Mike Avello
Mike Avello

Hello, I'm

Mike Avello

Engineering Leader & Team Builder

Open to Engineering Manager through Director roles

18+ years turning ideas into digital products, and building the teams that make it happen.

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Craft, Leadership,
and Building Great Teams

I build things — and I build the teams that build things. My career has been shaped by a conviction that great engineering is as much about people and process as it is about code. The most impactful work happens when developers are supported, empowered, and pointed in the right direction.

Over the past several years I've been a practical advocate for integrating AI into real engineering workflows — not as hype, but as a genuine force multiplier. I've helped teams adopt tools like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot in ways that improve productivity, documentation, and onboarding without losing the critical thinking and context that only experienced engineers bring. That meant piloting carefully, writing the guidance, and standing up a group focused on AI governance — not just handing out licenses. Engineers on my teams reported 10–20% efficiency gains, and used that time for planning and code hardening rather than just shipping faster.

I'm drawn to organizations where technical execution and people strategy are treated as equally important. I believe the next generation of engineering leaders will be defined by how thoughtfully they bring these two things together.

18+Years in Web Engineering
4Engineering Leadership Roles
US & LATAMDistributed Teams Led
Illinois

Professional Experience

Aug 2017 – May 20268 yrs 9 mos

Engineering Manager

Adage TechnologiesChicago, IL

Company-wide · North America & Latin America

Led frontend engineering across North America and Latin America, and brought AI-assisted development into daily practice.

  • Led adoption of AI-assisted and agentic development across the engineering organization in stages — investigating and piloting GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot first, then running a separate pilot that evaluated and introduced Claude Code, partnering with IT to roll it out to development staff and beyond. Owned the documentation and guidance throughout, established a group focused on AI governance, and coached engineers on responsible use and output evaluation. Engineers reported 10–20% efficiency gains and more time for planning and code hardening.
  • Managed cross-functional engineering teams averaging 10 direct reports, including tech leads and software architects, across two or more portfolio teams serving multiple concurrent client engagements — with full accountability for performance reviews, hiring, and career development, partnering with product owners to keep delivery aligned to business outcomes and on schedule.
  • Assumed company-wide leadership of frontend engineering following a discipline-aligned restructure, directly managing 8 engineers across North America and Latin America while coordinating an additional 5–8 backend developers on active delivery.
I worked with Mike on the Front End team for over eight years, and I reported to him as my manager for much of that time. Mike is a natural communicator and mentor, and someone I could always turn to for advice and collaboration. His leadership and expertise were present in every project he worked on. Mike is passionate about constantly improving skills and processes, and took initiative to run sessions to bring developers together and share new ideas. Working with Mike helped me learn and grow as a developer, and his approach to teamwork made him very easy to talk to. He's a reliable expert on any team, and a trustworthy advocate for any developer seeking mentorship.
Jess BrownLead Front End Web DeveloperReported to Mike directlyJuly 2026
Mike earned the respect of his team through his technical expertise, thoughtful leadership, and genuine investment in their growth. He set a high bar for front-end engineering by establishing coding standards and best practices that improved consistency, maintainability, and overall code quality across our projects. […] As we began integrating AI into our software development lifecycle, Mike was one of the key leaders pushing those initiatives ahead. He was instrumental in exploring and championing Figma integrations and other AI-driven workflows that helped our front-end developers become more efficient while maintaining high engineering standards.
Derrick BauerDirector of Software EngineeringSenior engineering leader; did not manage Mike directlyJuly 2026
I had the pleasure of working alongside Mike for several years at Adage Technologies. As a Developer Manager and trusted technical lead, Mike consistently combined deep technical expertise with a thoughtful, consultative approach that clients genuinely appreciated. He had a unique ability to simplify complex challenges, guide teams toward practical solutions, and build trust with stakeholders along the way. Just as important, Mike is a wonderful person to work with. He brings warmth, positivity, and plenty of dad jokes to every conversation, making even the most challenging projects more enjoyable. Any team would be fortunate to have someone with Mike's technical leadership, professionalism, and ability to build strong relationships. I would gladly work with him again.
Alison DeFranciscoSenior Project ManagerWorked with Mike on the same teamJuly 2026
Dec 2014 – Jul 20172 yrs 8 mos

Director of Front-end Development

ROCCommerce.comNaperville, IL

Single platform · B2B & B2C ecommerce

Owned frontend architecture for a modern B2B and B2C ecommerce platform.

  • Led frontend development strategy and framework architecture for a modern B2B and B2C ecommerce platform, managing remote contributors and establishing scalable development workflows, component standards, and implementation practices.
  • Created reusable frontend component libraries and accelerators adopted across teams and client implementations, reducing ramp time and enforcing consistency across the platform.
Mar 2012 – Dec 20142 yrs 10 mos

Director of Front-end Development

AmericanEagle.comDes Plaines, IL

Multiple departments · one agency

Set frontend standards across departments and scaled the team behind them.

  • Led frontend strategy and standards across multiple departments and concurrent client engagements at a leading digital agency.
  • Managed and mentored frontend developers, scaling team capabilities and development processes.
  • Directed the agency's adoption of responsive frontend frameworks during the industry shift to mobile-first design.
Aug 2007 – Mar 20124 yrs 8 mos

Lead Front-end Developer – Ecommerce

AmericanEagle.comPark Ridge, IL

Single team · ecommerce components

Built the reusable ecommerce frontend systems the agency delivered on.

  • Built reusable ecommerce frontend components, templates, and standards adopted across client implementations.
  • Standardized JavaScript development practices and introduced early page speed optimization techniques.
  • Mentored developers across the team, providing onboarding and technical guidance.
Mike is brilliant at implementing front end web site design. He is a team player and helps train new front end developers. He specializes in implementing out of the box solutions for ecommerce websites to improve the user experience. I would work with Mike on any web project.
Christopher WaltersChief Operating OfficerManaged Mike directlyMarch 2011
Mike is beyond extraordinary in the field of web development. We worked together for almost three years and he was a constant and eager collaborator when I needed assistance with developing interdepartmental standards for SEO. Mike is on the pulse of all things JavaScript and web standards. He is always concerned about producing the best websites for clients, creating flexible and clean code from start to finish. Mike is a role model and mentor to all of the other front end developers across the company, he can balance his work load well while being a resource to others when they are stuck. Mike is personable and easy going, even in moments of stress.
Christine ConnellyProduct Manager & SEO SpecialistWorked with Mike on the same teamNovember 2010

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interactive Media DesignIllinois Institute of Art — Schaumburg

What I Bring

Engineering Leadership

Driving team performance, roadmap execution, and cross-functional alignment across distributed engineering organizations.

Frontend Architecture

Defining scalable, maintainable frontend systems using modern JavaScript frameworks and development standards.

AI-Augmented Development

Integrating tools like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot into practical engineering workflows that genuinely improve delivery.

Team Mentorship

Developing engineers through structured feedback, growth planning, and collaborative coaching focused on long-term career success.

Web Accessibility

Advocating for and implementing ADA/WCAG compliant digital experiences — built into process, not bolted on after.

Developer Experience

Improving workflows, tooling, onboarding, and documentation so engineers can focus on work that matters.

Open to New Opportunities

Engineering Manager through Director

Whether you're building an engineering organization, working through a digital product challenge, or just want to connect, I'd love to hear from you.

info@mikeavello.com
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