Speaking & Consulting

I help engineering leaders build high-performing teams and navigate complex organizational challenges. Whether through advisory, workshops, or conference talks, I share practical approaches from 20+ years of building and scaling teams.

Topics I Cover

Team Building & Culture

  • Building high-performing teams from scratch
  • Psychological safety in practice (not theory)
  • Sustainable development and avoiding burnout
  • Retaining top engineers in competitive markets

Engineering Leadership

  • Maintaining technical credibility as an EM
  • IC → EM transitions: what actually changes
  • EM → Staff Engineer or Director: choosing your path
  • Managing Staff and Principal engineers - what changes when your reports outrank you technically

AI in Engineering Leadership

  • Using AI to remove busywork without outsourcing judgment
  • Where it helps engineering teams, and where it quietly costs more than it saves
  • Setting team norms: privacy, verification, and honest expectations
  • Why feedback, reviews, and career conversations stay human

Organizational Scaling

  • Navigating acquisitions and organizational change
  • Building team processes that scale (without bureaucracy)
  • Hiring for long-term fit, not just skills
  • Cross-team collaboration and breaking down silos

Technical Leadership for Managers

  • Staying technical enough to lead effectively
  • Architecture decision-making as an EM
  • Managing distributed systems teams
  • On-call, incidents, and production ownership

Formats

Advisory & Consulting

For: VPs of Engineering, Directors, Engineering Managers

What: 1:1 coaching, team audits, process design, organizational structure

Focus: Team building, scaling, navigating transitions, career pathing

Workshops

For: Engineering leadership teams, management cohorts

What: Half-day or full-day interactive sessions

Popular topics:

  • Building Psychological Safety in Engineering Teams
  • Technical Credibility for Engineering Managers
  • IC → EM and EM → Staff/Director Career Paths

Conference & Meetup Talks

For: Engineering conferences, company all-hands, local meetups

What: 30-60 minute talks with Q&A

Talks I can bring:

  • "Building Teams That Actually Want to Come to Work"
  • "Staying Technical as an Engineering Manager"
  • "The Hidden Work of Engineering Leadership"

Let's Work Together

Interested in having me speak at your event, run a workshop, or provide advisory support?

Get in Touch