Title: Principal Software Engineer Manager
Company: Microsoft
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Chris Nakagaki, Principal Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft and Blogger at Zsoldier’s Tech Blog, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Cloud and Infrastructure Engineering.
With a distinguished career spanning over 25 years in the technology sector, Mr. Nakagaki is widely regarded for his expertise in Azure VMware Solution and patented innovations in cloud and infrastructure engineering. His journey began with a natural aptitude for technology and a serendipitous entry into the field through a temporary agency placement.
All these years later, Mr. Nakagaki is a principal software engineering manager at Microsoft in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 2024, he has been leading engineering teams focused on customer-centric innovation. He manages personnel, gathers customer feedback, analyzes telemetry data to enhance support and translates complex data into impactful product features that improve the customer experience. Mr. Nakagaki also mentors team members and drives continuous improvement initiatives. His leadership is defined by a strong growth mindset and a willingness to acknowledge what he does not know, setting him apart from peers in his field.
In addition to his professional responsibilities as a principal software engineering manager, Mr. Nakagaki has maintained Zsoldier’s Tech Blog since 2008. Originally conceived as a personal note-taking tool for documenting problem-solving processes, it has evolved into a widely referenced resource within the technology community. The blog showcases Mr. Nakagaki’s approach to addressing technical challenges and fosters community engagement by inviting feedback and suggestions from readers.
Before assuming his current position at Microsoft, Mr. Nakagaki was a principal software engineer at Microsoft from 2020 to 2024. During this period, he played an instrumental role in the development of the Azure VMware Solution. His work with Virtustream Inc., a subsidiary of Dell, involved contributing as one of the original architects of the solution. When Microsoft acquired the team developing this project, Mr. Nakagaki transitioned to Microsoft along with his colleagues.
Mr. Nakagaki served as senior technologist in the office of the chief technology officer at Virtustream Inc. in Atlanta between 2016 and 2020. There, he contributed to major cloud infrastructure projects and further honed his technical leadership skills.
Recruited from Cox Automotive in Atlanta, Mr. Nakagaki served as a technical lead engineer from 2014 to 2016. He also succeeded as a subject matter expert contractor with PulseLearning in the Atlanta metropolitan area between 2013 and 2014, following his tenure as the lead systems administrator (level IV) at Cox Communications, Inc., where he managed critical network operations and systems administration tasks from 2007 to 2014.
During the early part of his career, Mr. Nakagaki worked for companies in Las Vegas, Nevada, like Sungard Higher Education, now Ellucian Company LLC, as a network systems administrator, Cox Communications, Inc., as an associate systems administrator, Republic Mortgage & Security, LLC, as an information technology (IT) support specialist, and NutriTech Incorporated as a web master. He began his career in 2000 as an IT support technician at NOS Communications.
Mr. Nakagaki’s academic background includes a high school diploma, earned in his hometown of Las Vegas. He supplemented his formal education with several industry certifications, including certified professional and certified solutions associate through Microsoft, A+ and Network+ through CompTIA, Inc., Turbonomic ACE from IBM, VTSP-NV by VMware, and DevOps Foundations through LinkedIn. These credentials have supported Mr. Nakagaki’s ability to adapt to evolving technologies and maintain high standards of professional excellence.
Beyond his primary scope of work, since 2015, Mr. Nakagaki has delivered multiple presentations on cloud operations management at VMworld. Previously, he served on the content committee for VMUG from 2012 to 2022. Civic engagement has also been central to his ethos. Since 2020, Mr. Nakagaki has volunteered as a teaching assistant with the TEALS Program at Microsoft, where he assists high school teachers in delivering computer science education. He has also volunteered with organizations such as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, now Blood Cancer United, Habitat for Humanity International, the International Charter Academy of Georgia, and the Peace Bell at The Carter Center in Georgia as a platinum sponsor.
Throughout his career, Mr. Nakagaki has achieved several significant milestones. He holds U.S. patents for a network management engine for a cloud computing system, a master control plane for infrastructure and application operations, and for systems for topological redundancy. These patents underscore his commitment to advancing cloud infrastructure technologies. Additionally, Mr. Nakagaki has contributed extensively to Virtustream PCF and Azure VMware Solution by Virtustream.
Mr. Nakagaki’s professional journey is further distinguished by numerous awards, including repeated recognition as a vExpert by VMware between 2011 and 2025, with a Synergy Award from Cox Communications, Inc., in 2012, and recognition as a vExpert VSAN in 2017, vExpert NSX in 2018, 2020 and 2021, and vExpert HCX in 2020. He attributes much of his success to maintaining humility about his abilities while embracing opportunities for growth and learning.
Looking ahead, Mr. Nakagaki aims to continue making meaningful contributions both professionally and personally by sharing his Japanese heritage with others while supporting educational opportunities for his children that were unavailable during his own upbringing. He is determined to empower those around him, whether through mentorship or philanthropy, so they can achieve their fullest potential while collectively striving to make the world a better place.
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