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SENIOR TPM,
TECHNOLOGY
From readying nuclear capable aircraft to evolving Google Search, my career has been anything but ordinary.
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My experience working on tech for one of the biggest music labels in the world has been incredibly rewarding to say the least. Having a roster comprised of major talents, like Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Charli XCX, Teddy Swims, and Dua Lipa, has truly been a dream come true for a lifelong musician like myself. In my first year at WMG, I've had the privilege of leading the development of a music industry-first superfan app for our top-tier global artists, a truly exciting project that has allowed me to delve into artist and superfan insights, identify key engagement features, and drive iOS and Android development teams through to successful testing and launch. I've also owned our business's first trust & safety pillar involving the integration of AI and human moderation tools, intimate collaboration with 3P vendors, development of comprehensive behavioral policies and community guidelines, and escalation management, all focused on creating a safe and positive atmosphere for artists and fans alike. Finally, I've most recently been leveraging my knowledge and passion for Generative AI to bring a foundational understanding of these transformative technologies across the business through hosting a successful GenAI hackathon along with continued education and training sessions in partnership with our executive leadership team.
Shipping FE/BE features, optimizing the PDLC to accelerate eng velocity, being a trusted thought partner to every function and cultivating my team of TPMs through mentorship is how I invested my time while at Dropbox. I've served as the interim product manager for the Search Indexing and Foundations teams while simultaneously bringing organization and technical expertise across a group comprised of 100+ team members across PM, Eng, UX, DS, QA, PMM and CX. Leading a team of TPMs to teach more effective approaches to technical problem solving and business strategy is a critical initiative of mine to allow us to construct mental models that can increase our function's impact at a broader scale across the company.
Evolving a product with over 4 billion daily users is no easy feat and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to improve the way the world searches. Behind the native Google Search widget lies the Google App available on all Android and iOS devices. During my time at Google, I led the delivery of client-facing features spanning framework optimizations, privacy & trust (e.g., Incognito Mode) and multitasking & resumption (e.g., Tabs) to make the Google App more helpful overall. I also led the Android Google App Release Team, increasing the frequency of binary pushes to the Play Store by shrinking our release cadence from 11 days (bi-weekly) to 5 days (weekly).
Being in the golden age of streaming media, I decided to pivot away from aerospace and dive into an industry more aligned with my passions and personal interests: media & entertainment. As a TPM/Scrum Master, I partnered closely with Product (PO), Design and Engineering to optimize CBS.com's video player quality and functionality, a foundational element critical to delivering high quality content to our users. My day to day was comprised of breaking down our product vision into digestible, executable chunks of work while also optimizing eng velocity as I led the team through the various phases of the product development life cycle.
Using accumulated credits earned through the Air Force and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University I received a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics during my time living on O'ahu. Professional Aeronautics can be thought of similarly to a business management degree rooted in aviation. So, instead of the typical business classes, we had Aviation Accounting, Aviation Maintenance, Aviation Safety, Aircraft Accident Investigation, Airport Management and so on.
Wasting untapped potential has always been one of my biggest fears, which fuels my desire to learn something new every day. Deciding to arm oneself with knowledge, then using that knowledge to create something where there was once nothing is a simple concept that never fails to blow my mind. This is the essence of entrepreneurship which also serves as the driving force for my own entrepreneurial endeavors.
In my downtime I love being in and around the ocean. It holds a special place in my heart as it has helped keep me grounded and humble through my life. Being that my wife and I first met on O'ahu, we share a mutual love for the ocean, surfing and Hawaiian culture and even named our first child Duke after the Hawaiian legend and Father of Surfing — Duke Kahanamoku.
Taxiing nuclear-ready aircraft on the flight line in subzero temperatures taught me to move with a sense of urgency, perform with precision and act with integrity. Managing a beachside restaurant in the heart of Surf City, USA was where I was first introduced to the idea of entrepreneurship and further developed my grit. Bringing Navy servicemen home from Afghanistan and refueling their aircraft at 30,000 feet was when I realized what sacrifice and resilience truly meant. Being the IFE subject matter expert on fly alongs for global airline partners was where I learned true autonomy and leadership. Building 2 small businesses while working full-time forever instilled a sense of diligence and gumption within me. Evolving the way that billions of users search while at Google fortified my technical proficiency and embedded efficiency into every part of my daily workflow. Leading TPMs at Dropbox has proven how impactful I can be by simply listening with empathy and providing mentorship through inspirational motivation.
As unorthodox as my career has been I'm grateful to have been able to see life from so many angles. No matter how large or small, I consider each of my past jobs sacred as they've imparted me wisdom through firsthand experiences that I continue to carry with me today.
If you want to get in touch with me you can send me a message filling up de following form, I’ll usually will answer within 24 hours.
