Case Study:
Reducing User Churn by Tackling a Critical Ad Experience Challenge
Challenge:
A global software company offering popular ad-blocking browser extensions was facing high user churn (~15%) due to a specific challenge: YouTube’s ad-blocker wall was disrupting the user experience and causing around 20% of users to disengage.
My Role:
As Engineering Lead, I guided the team to tackle this issue. I provided clear prioritisation, refined our release cycle, improved cross-team processes, and influenced innovation strategies to address the problem effectively.
Actions:
I ensured the team was sharply focused on the right goals, optimized the development and testing workflow for faster delivery, and fostered close collaboration between engineering and product to identify the best technical solutions.
Results:
I led the team to successfully reduce the YouTube wall hit rate from ~20% down to ~3% and kept it stable over time.
This drove user churn down from ~15% to just 0.2%, preserving user trust and directly contributing to revenue protection for the company.
Case Study:
Delivering the World’s First Blockchain Reinsurance Platform
Challenge:
A major financial services client set out to develop the world’s first blockchain-based reinsurance platform — an ambitious project requiring advanced technical integration, security, and alignment with strict functional and non-functional requirements.
My Role:
As Engineering Lead at a global technology consultancy, I led a cross-functional team of Go backend engineers, JavaScript frontend developers, and QA specialists. I worked closely with client stakeholders to ensure we met both technical goals and regulatory expectations.
Actions:
I coordinated architecture decisions, optimised delivery workflows, and guided the team in building a secure blockchain architecture using Hyperledger Fabric. I maintained continuous client engagement, ensuring milestones were met and the system aligned with compliance, scalability, and performance standards.
Results:
The team successfully delivered the world’s first blockchain reinsurance platform, positioning the client as an industry innovator. This project showcased our ability to implement cutting-edge blockchain solutions, combining advanced technologies and strong cross-team leadership to meet complex enterprise needs.
Case Study:
Closing a Major Enterprise Deal Through Focused Engineering Support
Challenge:
A large, high-value enterprise client was negotiating a complex deal with our commercial team, but slow technical feedback loops and unclear team focus risked delaying the project and jeopardizing the opportunity.
My Role:
As Engineering Lead, I worked closely with the sales team to align technical and commercial efforts. I streamlined the engineering team’s focus, optimised feedback cycles, and ensured that key technical deliverables were addressed efficiently to support the client’s needs.
Actions:
I restructured priorities to focus on high-impact tasks tied to the deal, introduced faster feedback loops between engineering and sales, and ensured clear communication channels between all stakeholders.
Results:
I led the efforts to successfully close a major enterprise partnership, delivering significant commercial value and strengthening the company’s market position. This demonstrated how strong engineering leadership and cross-functional collaboration can directly support business success.
Case Study:
Improving Team Performance and Engagement Through Hands-On Leadership
Challenge:
A distributed engineering team was facing inconsistent performance and low engagement, risking delivery timelines and team morale.
My Role:
As Engineering Lead at a global technology consultancy, I led a cross-functional team of Go backend engineers, JavaScript frontend developers, and QA specialists. I worked closely with client stakeholders to ensure we met both technical goals and regulatory expectations.
Actions:
I worked closely with each team member to identify growth areas, tailored feedback approaches, and optimised workflows to align with individual and team strengths. By establishing regular check-ins and self-development goals, I fostered a culture of continuous improvement and open communications.
Results:
These efforts led to a 20% improvement in overall team performance and a 15% increase in team happiness, as measured through biannual employee surveys. This not only strengthened team resilience and delivery capacity but also built a more engaged, motivated, and loyal team culture.
Case Study:
Leading and Growing Multicultural Teams Across 10+ Nationalities
Challenge:
Leading a highly multicultural, cross-border engineering team presented challenges in communication, feedback, and collaboration due to differing cultural expectations and working styles.
My Role:
I led a diverse team spanning over 10 nationalities, where I prioritised inclusivity, empathy, and adaptive leadership to ensure everyone could thrive and collaborate effectively.
Actions:
I applied tailored feedback techniques, encouraged intercultural dialogue, and created a psychologically safe space for all voices. Drawing on these experiences, I also shared my insights as a speaker at LeadDev Berlin with my talk “Feedback for Intercultural Teams,” helping other leaders navigate similar challenges.
Results:
These efforts enhanced team cohesion, improved mutual understanding, and strengthened cross-cultural collaboration, allowing the team to deliver successfully across multiple projects. My leadership not only benefited my own teams but also contributed to broader industry conversations on inclusive, global leadership.
Case Study:
Boosting Team Efficiency with a Server-Side Machine Learning Solution
Challenge:
Multiple engineering teams were slowed down by manual processes for generating critical filtering components, limiting their task throughput and overall delivery speed.
My Role:
As Engineering Lead, I led a team to design, develop, and implement a server-side machine learning (ML) model aimed at automating and optimising filter generation.
Actions:
I provided technical oversight and ensured cross-team collaboration, aligning the ML development with real-world needs. Once deployed, we worked with downstream teams to integrate the ML-generated outputs into their workflows, streamlining task execution and reducing manual workload.
Results:
The ML solution increased team efficiency by 20%, enabling multiple teams to work faster and close tasks more effectively. This project demonstrated how strategic technical innovation, paired with strong leadership, can deliver measurable, organization-wide impact.