Nidhi Sharma
Senior Software Engineering Leader | AI & CRM Architect | IEEE Senior Member
Transforming Enterprise Technology Through Innovation, Research, and Mentorship
Senior Software Engineering Leader | AI & CRM Architect | IEEE Senior Member
Transforming Enterprise Technology Through Innovation, Research, and Mentorship
I am an award-winning Senior Software Engineering Leader with over 15 years of experience driving enterprise-scale digital transformation across CRM, cloud, and AI domains. Currently, I lead platform innovation at Cox Automotive, where I oversee Salesforce strategy for over 6,000 users across 12+ business units, including Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and Dealertrack.
My expertise spans enterprise architecture, AI-enhanced CRM systems, and large-scale platform consolidation. Most notably, I led the groundbreaking SFx Salesforce consolidation initiative—unifying 12 business units and serving approximately 250,000 users. In recognition of this achievement, I received Cox Automotive's "Above & Beyond Award" in 2023.
Beyond corporate leadership, I am a published researcher contributing to the advancement of the technology profession through peer-reviewed publications in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and CRM systems. My research on "Predictive Customer Intelligence" and "AI-Enhanced Data Privacy in Retail CRM Systems" has been presented at prestigious international conferences.
I am deeply committed to developing the next generation of technology leaders. I have mentored over 50 professionals globally, resulting in measurable outcomes such as promotions to senior and lead positions, certification achievements, and successful career transitions. My current leadership and service roles include:
- IEEE Long Island Section: Second Vice Chair (2025-2028)
- Menttium Program: Handpicked Corporate Mentor
- Salesforce Trailblazer Community & ADPList: Active Mentor
-RoseHack 2026 (UC Riverside): Keynote Speaker
In the academic sphere, I have peer-reviewed over 90 research papers for 18+ international conferences across the AI, data science, and information systems domains. I also serve as a Session Chair and hold Technical Program Committee Member roles at venues including ECIS 2026 (Milan) and ICAIC 2026 (Houston).
Direct enterprise-wide Salesforce strategy and architecture across Cox Automotive's portfolio, overseeing multiple Salesforce instances supporting 6,000+ users across diverse business units. Lead cross-functional teams of Salesforce architects, developers, and administrators while driving digital transformation initiatives that align technology investments with corporate strategic objectives.
Led enterprise Salesforce architecture and development across four distinct instances supporting 6,000+ users organization wide. Managed two Agile Scrum teams delivering strategic initiatives, system integrations, and continuous improvement projects.
Delivered enterprise-scale Salesforce development projects, including SAP integration, CPQ implementation, territory management, and custom application development supporting 6,000+ users.
Managed complete Salesforce org administration and development, implementing Service Cloud, knowledge management, and system integrations while providing comprehensive platform support.
Led Salesforce development and administration initiatives, including CRM migration, third-party integrations, and custom application development for media and publishing operations.
Delivered end-to-end Salesforce implementations for education and agriculture sectors, building custom applications with complex workflows, integrations, and reporting solutions.
Led Salesforce platform development and implementation projects, serving as functional team lead for major Sales and Service Cloud deployments across cross-functional teams..
Contributing to the advancement of artificial intelligence, CRM systems, and enterprise technology through peer-reviewed academic research and industry publications.
This research investigates the implementation of AI-driven privacy protection mechanisms in retail CRM environments, addressing the critical balance between personalized customer experiences and data protection compliance. The study presents a framework for automated privacy controls that maintain GDPR and CCPA compliance while enabling predictive analytics.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy, CRM Systems, Retail Technology, GDPR Compliance
Enterprise CRM systems contain vast amounts of unstructured data—approximately 80% of customer information—that remains underutilized in predictive modeling. This research demonstrates how natural language processing and machine learning techniques can unlock "dark data" to enhance customer lifetime value (CLV) predictions and churn forecasting. Through implementation at a major automotive technology company, the study validates a framework that increased prediction accuracy by 45% while maintaining data quality standards.
Customer Relationship Management, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Predictive Analytics, Customer Lifetime Value, Churn Prediction, Dark Data, Agentforce
This paper explores the application of autonomous AI agents in sales intelligence platforms, demonstrating how conversational AI can handle routine customer inquiries while seamlessly escalating complex scenarios to human representatives. The research presents a human-in-the-loop framework that maintains service quality while reducing representative workload by 40%.
Agentic AI, Sales Intelligence, Conversational AI, Customer Service Automation, Salesforce Agentforce
Session chair and Peer Reviewer for prestigious international conferences, contributing to the advancement of artificial intelligence, data science, and enterprise technology research
IIPEM2025 - International Conference on Intelligent and Innovative Practices in Engineering & Management, IEEE Singapore Section, Singapore
• 4th AISDS'2025- International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Smart Data Science (TPCM)
• ACETconf2025 – Advanced Computing and Emerging Technologies Conference
• 16th ICWCIE2026- International Conference institute of Clerks or Works and Construction Inspectorate
• 7th ICSISCET2025 –International Conference on Smart and Intelligent Systems for Computing and Emerging
Technologies
• IIPEM2025 – International Conference on Intelligent Information Processing and Energy Management
• 4th ICCIKE2025 –International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Knowledge Engineering
• DSIS2025 – International Conference on Data Science and Intelligent Systems (TPCM)
• QCETCS2026 – International Conference on Quantum Computing, Emerging Technologies and Computer Science
• 2nd ICITSC'2025 -International Conference on Intelligent Transportation and Smart Cities
• 5th ICMNWC'2025- International Conference on Mobile Networks and Wireless Communications
• 6th CCAI'2026 - International Conference on Computer Communication and Artificial Intelligence (TPCM)
• 5th ICIPTM2026 -
• 4th IATMSI -IEEE International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approaches in Technology and Management for Social Innovation
• Selected as a corporate mentor in the prestigious Menttium mentoring program, guiding mid-career technology professionals in Salesforce architecture, career advancement, and leadership development
• Provide strategic guidance on technical career transitions, Salesforce certification paths, enterprise architecture best practices, and work-life balance for women in technology
• Serving as a volunteer mentor in the Salesforce Trailblazer community, supporting aspiring professionals with platform guidance, certification prep, and career development across the globe.
• Facilitate monthly sessions on advanced technical topics and best practices.
• Active mentor on ADPList, providing career guidance and technical mentorship to professionals in technology, focusing on Salesforce development, cloud architecture, and career transitions.
• Support mentees globally through one-on-one sessions on career strategy, interview preparation, and technical skill development.
Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, CPQ (Oracle Big Machines), Lightning Experience, Classic, Salesforce Communities, Territory Management 2.0
LLM integration with Salesforce, prompt engineering for intelligent agent design, human-in-the-loop escalation frameworks, Agentforce architecture for autonomous service handling, AI-driven case routing and resolution strategies
Apex (Classes, Triggers, Batch, Schedulable, Queueable), Visualforce (Pages, Components, Controllers, Extensions), Lightning Web Components, Aura Components, Process Builder, Flows, Workflow Rules
MuleSoft, Skyvva, REST APIs, SOAP APIs, Bulk API, Metadata API, Platform Events, Change Data Capture, WebSphere Cast Iron Studio
Data Loader, Data Loader.io, CRM Fusion Demand Tools, Data Integration Wizard, Complex Data Migrations
Java, C++, JavaScript, SOQL, SOSL
HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery, Bootstrap, XML, JSON
Oracle, SQL Server, PL/SQL, RDBMS
Force.com IDE (Eclipse), Visual Studio Code, Developer Console, Workbench, Git, Bitbucket
DocuSign, TaskRay, Oracle CPQ (Big Machines), ExactTarget/Marketing Cloud, SAP
Agile/Scrum, Waterfall, SDLC, DevOps, CI/CD, Code Review Best Practices