About me

I'm Robert Terakedis, a Principal Solutions Architect based in North Carolina. My background spans Azure cloud architecture, AI/LLM systems, enterprise automation, and about a decade of Apple platform work before that. I started in datacenter infrastructure at a bank, which taught me to think in terms of scale and operational reliability before I'd ever heard the term "cloud native."

Most recently at OneTrust, I've been building AI-powered automation systems in Python on Azure - things like document processing pipelines with vector embeddings, enterprise integrations between platforms that were never designed to talk to each other, and product analytics instrumentation. Before that, I was the Apple platform SME at VMware, where I built reference architectures and ran certification programs for enterprise engineers. That role is where I learned to write for a technical practitioner audience, which I've been doing ever since.

I have a patent, which still surprises me a little when I say it out loud.

What I work on now

My current focus is AI and automation on Azure - specifically end-to-end Python pipelines using Azure OpenAI, AI Search, and Durable Functions. I'm interested in the architecture decisions that determine whether an AI-assisted system actually holds up under real-world conditions, not just in demos.

I also think a lot about privacy and compliance as architectural constraints. It's not a separate concern you bolt on at the end. I hold the CIPP/E and CIPM certifications, and that background shapes how I approach system design.

How I work

I build with Python for new projects. Cloud work is on Azure. Daily tools: VS Code, Git, Postman, Draw.io. I've shipped integrations with Jira Service Management, Salesforce, Docebo, Confluence, and Gainsight PX.

This site runs on Hugo, Cloudflare Pages, and GitHub.

You can find me on LinkedIn or just browse the blog to see what I've been thinking about lately.

Background

Dual-degree from Kent State (Management & Information Systems + Integrated Life Sciences). Grew up in small-town Ohio. Now in North Carolina with my family, probably spending too much time building Lego sets with my kids.