Andrew Eakin

Focused on Excellence and Impact

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Area

About

25+ years aligning business processes and IT to drive meaningful outcomes. Early career in voice and data network architecture, more recently focused on innovative data platform solutions. Now as Principal Solution Architect at VAST Data, helping fuel rapid growth by sharing practical experience and creative strategies for complex data workflows. Based in Raleigh-Durham, NC, I mix a passion for tech with hands-on experience. I thrive bridging business and technical teams, adapt quickly to new technologies, and energize groups through teaching and communication. Whether leading or contributing, I bring a flexible, collaborative approach—always learning and delivering results. If you seek a proactive teammate and technology evangelist ready to make an impact, let's connect. - Expertise in AI, high-performance computing, and modern data platform storage solutions - Strong knowledge of advanced networking technologies and protocols including Ethernet and InfiniBand - Skilled in cloud-native storage systems and virtualization/containerization - Proficient in programming and scripting with Python, Bash, and C++ for automation and solution development - Experienced solution architect with a focus on scalable, efficient IT infrastructure design - Effective public speaker with sales enablement and channel partner training experience Business savvy in process development, startup growth strategies, and account management

Experience

  • VAST Data (Remote)
    • Principal Solution Architect, Office of the CTO
      Jan 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 6 mos

      • Spearhead PreSales leadership initiatives, aligning cutting-edge AI and HPC storage strategies with revenue and growth goals. • Designed and delivered comprehensive training on networking, protocols, and cluster deployment, accelerating global PreSales readiness. • Led new product introductions including BlueField DPU-based platforms and forged strategic software partnerships with HPE. • Authored critical documentation and drove knowledge standardization across teams, elevating operational consistency.

    • Sr Systems Engineer - Mid-Atlantic and Federal
      Aug 2020 - Aug 2025 · 5 yrs 1 mo

      • Pioneered Sales Engineering for startup phase; developed scalable processes and reference architectures for high-performance networking. • Architected large-scale AI and HPC Ethernet and InfiniBand networks (Leaf-Spine, Fat Tree, VXLAN), deploying 100+ VAST clusters globally. • Established GUI-based cluster installation tools, reducing deployment time and enhancing field team effectiveness.

  • Sr solution Architect - Files and Objects at Nutanix
    Jan 2020 - Aug 2020 · 8 mos

    • Partnered with Northeast sales teams to accelerate product adoption across Files, Objects, and Backup portfolios, driving significant pipeline growth. • Enabled enterprise, commercial, SLED, and healthcare verticals with HPC workflow expertise, securing 4 key deals equating to 50% of sales quota in Q1.

  • Sr. FlashBlade Systems Engineer at Pure Storage
    Jan 2018 - Jan 2020 · 2 yrs 1 mo

    • Collaborated with sales teams to drive FlashBlade adoption in analytics, big data, and high-concurrency workloads, boosting revenue growth. • Created scalable enablement programs empowering sales engineers to independently qualify and sell complex storage solutions efficiently. • Served as national HPC workflow expert, guiding teams nationwide on solution optimization and customer success.

  • Senior Solution Architect US Commercial and FSI HPC Sales at DDN Storage
    Feb 2015 - Jan 2018 · 3 yrs

    • Delivered $12.5M in annual revenue, surpassing sales goals by 60%, through strategic integration of HPC and storage solutions in key verticals. • Supported up to 5 sales executives across Eastern US & Canada, expanding footprint into genomics, microscopy, cloud collaboration, and HPC archiving. • Led improvements in internal solution design processes, enhancing efficiency for sales and support teams.

  • Sr. Solution Architect at Coraid
    2010 - 2015 · 5 yrs