Home » Robert Kanok – Personal and Professional History

About

I am Robert Kanok, a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of industry experience. My academic journey began at the Colorado School of Mines where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, and continued at the University of Denver where I obtained a Master of Science in Computer Science. My career has seen me in influential roles such as CTO, VP Engineering, and Chief Architect, contributing significantly to the technology industry.

Outside of my professional life, I have a passion for snowboarding, an activity that perfectly blends my love for speed with the tranquility of snowy landscapes. I am also an enthusiastic player of paddle (platform tennis) and am currently learning pickle ball, further diversifying my range of activities that provide a counterbalance to my dynamic professional life.

In 2001, I married Ashley, and our son Hudson was born in 2009. These personal milestones have added immense joy and fulfillment to my life. I also love to travel, with Rome being my favorite destination. The rich history and vibrant culture of the city captivate me every time.

My life’s journey has led me from the vibrant city of Chicago to the stunning mountains of Colorado, and now to the bustling tech hub of Austin, Texas. These diverse living experiences have broadened my perspective, enriching both my personal and professional life, and enabling me to connect with a variety of people and cultures.

I am deeply committed to mentoring, community involvement, and lifelong learning, which are the cornerstones of my character. My approach to life mirrors my approach to technology – embracing change, pursuing passions, and striving for excellence. My story is one of innovation, leadership, and an unwavering pursuit of knowledge.

Family

In 2001, I was fortunate to marry Ashley, marking the beginning of our shared journey. Our joy multiplied in 2009 with the birth of our son, Hudson. The family has been my anchor, providing me with strength, love, and inspiration.

Our family’s journey has taken us to various cities. We’ve made homes in Denver, Dallas, and Chicago, each place leaving its unique imprint on our lives. Today, we are happily settled in the lively city of Austin.

A significant bonding experience for Hudson and me has been snowboarding. This year, Hudson surpassed my abilities, a milestone that filled me with immense pride. However, the days of brief rests as we descended the mountain are now a thing of the past.

Traveling is a shared passion. We’ve explored England, Austria, Germany, France, Malta, and Mexico. The most memorable trip was when Hudson was five. We visited Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the world’s oldest zoo in Vienna, to see the pandas. This was followed by a two-day exploration of the city, its castles, and its museums.

Robert Kanok: Family Trip to Austria Schönbrunn Palace

Robert Kanok: Family Trip to Austria Schönbrunn Palace Maze

Career History

Stealth Startup

Founder & CEO/CTO

Something New in Home Services

Oliver Technology

Chief Technology Officer / Chief Information Officer

As the Chief Technology Officer at Oliver Technology, I reduced operational costs by 30% through strategic consolidation of infrastructure in AWS. My innovative approach led to the rapid launch of an MVP banking platform within six months. I implemented a performance management program resulting in a 40% increase in team productivity and a 25% reduction in defects. Lastly, I led the integration across acquired entities, reducing subscription costs by 25%, resulting in substantial annual savings. My strategic leadership and innovative approaches significantly contributed to the growth and success of Oliver Technology.

Tirios

Chief Technology Officer

As the CTO and Technical Advisor to the CEO at Tirios, I streamlined operations by consolidating six existing mobile applications into two, reducing delivery time by six weeks and defects by 60%. I pioneered an AI/ML image identification platform that revolutionized maintenance request initiation. My detailed technical strategies secured $1M in funding for various verticals. I also implemented an investment portal using blockchain smart contracts, successfully selling 100% of the initial offering in just 30 days. My tenure at Tirios was marked by innovation, efficiency, and significant contributions to the company’s vision.

Relativity

Head of RelativityOne Observability & Test Systems

As the Head of RelativityOne Observability & Test Systems at Relativity, I made significant strides in improving system availibility. I provided detailed system performance reports against SLAs to customers. The enhanced customer satisfaction, resulted in a 25% decrease in customer complaints and a 30% increase in customer utilization rates. I eliminated $800k annually by building an Azure serverless event-monitoring platform, which also accelerated monitoring coverage. My efforts in establishing best practices for logging and metric instrumentation reduced downtime by 60%. I achieved 100% automation of sandbox ecosystem orchestration, leading to on-demand testing and a 10% reduction in Azure costs.

PayPal

Head of Custom Solutions / Sales Solutions Engineering

During my seven-year tenure at PayPal, I progressed through multiple roles, each with increasing responsibility. I started as a Manager of Developer Technical Services, where I built and expanded the team from 2 to 35 members. I then moved on to become the Senior Manager of Observability, controlling an infrastructure budget of $10M across three development teams. My final role was as the Head of Professional Services Custom Solutions, where I directed a global solutions team of over 75 members. This role involved supporting product development for strategic initiatives and international compliance objectives, which led to a 5X increase in the project pipeline and contributed to a top-line revenue increase of over $70M. My tenure at PayPal was marked by significant achievements, including the initiation of PayPal’s mobile top-up solution and the launch of a banking portal that resolved SOX compliance issues.

Coltex Solutions

Founder & Chief Architect

From 2005 to 2009, I served as the Founder and Chief Architect at Coltex Solutions in Austin, TX. I was entrusted by Shopbop to enhance their customer experience, which led to significant growth. My role involved leveraging my engineering management expertise to build scalable infrastructure solutions. I developed an expansion strategy for Shopbop, accelerating their capability to handle $1.5M daily sales leading to their acquisition by Amazon. Launching a new eCommerce platform and improving warehouse processes, reducing time to market by 15%. Allowing Shopbop to sell products 72 hours before competitors. Besides Shopbop, I also had the privilege of working with key clients such as Hilton and Telus, focusing on website development and implementation.