Sandip Gami, Senior Manager of Digital Quality Engineering – Data Analytics at Marriott International, Inc., has been honored with the title of “Distinguished Expert in Intelligent Automation and Data Test Engineering – 2025” by CToday Awards. His career, spanning over 17 years, is a testament to the transformative power of innovation, software automation, data-driven quality engineering, and cross-functional leadership. From his early days as a Software Engineer to his pivotal leadership roles in global companies like Pluto TV and now Marriott International, Sandip has consistently championed quality as a strategic enabler, not just a checkpoint.

Engineering Quality with Innovation at Scale

Sandip’s journey is defined by his unique ability to bridge development and quality, delivering value not just through testing, but through engineering solutions that scale. At Pluto TV, he led complex initiatives across UI and backend layers, contributing hands-on to Angular and Java-based systems while simultaneously building robust automation frameworks. His creation of a reusable data validation system—leveraging functional test data to validate backend pipelines—marked a game-changing leap in QA efficiency, drastically cutting down testing cycles and aligning cross-functional teams.

His leadership also extended to high-impact media player transitions, including migrations from Avia to Shaka across devices such as Chromecast, Vizio, Xbox, and LG. These projects demanded precision validation across geographies and platforms, ensuring that the user experience remained seamless at scale. In every role, Sandip has turned complexity into opportunity, introducing plain-language scripts for greater transparency and establishing parallel pipelines to enhance test velocity and coverage.

Marriott International: Driving Strategic Intelligence into QA

Today, at Marriott International, Sandip leads transformative initiatives aimed at embedding intelligence into the Software engineering lifecycle. His current focus includes integrating AI-powered test solutions, predictive analytics dashboards, and data-driven quality strategies across global digital ecosystems. By shifting QA from a reactive function to a proactive, insight-powered partner, Sandip is redefining how hospitality technology innovates with confidence and resilience.

Values That Power Vision

Sandip’s leadership is grounded in four key values: integrity, innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. Integrity forms the backbone of his decision-making, from ensuring data accuracy to maintaining transparency with stakeholders. Innovation is a daily practice, not a buzzword—whether through adopting AI for test intelligence, leveraging plain-language scripting, or building frameworks that simplify complexity. Collaboration shines through in his cross-disciplinary approach. He brings together engineering, QA, product, and data teams to co-own development & quality, fostering empathy and shared purpose. Continuous Learning defines both his growth and the culture he builds. From mentoring engineers and judging innovation awards to exploring emerging tech like generative AI and LLMs, Sandip stays ahead of the curve.

Words of Wisdom: Advice to Aspiring Professionals

 Sandip’s advice to upcoming professionals is refreshingly practical and deeply insightful:

“Don’t treat software qa and data engineering as just a job; treat it as a craft that requires curiosity, technical depth, and business alignment. Master your fundamentals, understand systems end-to-end, from data flows to user behavior. Learn scripting, automation, and analytics. But also learn to ask why—that’s where real insight begins.” He urges young engineers to align quality with business value, communicate clearly across roles, and become champions of collaboration. “Innovation doesn’t wait,” he adds. “Lead it. Dive into AI, experiment with open-source, and explore cloud-native tools. Be the reason your team delivers confidently and your company moves faster.”