Resume · Professional experience and qualifications
Adam Thede
VP of Engineering
Tennessee · Contact Me
Professional Summary
Accomplished VP of Engineering with extensive experience in full-stack development, strategic leadership, and product management. Proven expertise in scaling technology teams, optimizing system performance, and implementing process improvements that drive business growth. Adept at leveraging data-driven methodologies and innovative technologies to enhance product offerings. Committed to fostering collaborative teams and delivering solutions that exceed customer expectations.
Experience
Vice President of Engineering
Strategic Leadership and Team Management
- Scaled the engineering team from a sole developer to a team of four, including a senior product engineer, data science intern, and UX/UI designer.
- After the company reduced headcount, has run the technical team alone for about the past year, using an agent workforce - build, review, ops - to execute. Story points per sprint rose over that period, and production deploy cadence held about where it had been with a team of four.
- Recruited, trained, and mentored team members, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
- Implemented Agile methodologies with two-week sprints, enhancing productivity and project visibility.
- Developed formal career paths for team members, promoting professional growth and retention.
Technical Achievements
Infrastructure and Performance
- Successfully migrated from Heroku to Google Cloud Platform (GCP), enhancing system reliability, scalability, and performance while reducing hosting costs.
- Implemented critical security measures in GCP, ensuring compliance with industry data protection standards.
- Improved performance bottlenecks related to database operations.
Process Improvements
- Established and optimized systems for handling tech requests and tech support, introducing a system that improved response times and customer satisfaction.
- Refined code review and QA processes, implementing thorough vetting procedures and increasing the quality of code deployments.
- Introduced productivity tools like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and ChatGPT, boosting developer efficiency and code quality.
Product Development and Innovation
- Launched official product roadmaps, including charter documents, product requirements documents, and success metrics tracking.
- Led the development and release of major features such as admin management, enhanced report analysis, and exports.
- Integrated a machine learning pipeline into the production application, enabling advanced analytics and insights.
Data-Driven Decision Making
- Started surfacing product usage and technical metrics, utilizing tools like Segment, Google Analytics, and BigQuery with Looker.
- Leveraged data to make informed decisions on feature prioritization and to enhance customer engagement strategies.
Customer Experience Enhancements
- Collaborated with design and product teams to improve the platform’s user interface and navigation.
- Implemented accessibility features and incorporated user onboarding tools like UserPilot to streamline adoption of new features.
- Improved authentication systems with Devise, enhancing security and user experience.
Business Impact
- Supported significant growth in survey distribution and data collection, with reports delivered increasing by over 330% in four years.
- Ensured all technical initiatives aligned with broader business goals, focusing on ROI, customer retention, and new sales opportunities.
- Contributed to the company’s ability to capitalize on its primary strengths: distribution network, survey experience, and reporting processes.
Senior Software Developer
Project Leadership
- Designed, developed, and maintained agentcontract.com, an electronic contracting solution streamlining the onboarding of insurance agents.
- Co-led a team of two engineers, overseeing the full software development lifecycle and ensuring timely delivery of features.
Technical Contributions
- Built the platform using Ruby on Rails, with hosting on Heroku and integrations with AWS services.
- Integrated third-party APIs, including NIPR.com for licensing information, Adobe eSign for electronic signatures, and Salesforce for CRM functionalities.
Business Impact
- Reduced agent contracting time, improved satisfaction, and increased the number of onboarded agents.
- Enhanced operational efficiency, contributing to increased revenue and a stronger market position.
Software Developer
Web Development
- Developed and maintained key websites and applications, including vanderbilthealth.com, mc.vanderbilt.edu, and myhealthatvanderbilt.com.
- Converted legacy web properties to responsive designs using Bootstrap, improving accessibility and user engagement across devices.
Technical Skills
- Utilized HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, and Git for enhancing website functionality.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders, including patients and medical professionals.
Vice President
Capital Markets Trading
- Managed a matched-book trading ledger, acting as the primary market maker for emerging market fixed income repurchase agreements.
- Traded sovereign debt of emerging market economies, generating millions in annual revenue through effective strategies.
Leadership and Collaboration
- Sole trader in New York for emerging market repos, coordinating closely with the London office.
- Recognized the transformative impact of technology on trading efficiency, fueling a passion for leveraging technology in business operations.