Principal Engineer | 15+ Years Experience | Engineering Leadership, Golang, Systems

Summary

Seasoned engineering leader with 15+ years of experience delivering transformative software across fintech, security, and cloud-native infrastructure. Specializes in leading high-performance teams, modernizing architectures, and driving outcomes under pressure. Hands-on technologist with a long track record of successful data-driven product initiatives.

Professional Experience

Principal Architect, Menrva, Singapore (2024–2025)

• Migrated telemetry middleware to Golang, enabling SBOM for regulatory compliance.
• Delivered key architectural support for risk-reduction initiatives at a global financial institution.
• Implemented targeted risk remediation strategies across AWS using Terraform automation.
• Drafted strategic architectural proposals for infrastructure and compliance improvements.

Lead Engineer - Payments (2022–2023) / Principal Engineer (2023–2024), ExpressVPN, Singapore

• Owned the consolidation of the Payments and Accounts (PAC) Tribe, directly managing ~5 engineers and driving alignment across a group of ~20, including peers and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Bootstrapped 13 initiatives across 4–6 business units, resolving organizational friction and unblocking delivery across payments, data, finance, and product teams.
• Performed full management duties including performance reviews, hiring, and technical direction.
• Established and led the internal Golang training program, developing both trainers and engineers; instrumental in transitioning multiple teams to Go.
• Promoted to Principal Engineer with accountability for backend architecture, engineering standards.
• Co-developed DevSecOps operating model and AWS-based infrastructure platform with CTO, rolled out division-wide.
• Mentored Engineering Managers on structure, risk mitigation, and strategic planning.

Lead Engineer & TPM, Spire Global, Luxembourg (2019–2022)

• Led turnaround of Maritime Product Engineering team, stabilizing operations and re-architecting the product stack to enable revenue growth.
• Redesigned org structure and agile practices, achieving a 6× productivity increase.
• Designed and implemented new hiring strategy.
• Reduced 70% of technical debt within 9 months by transitioning to Golang.
• Created first career development framework for engineers, later adopted as a model company-wide.
• Improved support workflows, reducing resolution time from 30+ days to under 2 days.

Principal Engineering Lead & TPM, Traveloka, Singapore (2018–2019)

• Led Core Data Product initiative as both Engineering Lead and acting TPM.
• Drove Golang adoption within Data Team, delivering low-latency GraphQL API product built on microservices.
• Designed an immutable event-driven architecture to replace legacy batch pipelines, enabling near-real-time analytics.
• Increased Gross Booking Volume by over USD $6M/year through data-informed payment optimization.
• Defined CDP product and hiring roadmaps.
• Mentored Product Managers in technical understanding and delivery effectiveness.
• Led org-wide shift in data architecture using Systems Thinking techniques.

Skills

Leadership & Strategy

• Engineering management: org design, performance reviews, hiring, EM mentorship
• Tech strategy: modernization, cloud-native transitions, cross-org alignment
• Agile & delivery: XP, process design, delivery operations
• Org development: leveling frameworks, training programs, assessment panels
• Systems thinking: applied SODA and CSH for systemic transformation

Technical Acumen

• Golang: significant hands-on experience, org-wide adoption and training
• Cloud & DevOps: AWS, Terraform, secure infrastructure delivery
• APIs: gRPC, GraphQL, REST; delivered performant unified platforms
• Mentorship & evangelism: training programs, migration coaching
• Risk & reliability: SLAs, metrics, and recovery strategies

Education

• B.Sc. Applied Physics, University of Toronto (2009) Focus on experimental and condensed matter physics, with cryogenics experience

Interests

• Sword fighting (Fiore di Liberi, late medieval Italian Longsword)
• Calligraphy (Gothic, Insular, Carolingian)
• Games (space/building games such as Kerbal Space Program, Dwarf Fortress, TTRPGs)
• Game development in Godot engine