Work
AI reshapes everything. I build what's next.
Every enterprise is rearchitecting around AI. Not someday. Right now. I design the systems that make it real: production agents, grounded data pipelines, and autonomous workflows that start in Salesforce and reach every platform your business runs on.
via autonomous AI agent
at-risk youth workforce program
globally at Salesforce
a single agent deployment
Summary
Agentforce and Data Cloud architect who ships production AI that performs: 12% cold-lead conversion across 2,000+ autonomous interactions, 4× job placement throughput for an at-risk youth program, a $1M+ deal supported by a single deployment. The platform is Salesforce; the problems span CRM, ERP, POS, loyalty systems, and legacy data across the whole enterprise. I specialize in the full stack that makes AI trustworthy: RAG grounding, federated multi-agent design, and Zero-Copy/BYOL patterns with Databricks and Azure, built across two SI practices and 80+ architects enabled globally at Salesforce.
linkedin.com/in/rhernalsteen →Experience
Delivering Data Cloud and Agentforce solutions for enterprise clients across the full engagement lifecycle, from discovery through go-live.
- Scope engagements and define solution boundaries in collaboration with account and delivery teams.
- Lead requirements gathering across business and technical stakeholders, translating ambiguous goals into architecture decisions.
- Design end-to-end Data Cloud and Agentforce architectures: data models, identity resolution strategies, agent topics and actions, grounding sources, and integration patterns.
- Oversee build execution, providing technical guidance and reviewing work to keep implementations on pattern.
- Lead UAT planning and execution, ensuring solutions perform against defined acceptance criteria before go-live.
- Build rapid proof-of-concept demos to support active sales cycles and help clients understand what's possible before committing to a full build.
Lead architect for enterprise-scale Agentforce and Data Cloud implementations across Retail, Manufacturing, and Automotive. Operates in high-ambiguity environments bridging legacy data silos with autonomous AI reasoning.
Deployed Agentforce SDR agent that activated 3,000+ stagnant leads, managed 2,000+ autonomous interactions in 18 days, and achieved a 12% cold-lead-to-meeting conversion rate, directly supporting closure of a $1MM+ Salesforce expansion deal.
- Architected and deployed a federated multi-agent Lead Nurturing system (Lead Specialist + Customer Specialist) in a 4-week window. Result: 52.6% meeting conversion rate.
- Implemented RAG grounding via Vector Search using technical product and service documentation, enabling accurate industry-based recommendations and eliminating hallucinations.
- Designed automated website-crawl data pipeline for a 200+ location hospitality brand, replacing manual document curation. Achieved 100% reduction in data prep time with full contextual accuracy across all locations.
- Designed Identity Resolution and Zero-Copy/BYOL patterns with Databricks, unifying profiles from Salesforce, POS, loyalty, and gaming platforms.
Founded and led the organization's AI and Data Cloud practice from zero, establishing strategy, delivery, and go-to-market.
Deployed Agentforce job-matching engine for a non-profit workforce program, transforming a quarterly batch process into an on-demand system with a 4× increase in placement throughput and eliminating 100% of manual data entry.
- Secured acceptance into the exclusive Salesforce Agentforce Partner Network.
- Built comprehensive Agentforce demo environment supporting cross-cloud sales, marketing, and internal enablement.
- Presented production Agentforce and Data Cloud use cases at Salesforce World Tour NYC and Salesforce Connections.
- Co-hosted Data Cloud workshops with Salesforce at Chicago Tower; designed and launched integrated Salesforce-aligned offerings for Slack and Data Cloud.
Designed and implemented enterprise cross-cloud solutions with a focus on Data Cloud (CDP) and Marketing Cloud for Global Retail brands. Served as cross-cloud SME and internal enablement leader.
- Architected and led global Data Cloud enablement programs for 80+ architects, directly scaling Professional Services delivery capacity.
- Led platform migration for a global multi-brand Retail & Consumer Goods enterprise onto Marketing Cloud, integrating Data Cloud for harmonization and segmentation, and Marketing Cloud Personalization for real-time campaign targeting.
- Evaluated current-state architecture for a Health & Life Sciences client; designed future-state with real-time patient data ingestion via Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud Personalization, integrated with Commerce Cloud and multiple non-Salesforce systems.
Project/Technical Lead and Solution Architect for complex Salesforce implementations across Finance, Healthcare, Non-profit, Insurance, and Education.
- Engineered advanced segmentation and data manipulation using SQL and SSJS; built reusable, deployable architectural components via SFMC Package Manager.
Implemented cross-cloud Salesforce solutions spanning Sales, Service, Health, Government, and Marketing Cloud for regulated and public-sector clients.
- Executed large-scale audience segmentation via SQL Query Activities and delivered web and email personalization across multiple concurrent client engagements.
Six years at a specialty insurance and automotive enthusiast brand, progressing from core systems development into enterprise Salesforce architecture and agile delivery leadership.
- Administered enterprise Marketing Cloud account including campaign execution, content personalization, and segmentation of 1MM+ customer datasets using SQL Query Activities.
- Supported nightly ETL and population of a SQL Server data warehouse with 5MM+ customer, policy, and vehicle records; led migration of 3MM+ records into Salesforce.
- Led SAFe certification courses for 100+ Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Executive Leadership; coached non-IT teams on Lean-Agile practices.
- Owned source code repository, build pipelines, test environments, and production releases for core systems exceeding 2 million lines of code across a mixed on-prem/cloud landscape.
Led development and support for global automated marketing programs across US and European teams. Replaced a legacy mainframe application with a new Oracle data mart, reducing vehicle population data delivery time from 5 months to 1 month.