John Fattal
@johnfattal
Engineering leader who scales AI startups from seed to Series A.
What I'm looking for
I am an engineering leader with 20+ years building and scaling technology teams across startups and enterprise, focused on integrating AI into production products and preparing companies for growth and technical due diligence.
I have hands-on experience founding startups, leading engineering at StepStone (scaling the tech division to 80+ people), and shipping real-world AI products while keeping velocity high through strong technical foundations.
I help founders hire world-class teams, choose the right scaling model, ship faster with robust testing and iteration, and confidently prepare for fundraising or acquisition.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Building AI Agents
OVO
Jun 2024 - Jul 2025 (1 year 1 month)
Led development of AI agent initiatives, driving prototype-to-production delivery and integrating AI capabilities into consumer energy products over a 13-month programme.
Fractional CTO
Wild.AI
Mar 2022 - Dec 2024 (2 years 9 months)
Provided fractional CTO leadership to define technical strategy, scale engineering practices, and accelerate product development across AI-enabled features over nearly three years.
Engineering Manager
Zoa
Jun 2023 - Jun 2024 (1 year)
Managed engineering teams to deliver product features and improve delivery processes, enabling faster iterations and higher quality across the platform during a 13-month tenure.
Software Architect
Superdry
Mar 2022 - Aug 2022 (5 months)
Architected software solutions and guided implementation to improve scalability and maintainability of retail systems during a six-month engagement.
Head of Engineering
StepStone UK
Jul 2020 - Feb 2022 (1 year 7 months)
Scaled the tech division from ~27 to 80+ engineers, maintained innovation velocity, and led cross-functional delivery across recruitment products over a 1 year 8 month period.
Engineering Manager
StepStone UK
Jun 2018 - Jul 2020 (2 years 1 month)
Led engineering teams to deliver product features and improve operational practices, contributing to platform stability and team growth over two years and two months.
Technical Lead
StepStone UK
Jun 2017 - May 2018 (11 months)
Served as technical lead, driving engineering best practices and delivering core platform features over a one-year term.
CTO & Co-Founder
Divebook
Jun 2016 - Jun 2017 (1 year)
Co-founded and served as CTO, building the product and technical roadmap, leading development and early growth from concept to launch over one year.
Founder
Waterbaby Dive
Nov 2015 - May 2017 (1 year 6 months)
Founded and operated a dive-related venture, managing product and operations and overseeing development and growth activities for 1.5 years.
Test Automation Manager
SAI Global
Oct 2014 - Sep 2015 (11 months)
Managed test automation efforts for integrated property and conveyancing software, improving test coverage and release quality over a one-year period.
Technical Lead
Ajilon Finance Solutions
Feb 2014 - Oct 2014 (8 months)
Led technical delivery for finance-focused consulting engagements, coordinating teams to deliver solutions across clients during a nine-month tenure.
Team Lead
SAI Global
Nov 2011 - Feb 2014 (2 years 3 months)
Led development teams on software products for property and conveyancing services, improving delivery processes over a two-year four-month period.
Technical Lead / Architect
Macquarie Group
Jul 2010 - Oct 2011 (1 year 3 months)
Provided technical leadership and architecture for financial systems, driving design decisions and implementation across projects over 15 months.
Technical Lead
Ajilon Finance Solutions
May 2009 - Jul 2010 (1 year 2 months)
Served as technical lead on client projects, coordinating delivery and technical implementation for over a year.
Founder
Perchies
Dec 2007 - Mar 2009 (1 year 3 months)
Founded and ran a startup, handling product development and operations from inception through early-stage growth for 16 months.
Analyst Developer
Santander Global Banking and Markets
Jul 2007 - Dec 2007 (5 months)
Worked as an analyst developer in middle office, contributing to development and support of trading operations systems over six months.
Senior Analyst Developer
Computer Cab plc
Jan 2007 - Apr 2007 (3 months)
Delivered software development and enhancements as a senior analyst developer during a four-month engagement.
Team Lead
XL Group
Dec 2005 - Sep 2006 (9 months)
Led a development team, overseeing delivery and technical decisions across projects over a ten-month period.
Software Developer
Philips
Jun 2002 - Nov 2005 (3 years 5 months)
Developed software solutions across multiple projects over three and a half years, contributing to product features and maintenance.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
University of Essex
Bachelor's Degree, Computer Science
1998 - 2001
Completed a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science focused on core computing principles and software development.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
Authorized to work in
Website
johnfattal.kit.comJob categories
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