Hardik Bhatt
About Hardik Bhatt
Hardik Bhatt is the Chief Executive Officer of SDI Presence, with a background in technology leadership across various organizations, including the State of Illinois and Amazon Web Services. He is recognized for his expertise in smart cities and IoT, having collaborated with numerous cities worldwide to implement innovative solutions.
Work at SDI Presence
Hardik Bhatt serves as the Chief Executive Officer at SDI Presence, a role he has held since 2023. In this position, he leads the company's strategic initiatives and oversees operations in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to this, he was the President and Chief Growth Officer at SDI Presence from 2021 to 2023, where he focused on driving growth and expanding the company's market presence.
Previous Roles in Government
Hardik Bhatt has a significant background in public service. He served as the Secretary of the Department of Innovation & Technology and State CIO for the State of Illinois from 2015 to 2017. Additionally, he held various positions within the City of Chicago, including Deputy Director of Intelligent Transportation Systems from 2005 to 2006 and Commissioner of the Department of Innovation & Technology from 2006 to 2010.
Experience in Technology and Consulting
Bhatt has extensive experience in the technology sector. He worked at Oracle as a Senior Consultant from 1999 to 2003. He also held leadership roles at Amazon Web Services (AWS), serving as Leader of Digital Government & Transportation from 2017 to 2020 and as GM for Digital Governance VC and Startups from 2020 to 2021. His tenure at Cisco spanned five years, where he held various senior director and director positions.
Education and Expertise
Hardik Bhatt studied at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, where he earned an MBA in Management. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, India. His expertise includes smart cities, IoT, and digital transformation, and he has been recognized as a thought leader in these areas.
Board Memberships and Community Involvement
Bhatt is actively involved in community and industry organizations. He has served as a Board Member for World Business Chicago since 2022. Additionally, he chairs the Cyber Committee for Fermi National Labs, providing oversight on cybersecurity initiatives. His collaborative efforts include working with 40 cities across 19 countries to implement smart city solutions.