Our Meet the Team series showcases the brilliant and talented experts at Virtualitics who are dedicated to empowering organizations with AI-driven analytics and applications.
“I first joined Virtualitics as an intern while completing my Masters in Informatics,” says Gennaro Zanfardino, Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Virtualitics. “I was immersed in natural language processing (NLP) feature development and collaborating with the Engineering, Solution, and QA teams. With such valuable hands-on experience, I knew that Virtualitics was a company where I could continue to grow my career and skills.”
Gennaro’s path from academia to industry has been driven by curiosity, ambition, and a passion for applied computer science and machine learning. When he transitioned from intern to a full-time Machine Learning Engineer role, Gennaro jumped right into research and development, working on features like Histogram Insights for the Explore platform. He also contributed to scientific evaluations, filed company patents, and even helped manage interns and new hires.
In addition to his work at Virtualitics, Gennaro is also currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at the University of L’Aquila. His research contributions span natural language processing, deep learning, and the development of digital twins for medical diagnosis and territorial management. He actively presents both his own work and that of his company at international conferences. He has also published a number of research papers, including Unmask Inflated Product Reviews Through Machine Learning and Urban Digital Twin for Territorial Management.
Leading AI Innovation Across Platforms
As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Gennaro manages the development of Virtualitics’ Predict platform, keeping a close eye on client needs and overseeing app and component development. “My work is a blend of research and development for Virtualitics’ data exploration tools, and outlining applications in collaboration with the solutions team by exploring datasets and building client models,” says Genarro, who also recruits and onboards as part of his key responsibilities.
His current projects include developing a telemetry analytics app with a customer churn module, which adds critical insights for both internal and external clients. Additionally, he’s contributing to a large language model (LLM) integration within the Insights platform, an advancement that will elevate users’ natural language interaction with the Virtualitics platform.
Looking ahead, Gennaro is gearing up to take on more complex projects and to lead a larger team. “My journey from intern to a senior role reflects Virtualitics’ commitment to both academic research and applied technology in machine learning,” he says.
