramanian, Distinguished Engineer.
From left: Dr. Gongyi Liu, Distinguished Engineer; Elly Keinan, Kyndryl’s Group President; Suraj Subramanian, Distinguished Engineer.
Among the honorees is Dr. Gongyi Liu, whose work in cloud, data and AI has helped modernize IT operations for customers and advance private AI cloud initiatives in Japan. His current focus — data modernization and AI deployment through Kyndryl Bridge — is central to the company’s strategy to standardize delivery and scale innovation across industries.
Liu, who credits his success to the power of teamwork, is emblematic of the kind of leader Kyndryl is cultivating: technically elite, but deeply collaborative.
Another standout is Suraj Subramanian, who leads the Provisioning, Automation and Orchestration (PAO) strategy for Kyndryl Bridge. His mission is to streamline how services are provisioned across the company — an effort that blends open-source tools, AI integration and architectural rigor. “It’s about building systems that scale, save money and support growth,” he said.
The Distinguished Engineer designation is part of a broader technical career path at Kyndryl that includes Principal, Distinguished Engineer or Designer, and ultimately, Kyndryl Fellow. Nine new Principals were also named this year, each recognized for turning bold ideas into business value, whether through operational transformation or sustainable solution design.
But the story doesn’t end at the office door.
Since 2023, Kyndryl’s Distinguished Engineers have partnered with New York City’s Academy of Innovative Technology (AoIT), mentoring students from more than 140 public schools. During Career Discovery Week, they led design-thinking workshops on real-world challenges — mental health, climate resilience and even community gardening. This year, they coached student teams who built AI-powered apps for a citywide competition.
That ethos — technical excellence paired with social impact — is a key part of Kyndryl’s culture. And as the company continues to evolve and innovate, its newest class of Distinguished Engineers and Principals may offer a glimpse of what leadership in tech looks like in the years ahead.
Meet Kyndryl's 2025 Class of Principals
