Manish Kala Jain

CTO

Dubai, United Arab Emirates14 yrs 6 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchAI Enabled

Key Highlights

Led 100+ engineers across multiple teams.
Achieved 23% revenue growth through AI-driven solutions.
Scaled platforms to over 100 million users.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Fintech and E-commerce expert with a strong focus on AI-driven engineering leadership.

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Skills

Core Skills

Engineering LeadershipAi-assisted Team DesignAi/ml Product InnovationCloud-native ArchitectureProduct EngineeringMarketplace OptimizationPlatform ScalabilityProduct InnovationUser EngagementService Uptime ManagementArchitecture StrategyDistributed Systems

Other Skills

E-commerceIT StrategyAI engineeringCloud optimizationCustomer Relationship ManagementDigital TransformationBusiness Process ManagementStrategy ImplementationData ScienceAI/MLCredit Risk ManagementNegotiationMicroservicesWalletsFraud Detection

About

I build engineering organizations that punch far above their headcount. Over 16+ years I've led 100+ engineers at Americana, scaled platforms to 100M+ users at Jio, Ola and Flipkart, and shipped AI that moved the business — a personalization engine that drove 23% revenue growth, alongside $5M+ in cloud savings at 99.999% uptime. What I'm focused on now: the shift to AI-native engineering. The best teams in 2026 aren't the biggest — they're lean groups using LLM copilots and agentic workflows to ship what used to take 5x the people. I've spent my career on both sides of that equation: scaling orgs up, and making them dramatically more efficient. Core strengths: Engineering leadership & org scaling · AI-assisted & lean team design · Distributed systems & cloud (AWS, Kubernetes, microservices) · AI/ML product innovation · Payments, fraud, wallets, credit risk · 100M+ user platforms · Offshore-to-onshore transitions. I'm currently open to leadership roles — Head of Engineering, VP, Director, or CTO-track — as well as fractional / advisory engagements. Full-time, contract, on-site Dubai or remote. Dubai-based, Golden Visa, immediately available — no sponsorship, no notice period. manishkala35@gmail.com · +971 58 587 7435

Experience

14 yrs 6 mos

Total Experience

3 yrs

Average Tenure

4 yrs 2 mos

Current Experience

Americana restaurants

Head of Engineering | Digital Platforms | AI & Customer Experience

Apr 2022 – Present · 4 yrs 2 mos · Dubai, United Arab Emirates · On-site

In my role at Americana Restaurants, I spearheaded the digital applications and IT strategy for multiple iconic brands, enhancing customer loyalty and driving significant revenue growth. By implementing AI-driven personalization and optimizing cloud infrastructure, I achieved notable cost savings and maintained exceptional service uptime. My leadership contributed to a 15% increase in digital sales and a 20% boost in customer retention through our loyalty platform. Led 100+ engineers across multiple teams. Managed multi-million dollar platform budgets. Owned end-to-end platform architecture & delivery. Designed and scaled distributed commerce systems handling millions of transactions. Led architecture strategy for high-scale order and inventory platforms. Delivered enhancements across Salesforce CRM, ERP integrations, and payment gateway systems to improve operational efficiency and customer experience.

E-commerceIT StrategyEngineering LeadershipAI-assisted Team Design

Ola

Director of Engineering | Marketplace Platform | Mobility Systems

Aug 2021 – Jan 2023 · 1 yr 5 mos · Bengaluru

In my role at Ola, I spearheaded engineering efforts for the marketplace platform, focusing on optimizing ride-matching and surge pricing. By improving ride-matching accuracy by 20%, I effectively reduced customer wait times and cancellations. Additionally, my strategies for surge pricing led to a notable increase in ride revenue and overall profitability, benefiting millions of daily users. Led 50+ engineers across multiple teams. Managed multi-million dollar platform budgets. Owned end-to-end platform architecture & delivery.

Business Process ManagementStrategy ImplementationEngineering LeadershipMarketplace Optimization

Ascena retail group, inc.

Senior Director of Software Engineering

Dec 2017 – Mar 2021 · 3 yrs 3 mos · Greater Bengaluru Area

At Ascena Retail Group, Inc., I drove significant advancements in platform scalability and product innovation within a fast-paced e-commerce environment. By implementing an AI-powered recommendation engine, I increased average order value by 15%. Additionally, I led a successful migration to Kubernetes and microservices, resulting in $3M annual savings. My efforts also accelerated product release cycles by 40%, optimizing our time-to-market for new initiatives. Led 40+ engineers across multiple teams. Managed multi-million dollar platform budgets. Owned end-to-end platform architecture & delivery.

Business Process ManagementStrategy ImplementationPlatform ScalabilityProduct Innovation

Jio

Senior Engineering Manager

Mar 2016 – Dec 2017 · 1 yr 9 mos · Bangalore

At Reliance Jio, I played a pivotal role in scaling JioChat, JioTV, and JioPlay, successfully reaching over 100 million active users. My focus on maintaining a 99.9% service uptime and enhancing message delivery speed by 40% significantly improved user engagement and satisfaction. Led 35+ engineers across multiple teams. Managed multi-million dollar platform budgets. Owned end-to-end platform architecture & delivery.

Credit Risk ManagementStrategy ImplementationUser EngagementService Uptime Management

Flipkart

Technical Architect

May 2011 – Jan 2016 · 4 yrs 8 mos · Bengaluru Area, India

Designed and scaled distributed commerce systems handling millions of transactions. Led architecture strategy for high-scale order and inventory platforms

Strategy ImplementationNegotiationArchitecture StrategyDistributed Systems