Rob Thiessen

Rob ThiessenRob ThiessenRob Thiessen

Rob Thiessen

Rob ThiessenRob ThiessenRob Thiessen

DRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP

DRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIPDRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIPDRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP

DRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP

DRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIPDRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIPDRIVING COMMERCE GROWTH THROUGH ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP

Strategic engineering leader scaling commerce platforms and high-performing teams for global consumer brands.

With 20+ years of experience leading technology organizations across retail and hyper-growth DTC, I focus on platform scalability, team performance, and execution at scale. Known for modernizing commerce ecosystems, strengthening engineering culture, and enabling high-traffic, high-impact digital experiences.

What I Do

Engineering Leadership & Org Scale

Commerce Platform & Architecture Modernization

Commerce Platform & Architecture Modernization

I build and lead high-performing engineering organizations across frontend, backend, mobile, platform, and QA. My focus is on establishing strong technical leadership layers, clear ownership models, and delivery processes that balance speed with quality, especially in fast-moving retail and DTC environments. I also leverage AI-assisted development and tooling to improve engineering efficiency, onboarding, and quality without increasing operational overhead.

Commerce Platform & Architecture Modernization

Commerce Platform & Architecture Modernization

Commerce Platform & Architecture Modernization

I lead large-scale commerce transformations across headless architectures, Shopify/Hydrogen ecosystems, mobile applications, and enterprise integrations. My work emphasizes scalability, performance, extensibility, and long-term platform health, while laying the groundwork for AI-enabled personalization, search, and intelligent merchandising as platforms mature.

High-Traffic Operations & Launch Readiness

High-Traffic Operations & Launch Readiness

High-Traffic Operations & Launch Readiness

I’ve led engineering through some of the most demanding moments in commerce, including major product drops, global campaigns, and celebrity-driven traffic surges. I prioritize performance engineering, observability, incident readiness, and release governance,using data-driven and AI-supported monitoring and QA practices to improve reliability and response under peak demand.

Executive Partnership & Business Alignment

High-Traffic Operations & Launch Readiness

High-Traffic Operations & Launch Readiness

I partner closely with CEOs, CTOs, CPOs, creative leaders, and operations teams to align engineering strategy with business outcomes. I translate complex technical decisions into clear, measurable impact and help organizations mature their engineering function as they scale.

ECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP FOR CATEGORY-DEFINING COMMERCE BRANDS

SKIMS - VP of Engineering

At SKIMS, I helped power the commerce platform behind the brand’s rapid rise to a $5B global valuation. I worked across key initiatives to scale a high-performance, conversion-driven e-commerce experience capable of supporting massive product launches, global traffic spikes, and ongoing growth. My contributions focused on building a reliable, flexible foundation that enabled SKIMS to move quickly,

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I partnered with Product, Strategy, and Design to lead the build of the brand’s first Shopify storefront as part of a major site rebuild and rebrand. On the agency side, I guided platform and architectural decisions to support one of the top brands in the Shopify ecosystem, delivering scale, performance, and reliability expected of a category-defining global brand. The result was a flexible commer

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At SPANX, I worked on the agency side to modernize the brand’s commerce systems on Shopify in support of global scale, performance, and sustained growth. I partnered closely with cross-functional teams to evolve platform architecture, improve site reliability, and enable faster iteration across markets and product lines. The work helped establish a resilient, future-ready Shopify commerce foundati

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At Lanvin, I worked on the agency side to guide the brand’s move to Shopify while also delivering a new ERP implementation to support global commerce operations. In close partnership with brand stakeholders, I helped align digital storefronts with backend systems, enabling more accurate inventory, streamlined fulfillment, and improved operational control. This work established a cohesive commerce 

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For Oura, I helped drive the development of core internal capabilities from the ground up, working closely with senior leadership to refine the product and support business growth. I also played a key role in securing and onboarding Oura Ring as a large-scale client engagement, representing $3M in sales and establishing a foundation for long-term partnership.

At Sergio Rossi, I worked on the agency side to advance the brand’s digital commerce capabilities for a global luxury footwear audience. I partnered closely with brand stakeholders to enhance the online experience, modernize commerce workflows, and support performance and scalability without compromising the brand’s heritage or visual standards. The result was a more refined, resilient digital pla

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EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE

Vice President of Engineering | SKIMS

 Sep 23 - Current

Led global engineering across web, mobile, and platform teams at one of the fastest-growing apparel brands in the world.

  • Scaled a distributed engineering organization across multiple time zones
  • Modernized the headless commerce architecture to support global growth and rapid iteration
  • Strengthened performance, reliability, and launch readiness for high-volume product drops
  • Reduced agency dependency by building strong internal leadership and delivery capability 
  • Partnered closely with Product, Creative, and Marketing to support aggressive launch cycles

Director of Technology - Accenture (Retail & DTC Practice)

Nov 2021 - Sep 2023 

Senior technical leader supporting 30+ enterprise retail and DTC brands.

  • Led headless commerce transformations and platform modernization initiatives
  • Defined technical strategy for premium global brands across fashion, beauty, and consumer goods
  • Unified engineering teams post-acquisition and established consistent delivery standards
  • Served as senior escalation point for architecture decisions, launches, and platform stability

Director of Engineering - Noticed

 Apr 2019 – Nov 2021

Owned engineering execution and architecture for high-growth DTC brands.

  • Delivered full headless commerce rebuilds
  • Established engineering processes for QA, release management, and agile delivery
  • Improved performance, stability, and conversion across digital storefronts

Technical Director - Shopistry

 Aug 2019 – Apr 2021 

Founding engineering leader for a modular front-end commerce platform.

  • Co-architected a flexible, extensible frontend system for enterprise DTC brands
  • Helped secure and onboard major clients, including Oura Ring
  • Built early engineering culture, tooling, and operating practices 

Founder & Principle Engineer | Rob2

 2016 – 2019 

Independent application development consultancy.

  • Designed and built custom commerce systems, applications, and integrations
  • Worked directly with enterprise clients including 7-Eleven, Bombardier, and Scotiabank
  • Embedded with cross-functional teams to deliver tailored, high-impact solutions

Technical Director & Lead Engineer | Various Agencies

2007 – 2016
Led engineering delivery for BMW, MINI, Kia, and other enterprise clients. Managed teams, SDLC governance, integrations, and security.

CORE CAPABILITIES

Technology & Org Leadership

Digital Commerce Architecture

Digital Commerce Architecture

  •  Multi-year Technology Roadmapping
  •  Engineering Leadership (FE, BE, Mobile, Platform, SRE, QA)
  •  High-growth Org Scaling & Talent Development
  • Agile Delivery, PMO, Cross-functional Alignment 

Digital Commerce Architecture

Digital Commerce Architecture

Digital Commerce Architecture

  •   Shopify Plus, Hydrogen, Headless
  • Mobile App Systems (Flutter / Hybrid)
  • Site Performance, Caching, Traffic Scaling
  • API Architecture & Integration Strategy

Retail & Enterprise Systems

Digital Commerce Architecture

Retail & Enterprise Systems

  

  •  ERP, POS, OMS, CRM, WMS, Loyalty
  • Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, GCP)
  • Enterprise Security, Data Governance
  • Vendor, Platform & Contract Management

AI works best when it quietly strengthens teams and platforms - helping organizations scale with clarity, speed, and confidence.

Let’s Connect

If you’re building or scaling a high-growth retail or DTC brand and thinking about engineering leadership, platform modernization, or organizational maturity, I’m always open to a thoughtful, confidential conversation.

Get in touch!

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