Technology strategy
Technology vision and strategy, CTO advisory, product strategy and ownership, technical roadmaps, digital transformation and innovation.
♐︎ Sagittarius · Aoraki / Mount Cook, NZ
Chief Technology Officer · Ostrava, CZ
Michal Czernik
I turn technology strategy into delivered platforms
Technology leader with 20+ years in software engineering and over a decade leading engineering teams in England, Scotland and the Czech Republic. Today I make engineering organisations AI-first: faster delivery, higher quality, engineers in control.
MC
🤖AI-first engineering
🏆2× Web Excellence Award
0+years in software engineering
0+years leading engineering teams
0years with Drupal, conference speaker
0+markets served by platforms I architected
About
Strategy that ships.
I set technology strategy, build and scale engineering organisations, and deliver enterprise-grade digital platforms for international clients in sport, finance, insurance, education and transport.
My current focus is AI-driven transformation: embedding AI-assisted engineering, agentic development workflows and intelligent automation into product delivery and business operations, so teams ship faster without trading off quality.
I combine strategic leadership with deep architecture and delivery expertise (SDLC governance, DORA and SPACE metrics, QA and CI/CD) and translate technology into commercial outcomes for founders, executives and clients.
Outside work I chair an NGO supporting social, environmental and IT initiatives, and I am happiest exploring: cycling, surfing, rock climbing, snowboarding and photography.
AI-first engineering
AI that ships to production, with engineers in control.
I lead engineering teams through the move to AI-assisted and agentic delivery: agents handle the repetitive loop, engineers own the decisions, and every step is governed and measured.
Agentic delivery loop
An illustration of how I structure AI-assisted delivery from backlog to release.
📥
TriageTicket context via MCP
🛠️
Fix agentProposes the change
🧪
Test agentGenerates & runs tests
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Human reviewEngineer approves
🚀
ReleaseCI/CD & metrics
01Strategy before tools
Start from the delivery bottlenecks and business goals, then choose where AI creates real leverage.
02Agentic workflows
Agents for triage, fixes, tests and documentation, connected to the team's systems through MCP.
03Governance & guardrails
Clear guidelines, human approval, security and data protection built in from day one.
04Measured impact
DORA and SPACE metrics show whether AI actually improves speed, quality and developer experience.
Expertise
What I bring to a technology organisation
Six areas I am accountable for as a CTO, from boardroom strategy to production reliability.
AI adoption & integration
AI strategy and adoption, AI integration, AI-driven workflows, intelligent automation, AI-assisted engineering, developer productivity.
Engineering leadership
Engineering management, team building, organisational design, recruitment and talent development, budget and resource management.
Software architecture
Solution design, SaaS platforms and integrations, system modernisation, scalability and performance, security and reliability.
Delivery & operations
SDLC governance, Agile project management, QA strategy, CI/CD and automation, DevOps and cloud, release and incident management.
Business & process improvement
Operational excellence, process optimisation, stakeholder and commercial alignment, vendor and risk management, DORA and SPACE metrics.
Languages & frameworks
PHPJavaScriptReactFlutterSassDrupalMagentoMySQLLAMP
Cloud & DevOps
AWSTerraformDockerGitGitLabCI/CDAzure DevOpsMonitoring
AI & automation
Claude CodeMCPOllaman8nAgentic workflowsLLM integration
Quality & security
OWASPTDDAutomated testingCode reviewGDPRITIL
Experience
Career
From full-stack developer to CTO: two decades of building software and the teams that ship it. Open any role for details.
Chief Technology Officer · Poski.com
Sep 2026 – present · Ostrava
Leading technology strategy, engineering operations and AI-driven transformation across Poski.com’s core SaaS platforms.
Show details +
- AI strategy & adoption – company-wide AI adoption across development, delivery and operations; AI-assisted and agentic development workflows with clear governance.
- Technology & product strategy – technology roadmaps, product priorities and long-term architectural direction aligned with commercial goals.
- Engineering leadership – leading the Delivery department: team structure, recruitment, technical assessments and mentoring.
- Architecture & modernisation – scalable architecture, modernisation of legacy platforms and system integrations.
- Operational excellence – data-driven engineering performance, infrastructure cost, reliability and production monitoring.
Head of Engineering & Delivery · Uniwise
Sep 2025 – Jun 2026 · Ostrava
Owned engineering, delivery and quality for a data analytics and custom software company delivering fixed-price and T&M projects.
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- SDLC standardisation – SOPs, Definition of Done, quality checklists and clear ownership across the full lifecycle.
- Delivery predictability – capacity planning, estimation frameworks and real-time profitability tracking.
- Quality governance – test processes, acceptance criteria, release management and progressive test automation.
- Developer experience – DORA and SPACE metrics, Azure DevOps analytics and AI-assisted development practices.
- AI agents & automation – designed AI agents and automation of delivery and internal workflows to cut manual work and speed up delivery.
- Team development – mentoring, onboarding, skills matrices and junior-to-senior career progression.
Head of Development · Everything Connected
Feb 2019 – Apr 2025 · London
Senior engineering leader of an international digital agency, delivering enterprise platforms in sport, finance, insurance and education.
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- Engineering strategy – long-term strategy and technical roadmaps, advising senior leadership on technology investment.
- Team building – built and scaled multidisciplinary teams with structured hiring, mentoring and career frameworks.
- Client delivery – award-winning, high-traffic platforms, recognised with two Web Excellence Awards.
- Operational excellence – SDLC, CI/CD, automated testing, security and compliance (OWASP, GDPR) and incident response.
- Budget & risk – engineering budgets, resource allocation and technical risk management.
Freelance CTO & Solution Architect
Jun 2014 – Feb 2019 · Europe / Asia / Oceania
Senior technical leadership, solution architecture and consultancy for international clients and NGOs.
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- CTO-level ownership for Arnika NGO and management of an off-site engineering department for a long-term client.
- Bespoke solutions designed and delivered end-to-end, from scope and plan to production.
- Distributed teams across time zones: code quality, performance, code reviews and UAT.
Technical Lead · Blonde Digital
Jan 2013 – May 2014 · Edinburgh
Led a team of 12 developers delivering high-traffic platforms, including the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and ScotRail.
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- Owned end-to-end delivery and development strategy while scaling the technical department.
- Introduced Agile (Scrum), improving predictability, collaboration and throughput.
- Established release pipelines, testing and accessibility compliance with QA and DevOps.
Senior Full-stack Developer · Blonde Digital
Sep 2011 – Dec 2012 · Edinburgh
Interim technical manager; multilingual, multi-site platforms for clients including Skyscanner.
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- Strengthened architecture for scalability, performance and maintainability.
- Mentored, interviewed and hired developers while owning specifications and technical documentation.
Earlier career
2003 – 2011
Full-stack developer at Optical Express and Resource Media, co-founder of the BriPra web agency in Bristol, freelance web developer and designer.
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- Optical Express, Cumbernauld (2011) – corporate web applications, Magento e-commerce, A/B and MVT testing.
- BriPra, Bristol (2009 – 2011) – co-founded a web and marketing agency; client relationships, architecture and a small team.
- Resource Media, Bristol (2007 – 2010) – Drupal-based marketing and e-commerce platforms, database architecture and migrations.
- Freelance, Czech Republic & England (2003 – 2006) – custom web solutions for SME and corporate clients.
Recommendations
What colleagues say
Recommendations from people I have led and worked alongside, in their own words.
One of the most talented and inspiring leaders I’ve encountered.
I wholeheartedly recommend Michal Czernik for any leadership role in a development team. I had the distinct pleasure of working with him as Head of Development at Everything Connected for 5 years, and I can honestly say he is one of the most talented and inspiring leaders I've encountered.
Michal possesses a rare combination of technical expertise, business analysis, solution architecture and great people management skills. During our working relationship he always demonstrated a deep understanding of the development landscape, while also fostering a positive and productive team environment.
Specifically, I was consistently impressed by Michal's:
Technical Acumen: He possesses a strong understanding of Drupal, front-end technologies, cloud infrastructure and API development. He is able to provide valuable guidance and mentorship to the team, while also staying abreast of the latest industry trends. Michal was responsible for many innovative processes at Everything Connected, including the introduction of Gitflow, automated testing, and enhancements of local environments for developers. In addition, he is able to demystify technology for non-developers such as myself, and I have benefited greatly from working closely with him over the years.
Leadership Skills: Michal is a true leader who inspires and motivates their team. Rather than dictate solutions, he fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Michal ran regular development team meetings, where all members were encouraged to share knowledge and tips, hugely improving the team’s confidence and abilities. He is passionate about developing the skills and careers of their team members; providing regular feedback, coaching, and mentorship, helping individuals to grow and excel.
Business Analysis: Michal’s ability to quickly get to the root of any clients' business objectives. He can shape a technical solution that demonstrates simplicity and elegance rather than unnecessary complexity. For example, he very quickly understood the overly complicated and chaotic business model of a key client, and architected a solution that delivered key results, as well as providing feedback that the client used to simplify their own processes.
I am incredibly sad to see Michal leave Everything Connected. I am positive that he will achieve great success in future endeavors, both for himself, and for any organisation fortunate enough to employ him. I recommend him without reservation, and I hope I am lucky enough to work with him in some capacity in the future.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
Pete DavisHead of Delivery, Everything Connected
A strong, people-focused technical leader.
I had the pleasure of working with Michal Czernik during my time at Everything Connected, where he was my technical lead. From day one, Michal stood out not only as a highly skilled and knowledgeable leader, but also as someone who genuinely cared about his team.
He always made the effort to check in with me—not just about work, but also about how I was doing personally. His ability to balance technical leadership with empathy made a real difference in my experience. Having a lead who values both professional growth and mental well-being is rare, and Michal excelled at both.
His support, guidance, and leadership created an environment where I felt both challenged and supported. I truly appreciated working with him and would highly recommend him to any team looking for a strong, people-focused technical leader.
Remus CopilTechnology Director, Marcella New York
He always approaches challenges with a calm, clear-headed mindset.
I have absolutely enjoyed working with Michal, our Head of Development. I want to recognise his exceptional leadership skills and professionalism. He always approaches challenges with a calm, clear-headed mindset. His analytical skills are impressive, he’s able to break down complex problems and find innovative solutions with precision. He leads by example, always encouraging collaboration, and it’s truly a pleasure working with him. His dedication and positive attitude make the work environment inspiring, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with him.
Marcin WojdyłaSenior Project Manager
He always uses empathy approach in communication.
I worked closely with Michal for over 3 years and can confidently recommend him. He has great leadership and high-level technician skills. Under his guidance we have never faced any conflict situations in our team. He always uses empathy approach in communication. He openly welcomes discussing and implementing any suggestions to improve the work quality and speed. Michal has a great ability to resolve successfully any complex issues. I really enjoyed working with him and very grateful for his contribution in our team.
Irina MatusevichDrupal Developer
Selected work
Career highlights
Platforms where architecture, performance and delivery made a measurable difference.
Sport · E-commerce
Silverstone
End-to-end architecture and performance tuning for the official home of the British Grand Prix, driving record-breaking revenue growth.
🏆 Web Excellence Award 2025
Insurance · FTSE 100
Hiscox
A bespoke journey-management platform integrating complex APIs and workflows to enable personalised buyer journeys, boosting engagement and campaign agility.
⚙️ Complex API integration
Education · Global
ABRSM
A scalable digital platform for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, with information architecture redesigned for 80+ markets.
🏆 Web Excellence AwardClients & projects
Beyond the day job
Community & credentials
Community & speaking
- Drupal & open-source speaker UK, New Zealand
- Chairman of an NGO social, environmental, IT
- Organiser of community events UK, Asia, New Zealand
- Beach clean-up organiser ocean conservation
- Drupal community member drupal.org
Certifications & languages
- ITIL certification 2026
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English 2011
- Czech native
- English proficient
- Polish · German advanced · basic
FAQ
Quick answers
Who is Michal Czernik?
Michal Czernik is a Chief Technology Officer based in Ostrava, Czech Republic, with 20+ years in software engineering and over a decade of engineering leadership in England, Scotland and the Czech Republic. He currently leads AI-first engineering transformation as a CTO.
What does he specialise in?
Technology strategy, AI-driven engineering transformation, SaaS platform architecture, engineering leadership and delivery governance, including SDLC standardisation, QA, CI/CD and DORA and SPACE metrics.
How does he approach AI adoption?
As an engineering capability rather than a tool rollout: AI-assisted and agentic development workflows, clear governance and guidelines, and measuring the impact on delivery speed and quality.
Which organisations has he delivered platforms for?
Clients include Deloitte, Zásilkovna, RE/MAX, Silverstone, ABRSM, Hiscox, Guinness Global Investors, JM Finn, Skyscanner, ScotRail, Royal Mail and Nando’s, across sport, finance, insurance, education and transport.
How can I contact him?
By email at michal@czernik.cz or via LinkedIn.
Let’s talk technology leadership.
Open to conversations about CTO and senior technology leadership roles, AI-driven engineering transformation, and speaking at community events.