Founder & Principal Data Architect · Cape Town, South Africa
Dariusz
Cieslakiewicz
Enterprise Data & Architecture Strategy · Analytics & AI · TOGAF 9 Certified
Principal Data Architect with 24+ years of progressive experience across banking, insurance, oil & gas, telecommunications, supply chain, and healthcare — designing enterprise-wide platforms that drive measurable business value.
24+
Years Experience
6
Industry Sectors
4
Languages Spoken
Principal Data Architect
Cape Town · South Africa
Cape Town · South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
TOGAF 9 #89356
Executive Profile
Architecting the Data-Driven Enterprise
Principal Data Architect with 24+ years of progressive experience across banking, insurance, supply chain, healthcare, telecommunications, and oil & gas sectors. TOGAF 9–certified, with proven expertise in enterprise data architecture, governance frameworks, and digital transformation initiatives.
Demonstrated success in implementing enterprise-wide data architecture strategies and governance models that drive business value and competitive advantage, defining technical strategy and roadmaps, and translating complex business requirements into robust, production-grade solutions.
Data Mesh & Fabric
Spearheaded the development of Data Mesh/Data Fabric architecture and an enterprise data catalog enabling decentralised data product delivery.
Cloud-Native Analytics
Utilised Azure DevOps, Databricks and Power BI to enable cloud-native modernisation of high-scale analytics platforms in regulated environments.
AI Transparency
Developed AI transparency guidelines and reference architecture for AI Explainability in regulated oil & gas environments.
CRISP-DM Analytics
Designed and implemented CRISP-DM based Data Mining Process methodology for a systematic approach to analytics and ML projects.
Enterprise Governance
Architected comprehensive data governance frameworks and data stewardship models at enterprise scale across multiple industry verticals.
SAP S/4HANA Migration
Instrumental in SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration programme with a focus on data architecture governance and regulatory compliance.
Core Competencies
Technical Expertise
A comprehensive stack spanning enterprise architecture, data engineering, cloud platforms, analytics, and governance — built over 24 years across regulated industries.
Enterprise Architecture
Data Architecture & Governance
Cloud & Big Data Platforms
Data Modelling
Analytics & BI
Data Engineering & Integration
Programming
DevOps & Infrastructure
Industry Standards
Professional Experience
Career Timeline
24+ years of progressive leadership across oil & gas, banking, insurance, telecoms, healthcare, and financial services — from developer to principal architect.
Founder / Architect
Architelligence Consulting — Cape Town, South Africa
Feb 2026 – now
Building an architecture-aware data modelling & pipeline platform that transforms models into production-ready code for Databricks, Snowflake, and Apache Spark
Supports ERD/EER, Dimensional, Data Vault, Data Mesh, and Medallion modelling paradigms
Industry data standards library spanning ARTS, FpML, FIB-DM, TM Forum SID, and FSDM
Orchestrates agentic AI workflows applying each organisation's catalogue, schema naming, and data-domain rules
Unified workspace consolidating design, Scrum-based delivery, wiki knowledge, native version control, and governance
Principal Data Architect / Capability Lead
ENGEN Petroleum Ltd / VIVO Energy — Cape Town, South Africa
Jul 2018 – Feb 2026
Architected enterprise-wide Data Architecture governance framework, standards, and roadmap
Developed robust data pipelines on enterprise Databricks lakehouse for strategic analytics
Drafted Enterprise Data Catalog strategy enabling data discovery, lineage and metadata management
Delivered Data Mesh and Data Fabric architecture guidelines for decentralised data delivery
Developed AI transparency guideline and reference architecture for AI Explainability
Designed and implemented Data Stewardship model with defined roles and accountability structures
Led MDM platform sourcing as Technical Co-Lead through RFI/RFP procurement process
Served on Architecture Quality Assurance team reviewing and approving key IT deliverables
Lead Data Scientist & Solutions Architect
zenAptix — Stellenbosch, South Africa
Mar 2017 – Dec 2017
Co-developed strategies for Computational Intelligence, ML, and Data Mining initiatives
Designed and implemented CRISP-DM based Data Mining Process methodology
Architected innovative adaptive traffic control system for intelligent traffic management
Supported pre-sales activities and solution architecture for consulting engagements
Design Authority Lead & Data Architect
Old Mutual — Cape Town (via InfoBluePrint)
Aug 2015 – Dec 2015
Led Business Intelligence architecture and design activities
Oversaw Master Data Management (MDM) implementation architecture and design
Provided strategic guidance on data governance and architecture best practices
Customer 3D: Solutions & Data Architect
Vodacom — Cape Town (via Ovations)
Feb 2014 – Jul 2015
Architected enterprise-wide Data Distribution Hub (DDH) — messaging-agnostic integration platform
Created DDH Markup Language (DDH-ML) — ontological metamodel based on TM Forum SID
Designed standardised address data model compliant with SANS 1883-1 specification
Developed canonical data models ensuring enterprise data consistency and interoperability
Solutions & Data Architect
Standard Bank — Johannesburg (via Ovations)
Mar 2013 – Aug 2013
Provided authoritative guidance on Governance, Data Architecture, and SOA best practices
Oversaw Canonical Data Model for Corporate Trading Platform based on FpML standard
Systems Architect
First National Bank (FNB) — Johannesburg (via CentricEdge)
Dec 2011 – Mar 2012
Developed comprehensive SOA Governance framework with policies, standards, and processes
Provided guidance on MDM implementation strategy for Global Transaction Services
Enterprise Data Architect & Solutions Architect
African Bank — Midrand, Johannesburg
Jul 2010 – Nov 2011
Developed and executed implementation plan for Target Data Architecture aligned with best-of-breed principles
Developed comprehensive Data Quality framework with metrics, assessment, and remediation
Architected Enterprise Archiving and Backup Strategy for business continuity
Designed SOA Baseline and Target Architecture for collections management system
Software Engineer
Discovery Limited — Sandton, South Africa
Apr 2007 – Jun 2010
Successfully migrated claims processing system from WebLogic 8 to WebLogic 10
Designed and developed data migration tool for transferring claims data between health providers
Systems & Data Architect
Metafinanz Informationssysteme GmbH — Munich, Germany
2001 – 2006
Architected unit-linked life insurance broker web portal for Allianz Lebensversicherungs AG
Co-architected e-banking platform for online fund trading (Deutsche Investment Trust)
Led analysis and architecture of data mart for client fund portfolio performance calculations
Designed highly scalable portfolio management system for complex financial instruments
Academic Background
Education & Certifications
Multi-disciplinary academic foundation spanning computer science, applied mathematics, engineering, and information systems — with published peer-reviewed research.
University of the Witwatersrand
2016 –
PhD, Computer Science (not completed)
Novel and efficient high-performance architectures for real-time predictive analytics and diagnostics in data streams utilising GPGPU-accelerated Hybrid Big Data platforms.
University of the Witwatersrand
2012 – 2014
Master of Science — Computational & Applied Mathematics
High-speed cluster analysis using unsupervised parallel genetic algorithms and NVIDIA CUDA architecture for identifying financial market patterns in stock data.
Published peer-reviewed research
Published peer-reviewed research
University of South Africa, Pretoria
1999 – 2008
Bachelor of Science
Majors: Computer Science and Information Systems
University of the Witwatersrand
1994 – 1998
BSc Engineering — Process Engineering
Specialisation: Minerals Process Engineering
Professor David Wright Horsfall Memorial Award, 1998
Professor David Wright Horsfall Memorial Award, 1998
Deutsche Schule zu Johannesburg
1993
German Abitur
German higher-education entrance qualification.
Deutsche Schule zu Johannesburg
1992
Matriculation (IEB)
Independent Examinations Board matriculation.
Certifications
TOGAF 9 Certified
The Open Group · License #89356 · 2014
SAP Datasphere
SAP · Introduction · 2023
Information Architecture
Inspired.org · Techniques & Deliverables · 2023
Portfolio
Past Projects, Architectures & Designs
A selection of landmark architecture initiatives, platform builds, and governance frameworks delivered across banking, oil & gas, telecoms, insurance, and AI domains. Click any card to explore the architecture diagram and detail.
► View Architecture
Data Platform
Enterprise Lakehouse Platform
Medallion-architecture Databricks lakehouse replacing siloed data marts across multiple African markets. Full CDC streaming, Delta Live Tables, and Power BI delivery layer.
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Governance
Data Mesh & Fabric Architecture
Federated domain-oriented data ownership across multiple business domains. Self-serve infrastructure layer with federated governance model and enterprise data catalog integration.
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Integration
Enterprise Data Distribution Hub
Unified messaging-agnostic hub replacing multiple legacy point-to-point ETL feeds. Custom DDH-ML ontological metamodel based on TM Forum SID enabling single truth for customer data.
► View Architecture
Analytics & AI
AI Transparency & Explainability Architecture
Reference architecture for Explainable AI in regulated oil & gas. Model cards, lineage tracking, audit trails, and AI risk classification aligned with regulatory requirements.
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Enterprise Architecture
Corporate Trading Platform — FpML
Canonical Data Model for derivatives trading platform using FpML international standard. ISO 20022 alignment, SOA governance, and financial product data lifecycle framework.
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Governance
Enterprise Data Architecture Blueprint
End-to-end enterprise data architecture blueprint from current to target state. Data quality framework, canonical data model, archiving strategy and governance committee oversight.
► View Architecture
Analytics & AI
CRISP-DM Analytics & ML Framework
End-to-end CRISP-DM based data mining methodology with knowledge base, model lifecycle management, and adaptive ML algorithms for intelligent traffic control systems.
► View Architecture
Enterprise Architecture
Unit-Linked Insurance & e-Banking Platform
Insurance broker portal and e-banking platform for Allianz and Deutsche Investment Trust. Fund portfolio data mart, scalable portfolio management system, and reinsurance analytics.
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Governance
Enterprise Data Catalog & MDM Strategy
Full enterprise data catalog strategy and playbook. MDM platform selection via RFI/RFP, metadata standards, data lineage, and business glossary enabling enterprise-wide data discovery.
Research & Thought Leadership
Publications & Presentations
Peer-reviewed research and conference presentations advancing the field of high-performance computational analytics and financial market pattern recognition.
Peer-Reviewed Publication · 2014
"High-Speed Emergence of Financial Stock Clusters Using an Unsupervised Parallel Genetic Cluster Algorithm"
arXiv.org — arxiv.org/abs/1403.4099v2
Demonstrates a novel approach to financial market pattern recognition using advanced computational algorithms. Implements parallel genetic cluster analysis on NVIDIA CUDA architecture to identify complex patterns in high-frequency stock data with dramatically improved processing speed.
↗ View on arXiv
Conference Presentation · 2012
"High-Performance Asset Cluster Analysis Implemented with Parallel Genetic Algorithms on NVIDIA CUDA Platform"
Center for High-Performance Computing (CHPC) Conference · Durban, South Africa
Presented computational methodology and performance optimisation techniques for large-scale financial data analysis. Showcased the application of parallel genetic algorithms on NVIDIA CUDA to achieve high-speed cluster analysis for asset pattern recognition in financial market data streams.
CHPC 2012 · Durban
Languages
Multilingual Communicator
English
Fluent
German
Fluent · Abitur
Polish
Fluent
Afrikaans
Proficient
Awards & Recognition
Professor David Wright Horsfall Memorial Award
University of the Witwatersrand · 1998 · Academic Excellence in Engineering
Published Peer-Reviewed Research
arXiv.org · 2014 · Financial Market Pattern Recognition