Robert Matsuoka Email & Phone Number

Hastings-On-Hudson, Ny, Us

Providing expert guidance in technology and software engineering to select companies in the Travel and Media industries. Specializing in creating impactful business outcomes through composable architectures, scalable technology stacks, and AI/ML-driven models. Delivering consulting services in technology workforce strategy, vendor management, and global engineering expansion, helping organizations optimize their technical operations and align their resources with business goals.Key focus areas include modernization, technology globalization, and leveraging cutting-edge AI/ML to drive innovation and efficiency.

Needham, Ma, Us

Role:In this role, I oversaw a significant annual budget of $140 million dedicated to engineering and technology. This involved carefully managing resources and ensuring cost-effectiveness to maximize the impact of our investments. Additionally, I led a team of over 500 employees, focusing on driving support for our yearly revenues totaling $900 million. By prioritizing innovation and efficiency, we were able to enhance the guest experiences and profitability within our hotels segments.Interim CTOAs interim Chief Technology Officer (CTO), I had the opportunity to deploy my expertise globally, providing comprehensive oversight of engineering and technology operations across various locations. This involved optimizing processes and strategies to support the company's annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $1.5 billion. I directly reported to the CEO, assuming a pivotal role in shaping the technological direction and advancement of the organization during this interim period.

Needham, Ma, Us

TenureDuring this job tenure, I demonstrated strong leadership capabilities aimed at promoting continuity and stability within the executive leadership team. In this role, I oversaw consumer product engineering initiatives for the Tripadvisor brand across various travel verticals, including hotels, experiences, restaurants, vacation rentals, cruises, flights, and car rentals.Global ExpansionAn integral part of my responsibilities involved establishing two new engineering offices in Bucharest, Romania, and Split, Croatia, which not only facilitated geographical expansion but also served as hubs for talent acquisition, thereby strengthening the company's global presence.Furthermore, I led the transformation of our consumer product stack from a two-decade-old legacy system to a contemporary, technology-driven model. This transition involved adopting federated and microservice architectures, as well as modern front-end codebases, to ensure scalability and adaptability in line with evolving market demands.Strategic VisionAs an active participant on both the B2C leadership team and the group's senior engineers' leadership team, I contributed strategic insights and expertise to drive the company's strategic vision forward. This included supervising company-wide resource allocation and global expansion efforts, aligning initiatives with strategic growth objectives to maximize market reach and operational efficiency.Org ManagementAdditionally, I headed an org of over 200 engineers, fostering a culture of innovation and high performance to enhance product development and drive technological advancements across the organization.Partner ManagementIn managing talent agency relationships with an annual budget of $20 million, I optimized talent acquisition and retention strategies to ensure we had the right expertise in place to support our ambitious growth plans.

Needham, Ma, Us

RoleAs the leader of the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Engineering team, I employed strong leadership and technical capabilities to enhance team performance and project outcomes. One of the significant challenges I faced was rebuilding the engineering team after COVID-related downsizing. Despite substantial attrition and the competitive nature of the local job market, I successfully navigated this task, reinforcing team resilience and ensuring continuity in our operations.Leadership TeamAs a key member of the B2C leadership team, I reported directly to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and collaborated closely with the division's president and business leads. This partnership allowed me to align our engineering goals with the broader business objectives, ensuring that our technological efforts were in sync with the company's strategic direction.Cross-Functional RelationshipsIn addition to leading the engineering org, I also worked closely with business and finance partners to augment operational efficiencies. By streamlining processes and implementing cost-effective solutions, we were able to optimize engineering resources and drive greater value for the organization. This collaborative approach facilitated smoother operations and enhanced our ability to deliver high-quality products and services to our customers.

Needham, Ma, Us

Oversaw the global resource expansion initiative. Developed resource forecasting and tracking models for the Global Engineering and Technology organization.

Needham, Ma, Us

In my role leading global engineering operations, I've focused on demonstrating leadership and strategic expertise to streamline processes and enhance operational efficiency. One significant achievement has been the expansion of our global engineering contract resourcing program, which saw remarkable growth from 20 engineers in 2020 to 350 engineers by 2023. This expansion involved developing new talent markets in Romania, Moldova, Portugal, and Croatia, not only increasing talent diversity but also improving cost efficiency.To further optimize resource allocation, I implemented a novel engineering allocation model. This model enabled comprehensive tracking and utilization of resources by project and team, resulting in improved resource management and more efficient project delivery.Another area of focus has been mentoring an innovation team tasked with conceptualizing and launching a new business line. Through effective guidance and support, we successfully took the idea from inception to market launch in a record six months, accelerating product development and entry into the market.Additionally, I've managed engineering teams of up to 50 members, overseeing core data elements, content moderation, and the integration of new technologies. Throughout this process, I've maintained high performance standards, ensuring that our teams continue to deliver quality results while adapting to evolving technological landscapes.

Needham, Ma, Us

Needham, Ma, Us

I played a significant role in the exit/acquisition process of Citymaps, contributing to its successful transition. Additionally, I led the growth of low-cost expansion efforts while overseeing a team of 40 engineers, ensuring cost-effective scaling and enhancing global operations.To support our initiatives, I secured funding and spearheaded projects such as Calypso (BPM) and Pangaea (OSS geo tech), which aimed to improve business process management and geographic technology solutions. I also played a key role in the architecture and design of the Social Feed implementation, aimed at enhancing user engagement and interaction.During the transfer and implementation of Citymaps technology at Tripadvisor, I oversaw the process, ensuring its scalability to support 500 million monthly active users (MAU) for seamless integration and performance at a large scale.Furthermore, I directed the IND group in Core Experience, managing five teams and 30 engineers. In this capacity, I focused on driving improvements in user experience and product performance, ensuring that our platforms met the evolving needs and expectations of our users.

New York, Ny, Us

Transformative LeaderTransformation of engineering infrastructure from a web-based system to a microservice-based mobile-first stack. This overhaul significantly improved performance and scalability, enabling us to better meet the demands of our users and accommodate future growth.Facilitated Successful ExitAdditionally, I played a key role in the successful exit to Tripadvisor in 2016, contributing to a sale valued at approximately $30 million. This exit not only provided a successful outcome for the company but also opened up new opportunities for growth and collaboration within the Tripadvisor ecosystem.Building and Strengthened Technology TeamFurthermore, I focused on building and strengthening our technology team, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence. By attracting top talent and providing a supportive environment for creativity and skill development, we were able to continually push the boundaries of what was possible in our industry.

New York, Ny, Us

Us

Web Architecture, Application Technology, Social Media, Strategy and Consulting

Us

New York, Ny, Us

Ma, Instructional Technology

Ba, Biology