Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Industry Involvement
Career Experience
Timeline
Generic

Dmitry Drigo

Irvine,CA

Summary

Visionary technology executive with 20+ years of experience building and scaling platforms across fintech, entertainment, and enterprise SaaS. Proven track record of driving digital transformation, leading AI and automation initiatives, and aligning technology with core business objectives. Adept at building high-performing teams from the ground up, replacing vendor dependencies, and delivering measurable improvements in operational efficiency, lead conversion, and revenue. Skilled in architecture, product strategy, team building, and data-driven optimization at every stage of the startup lifecycle—from turnaround to rapid growth.

Overview

20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Chief Technology Officer

United Tax Defense
Costa Mesa, CA
11.2024 - Current
  • As CTO, lead the strategic direction of all technology operations, aligning engineering, infrastructure, and data systems with the company’s growth objectives.
  • Drive digital transformation, business process automation, and AI adoption to optimize performance across departments.
  • Replaced external vendors by building an in-house engineering team from scratch, enabling faster iteration, cost savings, and long-term IP ownership.
  • Defined and executed technology roadmap focused on operational efficiency, cost control, and scalable automation.
  • Built and led a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Oversaw the development and rollout of an AI-driven autodialer system integrated with voicemail drops, SMS, and email automation. This solution, initially implemented in the billing department, increased collection effectiveness from 34% to 78% and is now being deployed across sales.
  • Standardized backend and frontend processes to ensure consistency, maintainability, and deployment speed across platforms.
  • Developed an automated traffic-buying system that dynamically adjusts lead acquisition volume based on current sales team headcount and pipeline demand.
  • Architected and implemented real-time performance dashboards and automated financial reporting, tracking sales, backend operations, and individual KPIs across teams.
  • Designed and rolled out commission and bonus frameworks optimized for performance-based compensation, improving motivation and alignment across sales and support teams.
  • Partnered closely with executive leadership to identify and implement technology-driven revenue opportunities, automation strategies, and AI integrations that enhanced service quality and margin control.
  • Established internal security, compliance, and governance practices to support regulatory requirements and ensure system integrity.

VP, Head of Marketing Engineering Team

Americor
Irvine, CA
10.2019 - 10.2024
  • Served as the second-in-command within the technology department, reporting directly to the CTO.
  • Took full ownership of the engineering function supporting marketing operations—building a high-impact technical division from the ground up and spearheading critical initiatives across AI, automation, and engineering culture.
  • Built and scaled a dedicated engineering team from 1 to nearly 30 engineers, product managers, QA specialists, and analysts focused on marketing, telemarketing, and drip campaign tooling.
  • Designed and implemented a high-throughput lead processing and filtering platform, aggregating leads from hundreds of sources and increasing contact rates from 22% to nearly 60% through smart prioritization and outreach automation.
  • Developed an integrated credit bureau validation pipeline, reducing sales team workload and improving lead quality by over 30% via real-time credit data processing.
  • Launched and led a new AI innovation R&D division within the company, responsible for long-term strategic projects.
  • Built an AI support agent that handled customer inquiries autonomously, reducing support team workload by 40%.
  • Developed an AI-powered call recognition and analytics system, significantly accelerating QA audit processes and providing actionable insights that improved sales efficiency.
  • Led implementation of GPT-based tooling for contact center optimization and marketing personalization.
  • Acted as a key technology partner to marketing, sales, compliance, and executive leadership, translating complex business needs into scalable, measurable engineering solutions.
  • Co-created and rolled out company-wide motivation and engagement programs for 100+ engineers in collaboration with HR, including internal hackathons, peer recognition initiatives, and cross-team knowledge-sharing processes.
  • Played a pivotal role in shaping inter-team engineering culture and agile collaboration across departments, improving delivery velocity and innovation alignment company-wide.

Chief Technology Officer - Partner

Sound LLC
Los Angeles, CA
11.2021 - 02.2024
  • Led the end-to-end development of Sound.me, a digital creator platform enabling users to monetize TikTok content by promoting sponsored sounds.
  • Architected and launched the platform in under six months, achieving over 1 million downloads on Android and reaching the top 100 entertainment apps on the App Store.
  • Integrated seamless TikTok campaign workflows, allowing creators to participate in promotional campaigns and receive timely payouts.
  • Implemented scalable backend infrastructure using AWS services, ensuring high availability and performance during peak traffic.
  • Developed robust analytics tools to track campaign performance, user engagement, and ROI for stakeholders.
  • Built and managed a cross-functional team of developers, designers, and QA engineers, fostering a collaborative and agile work environment.
  • Designed and implemented a dynamic commission structure model that utilized predictive analytics to assess supply and demand trends. This model incorporated gamification elements, including creator rankings, achievement badges, and competitive leaderboards, to incentivize user engagement and optimize campaign performance.

Chief Technology Officer

ISINA
Los Angeles, CA
10.2017 - 08.2019
  • Brought in to rescue and rebuild a stalled music-tech startup following a failed product launch and significant investor losses.
  • Replaced the former development team, rebuilt the platform’s core infrastructure in under two weeks, and successfully led the design and delivery of a fully re-architected system within nine months.
  • Assembled and led a new cross-functional engineering team, overseeing hiring, project execution, and technical leadership.
  • Directed the full rebuild of the platform using modern, scalable technologies, replacing a legacy codebase that was no longer maintainable.
  • Developed AI-powered tools for scoring and evaluating music tracks, improving mentor curation and artist matching through machine learning.
  • Created internal scoring models to assess artist performance and potential, enhancing platform credibility and user experience.
  • Oversaw all security, infrastructure, and compliance aspects, ensuring robust handling of sensitive media and user data.
  • Acted as the key technical liaison to stakeholders, investors, and music industry executives, helping regain confidence and secure continued support.
  • Aligned product vision with artistic goals, delivering a functional, forward-thinking platform for talent discovery and music mentorship.

Chief Technology Officer

SPEEN Online Auto Auction
Los Angeles, CA
08.2016 - 10.2017
  • Developed and launched a high-load and scalable online auto auction platform with a focus on business growth and client engagement.
  • Directed software development and budget management, ensuring successful delivery of projects.
  • Defined and executed technology vision and strategy aligned with company objectives.
  • Built a software development team from scratch and managed the software development budget.

Head of Linux on System z & zVirtualization development department

IBM Corporation
01.2006 - 01.2016
  • Company Overview: Science&Technology Center
  • Directed Linux on System z & zVirtualization development, leading a global team of 50+ employees.
  • Managed a $5 million budget, overseeing successful project transitions and expanding team responsibilities.
  • Developed the z/VSE operating system, delivering four releases within a 1–2-year cycle.
  • Assumed leadership roles, fostering talent, and managing projects.
  • Collaborated with global IBM R&D labs and provided deep technical support to local sales teams.
  • Science&Technology Center

Education

Masters in Applied Mathematics & Information -

M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
01.2004

Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics & Information -

M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
01.2002

Project Management Professional (PMP) -

01.2010

Skills

  • Technology Strategy
  • Digital Transformation
  • AI-Driven Business Process Automation
  • Optimization
  • Leadership in Science & Technology Projects
  • Revenue Growth
  • Financial Management
  • Cost Optimization
  • Cross-functional Team Leadership
  • Talent Development
  • Cloud Computing
  • Security
  • Scalable Infrastructure
  • Strategic Market Expansion
  • Innovation
  • Contract Management
  • Vendor Negotiation
  • IT Governance
  • Operations Oversight
  • Risk Mitigation
  • Compliance
  • CRM System Implementation
  • Data-Driven Decision Making
  • Software Development
  • Engineering
  • Python
  • JavaScript
  • C#
  • PHP
  • Scalable System Architecture
  • API Development
  • AWS
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Google Cloud Platform
  • Cloud Architecture
  • Serverless Computing
  • Virtual Machines
  • Containers
  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • Data Storage
  • High-Availability
  • SQL
  • NoSQL Databases
  • Data Warehousing
  • ETL
  • Data Integration
  • Business Intelligence
  • Data Visualization
  • Governance Strategies
  • Security Controls
  • Risk Management
  • Incident Response
  • Data Privacy
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • SOC 2
  • AI
  • Machine Learning
  • Emerging Technologies
  • AI/ML Model Integration
  • NLP
  • GPT-based Automation
  • IoT
  • Blockchain
  • Intelligent Automation Solutions
  • Agile Methodologies
  • DevOps
  • Scrum
  • Kanban
  • CI/CD Pipelines
  • DevOps Best Practices
  • Infrastructure as Code
  • Automation
  • Continuous Deployment
  • Project Management
  • Team Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Resource Allocation
  • Cross-functional Collaboration
  • Agile Team Leadership

Certification

Project Management Professional (PMP), 01/01/10

Industry Involvement

  • Speaker, IBM Systems Forum, 2015, IBM LinuxONE: Open Software on Mainframes
  • Contributor, Startup Info, 2021, COVID-19 and Software Development Challenges
  • Judge, Mobile Web Awards (MWA), 2019-2023

Career Experience

  • United Tax Defense, Costa Mesa, CA, Chief Technology Officer, 11/01/24, Present, Lead the strategic direction of all technology operations, aligning engineering, infrastructure, and data systems with the company’s growth objectives., Drive digital transformation, business process automation, and AI adoption to optimize performance across departments., Replaced external vendors by building an in-house engineering team from scratch, enabling faster iteration, cost savings, and long-term IP ownership., Defined and executed technology roadmap focused on operational efficiency, cost control, and scalable automation., Built and led a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement., Oversaw the development and rollout of an AI-driven autodialer system integrated with voicemail drops, SMS, and email automation., Standardized backend and frontend processes to ensure consistency, maintainability, and deployment speed across platforms., Developed an automated traffic-buying system that dynamically adjusts lead acquisition volume based on current sales team headcount and pipeline demand., Architected and implemented real-time performance dashboards and automated financial reporting., Designed and rolled out commission and bonus frameworks optimized for performance-based compensation., Partnered closely with executive leadership to identify and implement technology-driven revenue opportunities., Established internal security, compliance, and governance practices.
  • Americor, Irvine, CA, VP, Head of Marketing Engineering Team, 10/01/19, 10/01/24, Served as the second-in-command within the technology department, reporting directly to the CTO., Took full ownership of the engineering function supporting marketing operations., Built and scaled a dedicated engineering team from 1 to nearly 30 engineers., Designed and implemented a high-throughput lead processing and filtering platform., Developed an integrated credit bureau validation pipeline., Launched and led a new AI innovation R&D division within the company., Acted as a key technology partner to marketing, sales, compliance, and executive leadership., Co-created and rolled out company-wide motivation and engagement programs for 100+ engineers., Played a pivotal role in shaping inter-team engineering culture and agile collaboration.
  • Sound LLC, Los Angeles, CA, Chief Technology Officer - Partner, 11/01/21, 02/01/24, Led the end-to-end development of Sound.me, a digital creator platform., Architected and launched the platform in under six months., Integrated seamless TikTok campaign workflows., Implemented scalable backend infrastructure using AWS services., Developed robust analytics tools to track campaign performance., Built and managed a cross-functional team of developers, designers, and QA engineers., Designed and implemented a dynamic commission structure model.
  • ISINA, Los Angeles, CA, Chief Technology Officer, 10/01/17, 08/01/19, Brought in to rescue and rebuild a stalled music-tech startup., Replaced the former development team and rebuilt the platform’s core infrastructure., Assembled and led a new cross-functional engineering team., Directed the full rebuild of the platform using modern, scalable technologies., Developed AI-powered tools for scoring and evaluating music tracks., Oversaw all security, infrastructure, and compliance aspects., Acted as the key technical liaison to stakeholders, investors, and music industry executives.
  • SPEEN Online Auto Auction, Los Angeles, CA, Chief Technology Officer, 08/01/16, 10/01/17, Developed and launched a high-load and scalable online auto auction platform., Directed software development and budget management., Defined and executed technology vision and strategy., Built a software development team from scratch.
  • IBM Corporation, Science&Technology Center, Head of Linux on System z & zVirtualization development department, 01/01/06, 12/31/16, Directed Linux on System z & zVirtualization development., Managed a $5 million budget., Developed the z/VSE operating system., Assumed leadership roles, fostering talent, and managing projects.

Timeline

Chief Technology Officer

United Tax Defense
11.2024 - Current

Chief Technology Officer - Partner

Sound LLC
11.2021 - 02.2024

VP, Head of Marketing Engineering Team

Americor
10.2019 - 10.2024

Chief Technology Officer

ISINA
10.2017 - 08.2019

Chief Technology Officer

SPEEN Online Auto Auction
08.2016 - 10.2017

Head of Linux on System z & zVirtualization development department

IBM Corporation
01.2006 - 01.2016

Masters in Applied Mathematics & Information -

M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics & Information -

M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Project Management Professional (PMP) -

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Dmitry Drigo