Chris is available for hire
Hire ChrisChris Hennigfeld
Verified Expert in Engineering
Technical Project Manager and Developer
Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy
Toptal member since October 19, 2016
Bio
Chris is an award-winning CTO and technology consultant with 15 years of leadership and 20 years of development experience. His technical expertise is centered around web applications and mobile apps, and he has worked with a wide range of client-server technologies for 20 years in diverse environments. Chris is a Certified Scrum Product Owner and Certified Tester with strong experience managing and working with distributed cross-functional teams.
Portfolio
Fashion Genius
Shopify, Amazon Web Services (AWS), AWS Lambda, Python, Jupyter, Agentic AI...
3Sixty Integrated
Spring, AngularJS, Test-driven Development (TDD), Linux, Test Management...
TVT Media Management Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Linux, Test Management, Team Management...
Experience
- Java - 20 years
- JavaScript - 15 years
- Jira - 15 years
- Technical Project Management - 12 years
- Scrum - 12 years
- Scrum Master - 12 years
- Agile Software Development - 12 years
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) - 10 years
Availability
Part-time
Preferred Environment
Test Management, Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Agile Software Development, Confluence, Jira, Scrum, Java, CTO, Web Development, Fractional CTO
The most amazing...
...experience I've had was building my own startup from the ground up until acquisition, managing the entire business and product development lifecycle.
Work Experience
CTO
2025 - PRESENT
Fashion Genius
- Collaborated with the founder from the start to define the business, product, and AI strategy.
- Selected the development contractor and managed ongoing development with the offshore team.
- Defined the AI infrastructure with an AI agent and several specialized AI services.
- Built an AI fashion advisor for online stores that provides shoppers with advanced, personal style recommendations.
- Created an AI image generator showing a preview of the consumer wearing the product they're looking at.
Technologies: Shopify, Amazon Web Services (AWS), AWS Lambda, Python, Jupyter, Agentic AI, AI Agents, Artificial Intelligence (AI), CTO, Fractional CTO, Enterprise AI, Team Management, Vendor Management, Kanban, Agile, Agile Project Management, Lean Startups, Startups, Early-stage Startups
CTO
2017 - PRESENT
3Sixty Integrated
- Guided the client in converting their ideas into concrete and validated business requirements, defining timelines, budget, and other strategic parameters before starting MVP development of a security management platform.
- Defined the solution architecture, technology stack, and required team expertise.
- Wrote requests for proposals (RFP), shortlisted the most promising contractor candidates, and guided the client through the vendor selection process.
- Managed the development team daily throughout product development, resolving blockers, preventing misunderstandings, and empowering each team member to deliver excellent results.
- Collected stakeholder requirements, refined business needs into technical specifications, and managed the development roadmap on an ongoing basis.
- Released the MVP on schedule, two months after development started. Ensured a quick turnaround of new features by releasing high-quality software increments every two weeks.
- Enabled the client to get venture capital funding and sign on multiple global enterprise customers.
- Completed SOC 2 certification to meet compliance requirements working with major multinational companies.
- Integrated AI to achieve consumer-facing and internal goals, such as preparing unstructured external customer data for import, answering functionality questions, generating test specifications, and developer support.
- Configured and maintained a customized Atlassian environment (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket) to efficiently manage internal and external staff with different workflow requirements.
Technologies: Spring, AngularJS, Test-driven Development (TDD), Linux, Test Management, Team Management, Technical Project Management, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), JavaScript, Agile Software Development, Agile, Java, Git, Angular, Java EE, Jira, Scrum, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Technical Leadership, Docker, Software Architecture, Full-stack, Amazon EC2, GitHub, Android, APIs, PostgreSQL, Startups, SQL, Back-end, REST, Team Leadership, SaaS, Architecture, REST APIs, Application Architecture, Mobile Apps, iOS, Relational Databases, Automated Testing, Amazon RDS, Selenium, Windows, JUnit, TestNG, Continuous Integration (CI), Functional Testing, QA Test Plan Management, Software Design, Leadership, Security, CTO, Solution Architecture, Hiring, Charts, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), DevOps, Product Management, MVP Design, Product Design, Mobile Development, Web Development, Cross-platform, Mobile, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Architecture, Technical Architecture, Project Management, Project Estimation, IT Project Management, Software, Software Development, Early-stage Startups, Scalability, Process Development, Engineering, Fractional CTO, CI/CD Pipelines, Data Privacy, Atlassian, Business to Business (B2B), Agile Project Management, Code Review, API Architecture, Confluence, API Design, Stakeholder Management, Web Project Management, QA Leadership, Bitbucket, People Management, Product Roadmaps, Web Architecture, New Products, Software as a Service (SaaS), Strategy, Back-end APIs, Front-end Architecture, .NET
Technical Director, APAC
2016 - 2024
TVT Media Management Services
- Managed development and deployment of media management solutions for BBC, Discovery, A+E, and others, allowing them to prepare programs on schedule and perform the necessary compliance editing and language work.
- Built a platform to manage the company's 5,000 contractors working on tasks like subtitling, dubbing, and quality control. The platform tracks their personal information, work done, future assignments, and performance reviews and handles invoicing.
- Coordinated development among 20 in-house and outsourced developers in five countries, working on multiple projects in parallel.
- Established and maintained an ongoing relationship with an outsourcing provider to extend TVT's development capacity.
- Streamlined complex media management workflows and automated previously manual work as part of the internal media management system.
- Developed a platform used by thousands of linguists to create and review subtitles. Integrated machine translation and AI-based review of complex formal requirements to assist the linguists and save hundreds of hours of work each month.
- Managed the Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket setup for technical and non-technical team members across dozens of projects with different workflow requirements.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Linux, Test Management, Team Management, Technical Project Management, Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Agile Software Development, Agile, Jira, Git, Scrum, Technical Leadership, Software Architecture, Full-stack, Amazon EC2, GitHub, APIs, SQL, Back-end, REST, Team Leadership, Architecture, REST APIs, Application Architecture, Relational Databases, Amazon RDS, Windows, Continuous Integration (CI), Functional Testing, Software Design, Leadership, CTO, Solution Architecture, Hiring, Charts, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Product Design, Web Development, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Architecture, Technical Architecture, Project Management, Project Estimation, IT Project Management, Software, Software Development, Coaching, Advisory, Scalability, Process Development, Engineering, AI Translation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), CI/CD Pipelines, Atlassian, Business to Business (B2B), Agile Project Management, Code Review, API Design, Stakeholder Management, Web Project Management, QA Leadership, Bitbucket, Kanban, PHP, People Management, Product Roadmaps, Web Architecture, Back-end APIs, Enterprise AI
Technology Consultant
2015 - 2017
VivaLing
- Guided the founder in creating a roadmap to turn their MVP into a stable and extensible long-term solution.
- Advised on vendor and staff hiring and coordinated work done by internal and external technical team members.
- Managed development of their cross-platform app with Zoom integration to deliver language lessons.
- Prepared the company's technical operations to enter the Chinese market by setting up infrastructure, localization, and scaling.
Technologies: Software Architecture, People Management, Team Management, Product Roadmaps, QA Leadership, Agile, REST APIs, Agile Software Development, JavaScript, CSS, Android, Technical Project Management, Test Management, Technical Leadership, APIs, Startups, Team Leadership, Architecture, Application Architecture, Mobile Apps, iOS, Software Design, Leadership, Solution Architecture, Hiring, Mobile Development, Cross-platform, Technical Architecture, Project Management, IT Project Management, Software, Software Development, Early-stage Startups, Coaching, Advisory, Fractional CTO, Engineering, Atlassian, Agile Project Management, Kanban, Web Project Management, Strategy
Technical Lead | Project Manager
2015 - 2016
MovingMedia GmbH
- Advised the client on the technology stack for a cryptocurrency payment solution. Set up the agile workflow and work management tools for the team.
- Managed the development of two web application projects with offshore developers until release.
- Worked with the core development team as a senior developer, providing coaching and helping solve challenging technical problems.
- Created and implemented a QA strategy and brought in an experienced QA person to ensure high-quality results.
- Built a financial services application working with cryptocurrencies from the ground up to production release.
- Received the Austrian Constantinus industry award with the team for excellence in software development.
Technologies: Git, Team Management, Technical Project Management, Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Agile Software Development, Agile, Selenium, JavaScript, Java, Scrum, Technical Leadership, Full-stack, Node.js, MySQL, GitHub, APIs, Startups, SQL, Back-end, Team Leadership, SaaS, REST APIs, Relational Databases, Windows, Leadership, Fintech, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Web Development, Mobile Development, Mobile, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Architecture, Project Management, Project Estimation, Software, Software Development, Banking & Finance, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Finance, Coaching, Advisory, Process Development, Engineering, Fractional CTO, CI/CD Pipelines, IT Project Management, Business to Business (B2B), Code Review, Web Project Management, Security, Angular, People Management, Product Roadmaps, New Products, Software as a Service (SaaS), Back-end APIs
Founder | CTO
2014 - 2016
FlashAdvance
- Started a business following the Lean startup methodology, leading to acquisition by a partner company two years later.
- Created a mobile learning platform connected to a learning management system that offers game-based practice to students while keeping teachers up to date on each student's individual progress.
- Led product development hands-on as lead developer, using Node.js and Angular (MEAN stack).
- Found, coordinated, and worked with an offshore development team to expand the product beyond the early stages.
- Worked closely with users to understand their needs and prioritize feature development accordingly.
- Established an automated QA strategy to deliver high-quality results.
Technologies: AngularJS, Linux, Test Management, Git, Team Management, Technical Project Management, Agile Software Development, Agile, JavaScript, Jira, Scrum, Technical Leadership, Software Architecture, Full-stack, Node.js, MongoDB, Amazon EC2, MySQL, GitHub, APIs, Startups, SQL, Back-end, REST, Team Leadership, SaaS, Architecture, REST APIs, API Design, Application Architecture, Mobile Apps, Android, iOS, Relational Databases, Automated Testing, Amazon RDS, Windows, Continuous Integration (CI), Software Design, Leadership, CTO, Solution Architecture, WooCommerce, WordPress, Hiring, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Product Management, MVP Design, Product Design, Mobile Development, Web Development, Cross-platform, Mobile, Cloud Architecture, Technical Architecture, Project Management, Project Estimation, IT Project Management, Software, Software Development, Early-stage Startups, Engineering, CI/CD Pipelines, Atlassian, Agile Project Management, Code Review, API Architecture, WebStorm, Stakeholder Management, Web Project Management, QA Leadership, Kanban, Angular, CSS, HTML, People Management, Product Roadmaps, Web Architecture, New Products, Software as a Service (SaaS), Strategy, Back-end APIs, Front-end Architecture
Chief Software Engineer
2013 - 2014
BellaDati
- Restructured and improved the company's proprietary JavaScript charts library.
- Led development of the company's Android app, providing powerful interactive business intelligence in a mobile-friendly user experience.
- Managed the customer-facing REST API and built a Java wrapper for easy use by 3rd parties in a server-side or Android context.
- Created a series of client-specific plugins to customize the product to their respective needs.
- Acted as a senior company representative for all clients in the Asia region, participating in pre-sales, sales, solution design, and ongoing customer success.
Technologies: Test-driven Development (TDD), Git, Technical Project Management, Agile Software Development, Agile, Android, JavaScript, Java, Jira, Technical Leadership, Software Architecture, Full-stack, CSS, GitHub, APIs, HTML, PostgreSQL, Startups, SQL, Back-end, REST, Team Leadership, SaaS, Architecture, REST APIs, Application Architecture, Mobile Apps, Relational Databases, Amazon RDS, Java EE, Windows, Software Design, Leadership, Solution Architecture, Charts, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Mobile Development, Web Development, Mobile, Software, Software Development, Scalability, Engineering, Atlassian, Business to Business (B2B), Code Review, API Architecture, WebStorm, Confluence, People Management, Software as a Service (SaaS), Back-end APIs, Front-end Architecture, Data Architecture, Data Engineering
Technical Lead | Product Owner
2012 - 2013
FriarTuck
- Led the development of an ERP system for hospitals from the ground up, including a browser-based management system and cross-platform mobile apps for end users.
- Put together a team of junior and mid-level developers and QA, provided ongoing training, and formed a team capable of reliably executing complex requirements.
- Created a modern, mapping-based (ORM) interface for a legacy data set, simplifying access and reducing the risk of errors.
- Built a responsive single-page JavaScript front end and cross-platform mobile apps using Apache Cordova.
- Established an automated testing strategy, ensuring high-quality results through reliable and repeatable automated tests.
Technologies: Spring, Test-driven Development (TDD), Linux, Test Management, Git, Team Management, Technical Project Management, Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Agile Software Development, Agile, JavaScript, Java, Jira, Scrum, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Technical Leadership, Software Architecture, Full-stack, CSS, Amazon EC2, HTML, Startups, SQL, Back-end, REST, Team Leadership, SaaS, Architecture, REST APIs, API Design, Application Architecture, Mobile Apps, Relational Databases, Automated Testing, Windows, JUnit, TestNG, Continuous Integration (CI), Functional Testing, Software Design, Leadership, CTO, Solution Architecture, Hiring, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), DevOps, Product Design, Mobile Development, Web Development, Cross-platform, Mobile, Cloud Architecture, Technical Architecture, Project Management, Project Estimation, IT Project Management, Software, Software Development, Process Development, Engineering, CI/CD Pipelines, Atlassian, Business to Business (B2B), Agile Project Management, Code Review, API Architecture, Confluence, Stakeholder Management, Web Project Management, QA Leadership, People Management, Product Roadmaps, Web Architecture, Software as a Service (SaaS), Back-end APIs, Front-end Architecture, Azure
Lead Developer | Team Lead | Project Manager
2007 - 2010
Imbus AG
- Led the company's offshore development team in China, enabling them to outsource more complex projects cost-effectively.
- Worked as a lead developer, coaching junior team members of the offshore team and leading by example, significantly improving the quality delivered by the offshore team.
- Managed the lifecycle of the company's test execution tool and led all areas of development, including the complete overhaul of the user interface.
- Managed and led the development of a model-based testing project at the company's head office in Germany, automatically generating test cases based on UML models.
- Contributed to a range of Java-based applications, including back- and front-end systems.
Technologies: Spring, Test-driven Development (TDD), Linux, Git, Technical Project Management, Scrum Master, Test Management, JavaScript, Java, Jira, Technical Leadership, Software Architecture, Full-stack, CSS, HTML, SQL, Team Leadership, Architecture, Application Architecture, Relational Databases, Automated Testing, Selenium, Java EE, Windows, JUnit, TestNG, Continuous Integration (CI), Functional Testing, QA Test Plan Management, Software Design, Leadership, Security, Solution Architecture, WordPress, Hiring, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), DevOps, Technical Architecture, Project Management, Project Estimation, Software, Software Development, Process Development, Engineering, CI/CD Pipelines, Atlassian, Business to Business (B2B), Code Review, API Architecture, Web Project Management, QA Leadership, PHP, People Management, Product Roadmaps
Experience
SiteOwl
https://getsiteowl.com/SiteOwl is a security management system for brick-and-mortar sites.
SiteOwl supports the entire security lifecycle: Designing security, installation, real-time monitoring, audits, and live modifications. Data that was distributed across paper-based systems is collated in one place. Managers can view their system status, identify problems, track service tickets, and ensure their security system is up and running.
I worked with the client as a CTO from the project's inception. In my role, I provided guidance about technology choices, projected timelines, and budgets to help the client make an informed business decision about where to take the project.
After kick-off, I converted business requirements into an actionable technical specification, found a suitable development contractor, and built a strong team that could create an MVP in two months. Since then, I have managed the team on an ongoing basis, acting as a product owner and coordinating the needs of the business and technical teams.
Technologies involved include Java with Spring and Hibernate, Angular, and cross-platform mobile apps using .NET MAUI. The systems are deployed on AWS using Docker and Terraform and tested using a combination of automated and manual tests.
SiteOwl supports the entire security lifecycle: Designing security, installation, real-time monitoring, audits, and live modifications. Data that was distributed across paper-based systems is collated in one place. Managers can view their system status, identify problems, track service tickets, and ensure their security system is up and running.
I worked with the client as a CTO from the project's inception. In my role, I provided guidance about technology choices, projected timelines, and budgets to help the client make an informed business decision about where to take the project.
After kick-off, I converted business requirements into an actionable technical specification, found a suitable development contractor, and built a strong team that could create an MVP in two months. Since then, I have managed the team on an ongoing basis, acting as a product owner and coordinating the needs of the business and technical teams.
Technologies involved include Java with Spring and Hibernate, Angular, and cross-platform mobile apps using .NET MAUI. The systems are deployed on AWS using Docker and Terraform and tested using a combination of automated and manual tests.
Linguist Profiles
Linguist Profiles is a company-internal system used by TVT, a media services provider, to manage over 5,000 active contractor linguists who perform tasks such as dubbing, subtitling, and other media localization services.
Linguist Profiles allows the company to keep track of each contractor's personal information, track record, performance reviews, availability, and future work assignments, making it easy for staff to find matching linguists for any project.
I have managed the system's development from the ground up, working with internal and external developers and QA. In my role, I worked with stakeholders to identify requirements, maintained the project roadmap, provided clear technical specifications to the development team, and established a reliable QA process to ensure high-quality output.
Linguist Profiles has allowed the company to significantly increase the number of projects it can take on by allowing it to manage large numbers of contractors without the need for extensive middle management. When we started development, they had 500 linguists in an Excel sheet and were struggling to manage them, while now the same team is able to coordinate the work of more than 5,000 linguists.
Linguist Profiles allows the company to keep track of each contractor's personal information, track record, performance reviews, availability, and future work assignments, making it easy for staff to find matching linguists for any project.
I have managed the system's development from the ground up, working with internal and external developers and QA. In my role, I worked with stakeholders to identify requirements, maintained the project roadmap, provided clear technical specifications to the development team, and established a reliable QA process to ensure high-quality output.
Linguist Profiles has allowed the company to significantly increase the number of projects it can take on by allowing it to manage large numbers of contractors without the need for extensive middle management. When we started development, they had 500 linguists in an Excel sheet and were struggling to manage them, while now the same team is able to coordinate the work of more than 5,000 linguists.
Payment21
Payment21 is a Bitcoin payment processor for merchants with regulatory requirements—like Stripe for accepting Bitcoin.
The platform handles Bitcoin transactions initiated by the merchant's customers, converts Bitcoin received into a currency of choice, and transfers the funds to the merchant's account.
I worked with the client to convert strict legal and regulatory requirements into a clear technical specification to ensure approval by the Swiss authorities.
Based on this specification, I created a technical roadmap and worked with the participating developers using Scrum to develop the product over the course of six months.
The technologies involved include Java, with Spring and Hibernate on the back end and Angular on the front end. We built a robust suite of test cases using Selenium and used a sophisticated virtualization architecture to ensure the compartmentalization of sensitive components to comply with strict penetration testing requirements.
The platform handles Bitcoin transactions initiated by the merchant's customers, converts Bitcoin received into a currency of choice, and transfers the funds to the merchant's account.
I worked with the client to convert strict legal and regulatory requirements into a clear technical specification to ensure approval by the Swiss authorities.
Based on this specification, I created a technical roadmap and worked with the participating developers using Scrum to develop the product over the course of six months.
The technologies involved include Java, with Spring and Hibernate on the back end and Angular on the front end. We built a robust suite of test cases using Selenium and used a sophisticated virtualization architecture to ensure the compartmentalization of sensitive components to comply with strict penetration testing requirements.
FlashAdvance
https://www.flashadvance.net/FlashAdvance is a game-based learning platform for language schools.
Language school owners and teachers can easily create content from existing textbook material and have their students use a mobile game-based learning platform to supplement their classroom lessons.
I founded FlashAdvance and built the company from the ground up until eventual acquisition by a partner company. I created the initial product prototype, worked with clients to identify key requirements, and drove development forward by managing an offshore development team.
FlashAdvance uses a back end built in Node.js with data storage in MySQL to manage its highly interconnected data. For schools, it offers a web-based front-end built in Angular that allows editing content and viewing student progress. Students interact with a native game app built in Unity3D that delivers game content based on the lesson material provided by the school.
Language school owners and teachers can easily create content from existing textbook material and have their students use a mobile game-based learning platform to supplement their classroom lessons.
I founded FlashAdvance and built the company from the ground up until eventual acquisition by a partner company. I created the initial product prototype, worked with clients to identify key requirements, and drove development forward by managing an offshore development team.
FlashAdvance uses a back end built in Node.js with data storage in MySQL to manage its highly interconnected data. For schools, it offers a web-based front-end built in Angular that allows editing content and viewing student progress. Students interact with a native game app built in Unity3D that delivers game content based on the lesson material provided by the school.
Education
2001 - 2007
Master's Degree in Computer Science
University of Münster - Münster, Germany
Certifications
MAY 2013 - MAY 2015
Certified Scrum Product Owner
Scrum Alliance
OCTOBER 2007 - PRESENT
Certified Tester
ISTQB | International Software Testing Qualifications Board
Skills
Libraries/APIs
REST APIs, Back-end APIs, Node.js
Tools
Jira, Confluence, Atlassian, Git, WebStorm, GitHub, Bitbucket, Jupyter
Languages
Java, JavaScript, SQL, CSS, HTML, PHP, Python
Frameworks
TestNG, Selenium, JUnit, Spring, AngularJS, Angular, .NET
Paradigms
Scrum, Agile Software Development, Agile, Functional Testing, Application Architecture, Agile Project Management, Web Architecture, Continuous Integration (CI), Test-driven Development (TDD), REST, Automated Testing, DevOps, Mobile Development, Cross-platform, API Architecture, Kanban
Industry Expertise
Project Management, Banking & Finance
Platforms
Java EE, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Windows, Android, Amazon EC2, Mobile, Linux, Docker, iOS, WooCommerce, WordPress, Blockchain, Azure, Shopify, AWS Lambda
Storage
Relational Databases, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL
Other
Test Management, Team Management, Technical Project Management, Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Technical Leadership, Software Architecture, APIs, Startups, Back-end, Team Leadership, SaaS, Architecture, Software Design, Leadership, CTO, Solution Architecture, Hiring, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Web Development, Enterprise Architecture, Cloud Architecture, Technical Architecture, Project Estimation, IT Project Management, Software, Software Development, Early-stage Startups, Scalability, Process Development, Engineering, Fractional CTO, Business to Business (B2B), QA Leadership, Web Project Management, People Management, New Products, Software as a Service (SaaS), Strategy, QA Test Plan Management, Full-stack, API Design, Mobile Apps, Amazon RDS, Security, Product Management, MVP Design, Product Design, Coaching, Advisory, AI Translation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), CI/CD Pipelines, Code Review, Stakeholder Management, Front-end Architecture, Data Architecture, Agentic AI, AI Agents, Enterprise AI, Fintech, Charts, Cryptocurrency, Finance, Data Privacy, Product Roadmaps, Data Engineering, Vendor Management, Lean Startups
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