Vilesh Salunkhe
Federal Technologist. AI Practitioner. Lifelong Builder.
I'm a technologist and operator who spent 16 years building and transforming federal financial systems — Oracle ERP implementations, procurement automation, data migrations — before stepping into leadership as Branch Chief of the Process Automation Branch at DOI's Interior Business Center.
Along the way, I picked up an Executive MBA from Vanderbilt Owen and developed a deep conviction: the organizations that figure out AI-augmented workflows first will operate at a fundamentally different level than those that don't.
I write about the intersection of technology, operations, and leadership — things I've had to figure out the hard way.
Selected Work
Process Automation Branch
As Branch Chief at DOI/IBC, oversaw the migration of 16 automations from attended to unattended mode and deployed 5 new automations — resulting in 7,000+ hours of operational savings.
SQL Training Program
Designed and delivered a 3-day SQL training course for the DOI/IBC team. 20+ participants. All materials and hands-on exercises built from scratch.
SAM.gov Integration
Implemented 3 Oracle CLM to SAM.gov interfaces for DNFSB: contract opportunity reporting, vendor eligibility, and wage determination.
Writing
Why the Hard Problems Aren't Technical
March 15, 2026After 16 years implementing enterprise systems, I've learned that every project lives or dies on one thing — and it's not the code.
What Federal IT Taught Me About Change Management
March 1, 2026Federal agencies move slowly by design. Here's what that teaches you about making change actually stick.