Michael Sachs

Summary

Accomplished data and technology leader with deep experience in machine learning, analytics, and data science. Proven track record of accelerating research velocity, building high-impact infrastructure, and leading enterprise-scale cross-functional initiatives. Expert in deploying AI systems to accelerate enterprise AI strategy, optimize performance and cost, and inform high-stakes decision-making.

Highlights
  • Led the development of enterprise grade AI systems.
  • Scaled cross-functional teams and mentored ICs and managers across ML, engineering, research, and analytics.
  • Built cost and performance optimization tools managing hundreds of millions in infrastructure spend.
  • Proven success in ambiguous, high-impact environments with a blend of technical, product, and leadership skills.

Experience

Cohere

Senior Manager of Technical Staff, Applied ML Sep 2025 - Present

  • Leading a team of machine learning engineers post-training Cohere’s foundational LLMs for enterprise customers in APAC and Western North America.
  • Building the organizational foundations to double the size of Cohere’s Applied Machine Learning organization within the next year.
  • Serving as the technical representative for Cohere’s go-to-market and customer relationship management teams in APAC and Western North America.
  • Collaborating with executive teams at Cohere’s enterprise customers to define AI strategy.

Netflix

Senior Data Science Manager, Infrastructure Jan 2022 - Sept 2024

  • Founded and led Netflix’s first ML-for-Systems team, delivering production ML applications that optimized AWS traffic, workload placement, and infrastructure utilization — improving performance and managing $800M+ in annual cloud spend.
  • Designed, deployed, and iterated on LLM-based systems that mapped customer service contacts to infrastructure issues, reducing detection latency and enabling automated remediation at scale.
  • Built experimentation and causal inference platforms to simulate and test infrastructure changes in production, accelerating iteration cycles and reducing operational risk.
  • Developed predictive ML tooling for capacity planning of live streaming events, improving forecast accuracy and system reliability under high-load conditions.
  • Partnered with Finance and Engineering to deliver real-time cloud efficiency dashboards, enabling rapid decision-making across technical and business stakeholders.

Data Science Manager, Content Distribution Infrastructure Sept 2020 - Jan 2022

  • Led cross-functional ML, data, and research teams to improve global content delivery performance for Netflix’s Open Connect network.
  • Architected and deployed ML systems for VPN detection, traffic forecasting, and proactive content placement, enhancing customer experience worldwide.
  • Spearheaded 0 to 1 data infrastructure for Netflix Cloud Games, enabling experimentation, telemetry, and feature iteration pre-launch.
  • Delivered ultra-high-resolution TCP logging pipelines and experimentation frameworks to accelerate network performance research and feature deployment.

FLYR

Head of Product Mar 2019 - Apr 2020

  • Led 22-person cross-continental AI-first product team, rapidly iterating on LSTM-driven airline pricing solutions, expanding customer adoption and revenue impact.
  • Partnered with design, engineering, and customer teams to build AI-powered tools from concept to production, driving measurable improvements in partner KPIs.

Head of ML Platform Nov 2018 - Mar 2019

  • Founded and scaled the ML infrastructure team on GCP, implementing model/data versioning (DVC) and CI/CD pipelines — cutting model iteration cycles by 80%.
  • Designed and deployed low-latency inference systems for production pricing models, reducing latency by 50% and increasing reliability by 96%.

Radius Intelligence

Data Science Manager Mar 2017 - Oct 2018

  • Directed ML research initiatives to improve B2B marketing data quality via entity resolution, clustering, and supervised models.
  • Implemented a research-to-production pipeline to quickly iterate, evaluate, and deploy models impacting customer datasets at scale.
  • Established job ladders, evaluation metrics, and cross-functional processes to accelerate ML R&D delivery.

Discovery Digital Networks

Director of Data Science and Technology Sept 2014 - Mar 2017

  • Migrated all DDN web and data infrastructure to AWS, enhancing stability and reducing development time by over 50%.
    • .
  • Built a real-time video performance analytics platform supporting 500M+ daily data rows.

Data Scientist Mar 2014 - Sept 2014

  • Founded the Data Science function, delivering forecasting and performance models for content planning.

University of California, Davis and Columbia University

Graduate Student, Researcher, Associate Instructor Jan 2005 - Mar 2014

  • PhD in Physics, focused on computational modeling of complex systems.
  • NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship recipient.

Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital

Product Manager, Senior Web Designer Jun 2002 - Jan 2005

  • Led redesign and architecture of hospital websites, introducing consistent visual standards and CMS strategy.

Xperts Inc.

Creative Director, Designer Mar 1997 - Jun 2002

  • Managed web application UX design across multiple clients during the dot-com boom.

Technologies

Languages

Python, SQL, JavaScript, C, C++, HTML, CSS

Frameworks and Tools

PySpark, Databricks, DVC, Numpy, Scikit-learn, PyTorch, Pandas, SQLAlchemy, Flask, Django, Redshift, BigQuery, D3.js, Celery, HDF5

Cloud and Infra

AWS, GCP, Cassandra, Hadoop, MPI, Airflow, Docker, Experimentation Platforms

Education

University of California, Davis

PhD in Physics, 2013 (GPA: 3.87)

Columbia University

Completed undergraduate physics curriculum (GPA: 3.99)

Virginia Commonwealth University

BFA, Graphic Design, 1995 (GPA: 3.24)

Publications

Parametrizing Physics-Based Earthquake Simulations
K. W. Schultz, M. R. Yoder, J. M. Wilson, E. M. Heien, M. K. Sachs, J. B. Rundle, and D. L. Turcotte
Pure and Applied Geophysics  (2016)

Virtual Quake: Statistics, Co-Seismic Deformations and Gravity Changes for Driven Earthquake Fault Systems
K. W. Schultz, M. K. Sachs, E. M. Heien, M. R. Yoder, J. B. Rundle, D. L. Turcotte, and A. Donnellan
International Symposium on Geodesy for Earthquake and Natural Hazards (GENAH)  145  29-37  (2015)

Simulating Gravity Changes in Topologically Realistic Driven Earthquake Fault Systems: First Results
K. W. Schultz, M. K. Sachs, E. M. Heien, J. B. Rundle, D. L. Turcotte, and A. Donnellan
Pure and Applied Geophysics  Volume 17 827–838 (2014)

Self-Organizing Complex Earthquakes: Scaling in Data, Models, and Forecasting
M. K. Sachs, J. B. Rundle, J. R. Holliday, J. Gran, M. Yoder and W. Graves
"Self-Organized Criticality Systems"  Open Academic Press  (2013)

A Comparison among Observations and Earthquake Simulator Results for the allcal2 California Fault Model
T. E. Tullis, K. Richards-Dinger, M. Barall, J. H. Dieterich, E. H. Field, E. M. Heien, L. H. Kellogg, F. Pollitz, J. B. Rundle, M. K. Sachs, D. L. Turcotte, S. N. Ward and M. B. Yikilmaz
Seismological Research Letters  83  994-1006  (2012)

Generic Earthquake Simulator
T. E. Tullis, K. Richards-Dinger, M. Barall, J. H. Dieterich, E. H. Field, E. M. Heien, L. H. Kellogg, F. Pollitz, J. B. Rundle, M. K. Sachs, D. L. Turcotte, S. N. Ward and M. B. Yikilmaz
Seismological Research Letters  83  959-963  (2012)

Virtual California Earthquake Simulator
M. K. Sachs, E. M. Heien, D. L. Turcotte, M. B. Yikilmaz, J. B. Rundle and L. H. Kellogg
Seismological Research Letters  83  973-978  (2012)

Forecasting Earthquakes: The RELM Test
M. K. Sachs, D. L. Turcotte, J. R. Holliday and J. B. Rundle
Computing in Science and Engineering  14  43  (2012)

Understanding Long-Term Earthquake Behavior through Simulation
E. M. Heien and M. K. Sachs
Computing in Science and Engineering  14  10  (2012)

Black swans, power laws, and dragon-kings: Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, wildfires, floods, and SOC models
M. K. Sachs, M. R. Yoder, D. L. Turcotte, J. B. Rundle and B. D. Malamud
European Physical Journal Special Topics  205  167-182  (2012)

Implications of the RELM test of earthquake forecasts in California
M. K. Sachs, Y. T. Lee, D. L. Turcotte, J. R. Holliday and J. B. Rundle
Research in Geophysics  2  e10  (2012)

Evaluating the RELM test results
M. K. Sachs, Y. T. Lee, D. L. Turcotte, J. R. Holliday and J. B. Rundle
International Journal of Geophysics  2012  (2012)

Earthquake precursors: activation or quiescence?
J. B. Rundle, J. R. Holliday, M. Yoder, M. K. Sachs, A. Donnellan, D. L. Turcotte, K. F. Tiampo, W. Klein and L. H. Kellogg
Geophysical Journal International  187  225-236  (2011)

Results of the Regional Earthquake Likelihood Models (RELM) test of earthquake forecasts in California
Y. T. Lee, D. L. Turcotte, J. R. Holliday, M. K. Sachs, J. B. Rundle, C. C. Chen and K. F. Tiampo
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA)  108  16533-16538  (2011)

Testing Lattice Quantum Gravity in 2+1 Dimensions
M. K. Sachs
arXiv:1110.6880 [gr-qc]  (2011)

Awards

  • Three time Discovery D-Lighter award winner
  • 2014 and 2015 Discovery Digital Networks Hackathon winner
  • 2011 NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship
  • 2011 Santa Fe Institute Complex Systems Summer School
  • Member of the Golden Key International Honor Society
  • Interactive Best in Show, Richmond Ad Show 2004: AdCenter Website
  • 10 eHealthcare Leadership Awards including 2 Platinum Awards for work done on the Weill Cornell Medical College Environmental Geriatrics Continuing Medical Education Application 2002-2005
  • Artwork exhibited in the 2002 Paperveins Museum of Art Biennial at the Here Arts Center in New York City
  • Xperts Employee of the Month May 1999, June 2001, August 2001
  • Addy Award: Xperts Self Promotional Website 2000
  • Xperts Outstanding Engineering Sales Support December 1999
  • Xperts Excellence in Engineering Award August 1999
  • 9 Xperts customer service awards 1997-2002

Conferences

AGU 2013

Earthquake Simulations and Historical Patterns of Events: Forecasting the Next Great Earthquake in California
M. K. Sachs, J. B. Rundle, E. M. Heien, K. Schultz, D. L. Turcotte, M. B. Yikilmaz, and L. H. Kellogg (2013)
Abstract NG41A-1662 (Poster) presented at 2013 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 7-13 Dec.

Monitoring Earthquake Fault Slip from Space: Model Implications for a High Precision, High Resolution Dedicated Gravity Mission (Invited)
J. B. Rundle, M. K. Sachs, K. F. Tiampo, J. Fernandez, D. L. Turcotte, A. Donnellan, E. M. Heien and L. H. Kellogg (2013)
Abstract G13C-08 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 7-13 Dec.

AGU 2012

Virtual California: studying earthquakes through simulation
M. K. Sachs, E. M. Heien, D. L. Turcotte, M. B. Yikilmaz, J. B. Rundle and L. H. Kellogg (2012)
Abstract NG43C-02 presented at 2012 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 3-7 Dec.

Dynamics, Patterns, and Migration in Earthquake Fault Systems (Invited)
J. B. Rundle, M. K. Sachs, J. R. Holliday, E. M. Heien, D. L. Turcotte, A. Donnellan and Z. Meadows (2012)
Abstract S13A-2518 (Poster) presented at 2012 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 3-7 Dec.

EcoSummit 2012

Using Insights from Statistical Physics to Model Common Pool Resource Management
M. K. Sachs, N. Kunz, Z. A. Hamstead, A. Fajardo (2012)
Abstract GS07.28 presented at 2012 Meeting EcoSummit Columbus, Ohio 30 Sept. - 5 Oct.

AOGS 2012

Delivery of Earthquake Forecasts on Web-Based Platforms: Estimating Reliability and Forecast Skill
J. B. Rundle, J. R. Holliday, M. K. Sachs, W. Graves, P. B. Rundle, S. N. Ward and A. Donnellan (2012)
Abstract SE61-75-A001 presented at 2012 Meeting AOGS Singapore 13-17 Aug.

Numerical Simulations for Space-time Seismic Pattern Analysis and Earthquake Forecasting
M. K. Sachs, E. M. Heien, D. L. Turcotte, M. B. Yikilmaz, J. B. Rundle and L. H. Kellogg (2012)
Abstract SE61-75-A002 presented at 2012 Meeting AOGS Singapore 13-17 Aug.

AGU 2011

RELM Test Results: How Good Were the Forecasts?
M. K. Sachs, Y. T. Lee, D. L. Turcotte, J. R. Holliday and J. B. Rundle (2011)
Abstract NG44B-02 presented at 2011 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 5-9 Dec.

Using Speculative Execution to Reduce Communication in a Parallel Large Scale Earthquake Simulation
E. M. Heien, M. B. Yikilmaz, M. K. Sachs, J. B. Rundle, D. L. Turcotte and L. H. Kellogg (2011)
Abstract NG51D-1672 (Poster) presented at 2011 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 5-9 Dec.

E-DECIDER: Earthquake Disaster Decision Support and Response Tools - Development and Experiences
M. T. Glasscoe, R. G. Blom, G. W. Bawden, G. Fox, M. Pierce, J. B. Rundle, J. Wang, Y. Ma, M. R. Yoder, M. K. Sachs and J. W. Parker (2011)
Abstract IN11A-1269 (Poster) presented at 2011 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 5-9 Dec.

SCEC Earthquake Simulator Comparison Results for California (Invited)
T. E. Tullis, K. Richards-Dinger, M. Barall, J. H. Dieterich, E. H. Field, E. M. Heien, L. H. Kellogg, F. Pollitz, J. B. Rundle, M. K. Sachs, D. L. Turcotte, S. N. Ward and O. Zielke (2011)
Abstract NG44B-01 presented at 2011 Fall Meeting AGU San Francisco, Calif. 5-9 Dec.

SCEC 2011

An Evaluation of the RELM Test Forecasts
M. K. Sachs, Y. T. Lee, D. L. Turcotte, J. R. Holliday and J. B. Rundle (2011)
Abstract B-120 (Poster) presented at 2011 Annual Meeting SCEC Palm Springs, Calif. 11-14 Sep.

Parallelization of the Virtual California Earthquake Simulator
E. M. Heien, M. B. Yikilmaz, M. K. Sachs, J. B. Rundle, L. H. Kellogg, and D. L. Turcotte (2011)
Abstract B-087 (Poster) presented at 2011 Annual Meeting SCEC Palm Springs, Calif. 11-14 Sep.

The Future of Virtual California Simulations
M. B. Yikilmaz, J. B. Rundle, D. L. Turcotte, E. M. Heien, M. K. Sachs, and L. H. Kellogg (2011)
Abstract B-110 (Poster) presented at 2011 Annual Meeting SCEC Palm Springs, Calif. 11-14 Sep.

Comparisons Among Earthquake Simulator Results for UCERF2 Fault Model of California and Observed Seismicity
T. E. Tullis, K. Richards-Dinger, M. Barall, J. H. Dieterich, E. H. Field, E. Heien, L. H. Kellogg, F. Pollitz, J. B. Rundle, M. K. Sachs, D. L. Turcotte, S. N. Ward, M. B. Yikilmaz, and O. Zielke (2011)
Abstract B-109 (Poster) presented at 2011 Annual Meeting SCEC Palm Springs, Calif. 11-14 Sep.

ACES 2011

Virtual California: Inner Workings, Recent Results and Future Development
M. K. Sachs, J. B. Rundle, D. L. Turcotte, A. Donnellan and J. W. Parker (2011)
Abstract 7400 presented at 2011 Meeting ACES Maui, Hawaii 1-5 May

Virtual California: A Guided Tour
M. K. Sachs, E. M. Heien, J. B. Rundle, D. L. Turcotte, M. B. Yikilmaz, L. H. Kellogg, K. F. Tiampo, A. Donnellan, W. Klein and J. W. Parker (2011)
Presented at 2011 Meeting ACES Maui, Hawaii 1-5 May

Press

Scientific American

Test Pits Earthquake Forecasts against Each Other

NBC News

Flagging quake hotspots an inexact science

UC Davis News

Assessing California earthquake forecasts

NASA

Managing the Deluge of 'Big Data' From Space

QuakeSim and NASA Mobile App Win NASA Software Award