Rob Thiessen / Engineering executive

Building what’s next.
Scaling what matters.

I build technology organizations and platforms that turn customer needs into business results. At SKIMS, I lead digital engineering and enterprise AI adoption, bringing strategic direction and hands-on technical judgment to complex challenges at scale.

Explore my impact
ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP✳︎COMMERCE AT SCALE✳︎AI STRATEGY✳︎PLATFORM MODERNIZATION
20+

Years leadingYears in technology and engineering leadership

30+

Brands supportedEnterprise retail and DTC brands supported at Accenture

$5B

SKIMS valuation*Reported SKIMS valuation reached during brand growth; not a measure of individual contribution

*Reported brand valuation; not a measure of individual contribution.

A defining chapter / AI at enterprise scale

From AI experimentation to measurable adoption.

Over the past three years, I've helped shape how SKIMS evaluates, governs, funds, and operationalizes AI. The focus: tools that teams can actually use, training that drives better outcomes, and investment tied to business value—not hype.

250+Colleagues supported by enterprise AI tooling and training
30%Reduction in AI spend through optimization and shared capabilities
3Core platforms: Claude, ChatGPT, and Parabola

Strategy, governance & execution

As a contributor to the AI Steering Committee and AI Board of Directors, I help guide responsible adoption, oversee AI budgets, and drive the internal systems and enablement that make AI useful across the business.

Turning investment into leverage

Prompt-optimization training, reusable skills, and custom routing and automation improved how teams work while reducing unnecessary spend. The result is a more scalable model for AI adoption.

Explore AI transformation at SKIMS
01 / Selected impactA career built around scale

Great brands deserve great infrastructure.

Five stories spanning technology leadership, scalable platforms, and hands-on product development. Select a project to explore my contribution.

Brand project imagery is editorial concept artwork, not official campaign photography. WAYVIQ images are product captures; displayed data may be illustrative.

Editorial concept image of a model in soft neutral knitwear and charcoal clothing, representing modern consumer commerce01 / Commerce at scale
01 / Engineering leadership

SKIMS

Leading digital technology and enterprise AI for 250+ users, reducing AI spend 30% while advancing commerce performance, loyalty, and scale.

VP of Engineering2023 — Present
Editorial concept close-up of layered neutral shapewear fabric textures and seams02 / Digital retail
02 / Commerce architecture

SPANX

Advancing Shopify commerce architecture, platform reliability, and cross-market scalability through agency partnership.

Digital commercePlatform modernization
Editorial concept of a black tailored blazer in an architectural wine-red luxury fashion setting03 / Luxury transformation
03 / Enterprise transformation

LANVIN

Supporting the transition to Shopify alongside ERP implementation to better connect storefront and operations.

Luxury commerceSystems integration
Editorial concept of a brushed silver smart ring on sculptural limestone with a slate-blue backdrop04 / Connected technology
04 / Platform & partnership

OURA

Helping build internal capabilities and secure a major client engagement, working closely with senior leadership.

Product engineeringStrategic growth
WAYVIQ destination charging concept at a mountain retreat
WAYVIQ admin platform preview with charging map and stop intelligence
WAYVIQ iOS app with charging discovery and trip planning
Driver app + operator platform · Product preview
05 / EV mobility & product engineering

WAYVIQ

From EV journey to
connected product.

Built the complete pilot using AI-assisted development, connecting a native iOS app with charging discovery, Stop Score, vehicle-aware trip planning, and an admin platform for property and network workflows.

Native iOSTrip IntelligenceAdmin platform
Built end to end using AIInvite-only pilot
02 / How I workFrom strategy to execution

Technology is the tool.
Impact is the goal.

Lasting results come from how teams are built, decisions are made, and systems work together. My approach combines engineering leadership with hands-on technical judgment, connecting the work of delivery to the needs of the business.

01Team ownership

Build teams that
own the outcome.

At SKIMS, I strengthened internal engineering capability by investing in senior leaders, hiring, and delivery practices. The work combined clear internal ownership with carefully chosen vendors and contractors, reducing reliance on external agencies.

  • Develop leaders and internal knowledgeBuild the leadership and engineering capability needed to sustain delivery as the business grows.
  • Use partners with purposeKeep accountability within the organization while bringing in specialist support where it adds value.
Explore engineering leadership
02Connected systems

Make the whole
operation work together.

At LANVIN, I worked with brand stakeholders to connect the Shopify migration with ERP implementation. That meant keeping the customer experience, inventory, fulfillment, and day-to-day operations in the same conversation.

  • Work across system boundariesAlign storefront information with the systems and workflows that manage products, stock, and fulfillment.
  • Coordinate technical dependenciesBring brand teams and technical stakeholders together so platform decisions support operational needs.
Explore connected commerce
03Product & delivery

Connect technical direction
with business priorities.

At Shopistry, I worked across product engineering and senior leadership to strengthen the platform offering and support OURA’s onboarding. At SPANX, I helped align commerce architecture with the brand’s delivery needs across markets.

  • Build capability behind the offeringEstablish engineering foundations and development practices that support enterprise client needs.
  • Balance today’s delivery with tomorrow’s needsGuide architecture decisions that meet immediate priorities while leaving room for products and markets to evolve.
Explore product and partnership
04Operational readiness

Prepare for demand.
Improve the experience.

At SKIMS, I led the shift from monolithic middleware to microservices alongside sustained performance engineering. Traffic forecasting, caching, monitoring, and launch preparation connected architectural work with the demands of high-visibility releases.

  • Design for traffic burstsRe-engineer critical systems around exceptional demand and global platform stability.
  • Treat speed as an engineering outcomeImprove web loading and rendering through sustained work on platform performance and operational readiness.
Explore platform and reliability

Explore the case studies for the project context, my contribution, and measured outcomes.

03 / The person behind the platformExperience + perspective

A builder at heart.
A leader by design.

The mindset
RT

Clarity. Ownership. Momentum.
Technology in service of people and business.

I'm Rob — an engineering executive with two decades of experience helping organizations move from complex technology challenges to scalable execution.

My work spans hands-on architecture, building engineering organizations, partnering with senior executives, and turning technology investment into scalable delivery. I also built WAYVIQ’s EV journey-planning pilot using AI, connecting a native driver app with backend services and an operator console.

VP of Engineering · SKIMS2023 — Now
Director of Technology · Accenture2021 — 2023
Director of Engineering · Noticed2019 — 2021
Founder & Principal Engineer · Rob22016 — 2019
04 / Let's talk

Building something ambitious?

For conversations about engineering leadership, commerce transformation, organizational scale, and thoughtful AI adoption, let's connect.

Find me on LinkedIn