Sambit Dash

About Me

As a C-level Enterprise Architect and Digital Strategist, I bridge technology and business to drive growth - architecting scalable IT systems while advising CEOs on turning digital transformation into competitive advantage.

Sambit is an accomplished Enterprise Architect and Strategic Leader with 30+ years of executive experience, having held senior leadership roles at major organizations like AIG, Ford, Cognizant, and HCL.

Advises SMEs and IT services firms on digital acceleration, presales strategy, and operational optimization, while mentoring 1500+ architects in enterprise architecture (EA), AI governance, and IT leadership. A visionary yet execution-focused leader who transforms complex challenges into scalable, market-leading solutions.

Key Skills & Mentoring Areas

Enterprise ArchitectureIT StrategyDigital TransformationAI Adoption & GovernanceGovernance, Risk & ComplianceCapacity & Capability DevelopmentLeadershipBusiness developmentEnterprise Architecture Modelling

Key Statistics

Architects Trained :1500+Department scale transformations: 25Enterprise scale transformations: 4Solutions Architected: 100+Practices Built: 3Products built: 7Max Span of Control: ~1000

Professional Experience

2016 - Present

Founder/CEO & Chief Consultant

CognitusEA

Sambit Founded CognitusEA in 2016 to advise SMEs on digital transformation. He serves as an advisor and enterprise architect and currently has a multidimensional focus on:

Business Planning
Sales & Growth
Consulting & Training

Current areas of consulting spans SMBs across diverse sectors including e-governance, traditional arts, weaving, food chains, education, mining, and manufacturing with:

Business & IT Advisory: P&L management, process optimization, system modernization, and e-business enablement.
Strategic Planning: IT strategy, blueprinting, financial planning and capability development.
Presales Support: Presales support with solutioning and solution pricing.
Capacity & Capability Development

Key Highlights:

Business Growth: Addition of 4 long-term customersin the space of EA training
Partnership: CognitusEA registered as silver member of OpenGroup. Check the list of members of OpenGroup
Deivery Focus: 35+ training engagements delivered [in last 3 years] with average rating of 4.8/5
Business & IT Advisory: stabilizing delivery operations in a quick-time for a midsize company
Capability Development: Training for more than 1200 architects in EA, TOGAF, EA Modelling & Advanced EA Areas delivered
Branding & marketing: Enabled three companiesin creating their branding strategy
Product Development: Three AI products were built and sold to professional music software companies

Sambit describes this phase as highly challenging yet rewarding, allowing him to put his skills in strategic leadership, situational adaptability, solutions selling, product innovation and enterprise architecture to test.

2001 - 2016

Capacity & Capability Builder | Transformation Leader

Cognizant | Ford | AIG | HCL | Satyam

As a transformational leader, Sambit shaped digital futures for Fortune 500 companies while mentoring the next generation of architects. His unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on execution delivered measurable impact across enterprise IT, governance, and innovation.

Positions Held:

Senior Director & Chief Architect at Cognizant
Associate Professor at KIIT School of Management
Director, Enterprise Architecture at Ford Motor Company
Chief Architect - Office of CIOs at AIG
Practice Manager & Lead Architect at HCL
Lead Architect at Satyam

Key Achievements:

Enterprise Transformations: Led 4 enterprise-scale and 25+ department-level transformations
Strategic Impact:Developed 50+ strategic blueprints for Fortune 500 organizations
Global Practice Building: Established Ford's first global Enterprise Architecture practice
Cost Optimization: Achieved $1M+ annual savings in licensing costs at AIG
Practice Development: Built HCL's SAP NetWeaver practicein Kolkata
Solution Delivery: Architected GE Consumer Finance's credit card servicing backbone at Satyam
Mentored 50+ architects who advanced to leadership roles

Core Expertise:

Leadership & Talent Development
IT Strategy & Digital Roadmapping
Enterprise Architecture (Governance & Execution)
Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)
General Management (P&L, Operations, Growth)
Presales & Solution Architecture

1992 - 2001

Foundational Years: Building Technical Expertise

ESSPL | MN Dastur & Company | Heavy Engineering Corporation

During my formative years, I developed core competencies in process automation, solution design , and end-to-end system development through high-impact projects. These experiences laid the groundwork for my future as an enterprise architect and transformation leader.

Positions Held:

Senior Consultant at ESSPL
Senior Engineer at MN Dastur & Company
Site Engineer at Heavy Engineering Corporation

Key Career-Defining Achievements:

Industrial Automation: As a Implementation engineer, performed design modifications and oversaw the design implementation of a first of its kind fully automated systemfor a major steel plant at MN Dastur & Company located near Mumbai.
Healthcare Technology Innovation: Conceptualized & developed a HIPAA-compliant health insurance platform at ESSPL that is geared toward adoption of HIPAA as a standard and enabling migration of existing paper-based claims to digital workflow.

Lasting Impact:

These hands-on experiences with complex industrial systems and regulated healthcare technology forged my ability to:

Bridge technical execution with strategic vision
Navigate regulatory and operational challenges
Design scalable solutions for mission-critical systems

I continue to apply these foundational skills in enterprise-scale digital transformations and architecture governance for global organizations.

Relevant Links

Visit CognitusEA Sambit on Linkedin Insights by Sambit

Creative Pursuits

As a composer, lyricist, and sound engineer, I founded samNsan Music Productions to preserve and modernize Odia music. What began as a passion project has evolved into a professional studio with two facilities, blending traditional Odia poetry with contemporary production techniques.

The venture collaborates with local artists and poets to create culturally rooted yet innovative music. Recently, we've incorporated AI tools to expand into corporate branding and government cultural projects, while maintaining our core mission of artist empowerment.

Sambit Dash recording Odia music in studio

Creative Focus Areas

Music CompositionLyric WritingSound EngineeringArtist CollaborationCultural PreservationAI in Music

Featured Works

Tu Aau Mun

With Sasmal Manas & Sai Barnalini

Mitha Mitha Chita Chita

With Mohit & Neha Niharika

Nadi Ago Suna

With Mohit & Bibhu Kishore

Ahe Mahabahu

With Sasmal Manas

Explore samNsan Music Productions

Enterprise Architect | IT Strategist | Entrepreneur | Mentor