MKÜmit Kavala
@umitkavala
Software engineering leader and technical architect driving scalable cloud platforms and high-performing teams.
NetherlandsWhat I'm looking for
I am a software engineering leader and technical architect with 20+ years building and scaling cloud-native platforms for millions of users across E-Commerce, FinTech, and Accommodation.
I combine deep technical mastery in scalable architecture, Big Data, and AI/ML with empathetic leadership and operational rigor, having led cloud migrations, modernized legacy systems, and reduced costs and technical debt significantly.
My career highlights include architecting high-availability systems (99.9%+ uptime), scaling teams and platforms (e.g., 3→12+ engineers, 300% scalability improvement), and implementing engineering best practices that shorten deployment cycles and boost retention.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
BOSoftware Engineering Manager
Booking.com
Jan 2022 - Jan 2025 (3 years)
Led engineering teams for Pricing Benefits backend and Availability Insights platform serving 1.5M+ daily users; architected data pipelines and backend services that reduced deployment time by 40% and achieved 99.9% uptime.
ELLed AWS cloud migration from monolith to microservices and grew engineering team to 8 developers, improving scalability by 300%, achieving 99.95% uptime and reducing technical debt by 60%.
Systems Development Manager
Akbank
Jan 2016 - Jan 2018 (2 years)
Architected a universal money transfer platform meeting PCI DSS/SWIFT compliance, integrated 15+ international banking partners, improved transaction efficiency by 25% and reduced operational costs.
ACDesigned SOA/EAI solutions for retail clients and managed cross-functional teams of 10+ engineers across Java and .NET, leading major retail transformation engagements.
Senior Developer
Trendyol Group
Jan 2012 - Jan 2014 (2 years)
Architected high-performance e-commerce applications and implemented WMS integration to support warehouse and inventory operations.
Senior Developer
Smart Group
Jan 2009 - Jan 2011 (2 years)
Developed enterprise software using Agile practices and applied TDD/DDD to improve code quality and delivery cadence.
Software Engineer
Air France KLM
Jan 2007 - Jan 2009 (2 years)
Contributed to service-oriented architecture initiatives and enterprise integration projects for airline operations.
Software Engineer
Set-So Bilişim
Jan 2002 - Jan 2007 (5 years)
Built software solutions across multiple stacks during early career, focusing on application development and maintenance.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
GUGazi University
Master of Science, Information Systems & Technologies
Completed a Master of Science in Information Systems & Technologies focusing on advanced information systems topics and technologies.
AUAnadolu University
Bachelor of Business Administration, Business Administration
Awarded a Bachelor of Business Administration with studies in business administration and management.
DUDokuz Eylül University
Associate Degree, Computer Programming
Completed an Associate Degree in Computer Programming covering software development fundamentals and programming languages.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
NetherlandsAuthorized to work in
Social media
Job categories
Skills
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