Mike Avello
Mike Avello

Hello, I'm

Mike Avello

AI-Forward Engineering Leader

Open to Engineering Manager through Director roles

18+ years building web platforms and the teams behind them.

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  • 10–20%AI efficiency gains engineers reported
  • 8Frontend engineers led, company wide
  • 10+Direct reports promoted

Practical AI Adoption, Team Development, and Frontend Architecture

I lead engineering teams, and for the past several years much of that work has been bringing AI into how those teams build software. At Adage Technologies I led the adoption in stages. We piloted GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot first, then ran a separate pilot for Claude Code and worked with IT to roll it out to development staff. Along the way I contributed to the guidance engineers worked from, helped establish a group focused on AI governance, and coached people on how to evaluate what the tools produce. Engineers reported 10 to 20 percent efficiency gains and more time for planning and code hardening. I use the same tools every day in my current consulting work.

The tools only help when the people using them are good, so most of my attention has gone to people. Earlier at Adage I managed teams averaging 10 direct reports, including tech leads and software architects. After a restructure I led frontend engineering company wide, managing 8 engineers across North America and Latin America and coordinating 5 to 8 backend developers on active projects. At least 10 of my direct reports were promoted.

I came up through frontend engineering, and I still set technical direction in React and TypeScript, lead architecture and design reviews, and review code. More than 18 years of building web platforms is what lets me judge whether a team's work, or an AI tool's output, is good.

10–20%Efficiency gains engineers reported from AI-assisted development

At Adage Technologies, through a staged rollout of Copilot and then Claude Code.

10+Direct reports promoted
18+Years in web engineering
North America & Latin AmericaDistributed teams led
Illinois

Professional Experience

Jun 2026 – Present

Principal Engineering Consultant

Independent ConsultingRemote

Single agency account · delivery & code review

Hands-on delivery and code review for a digital agency account, with AI-assisted development in daily practice.

  • Apply Claude Code and agentic development workflows in day-to-day client delivery on a digital agency's nonprofit medical association account.
  • Guide and review other developers' work while delivering hands-on frontend and full-stack development, and own delivery coordination, client communication, and project management for the account.
Aug 2017 – May 20268 yrs 10 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, beginning with the investigation and pilot rollout of GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot, then running a separate pilot that evaluated and introduced Claude Code and partnering with IT to roll it out to development staff.
  • Contributed to the documentation and guidance for these tools, helped establish a group focused on AI governance, and coached engineers on responsible use and output evaluation. Engineers reported 10 to 20% efficiency gains and increased time for planning and code hardening.
  • Earlier in the role, 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.
  • Following a discipline-aligned restructure, assumed company-wide leadership of frontend engineering, directly managing 8 engineers across North America and Latin America while coordinating an additional 5 to 8 backend developers on active project 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 across the product.
  • 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 strategy and standards across departments, and directed the move to responsive frameworks.

  • Led frontend strategy and standards across multiple departments and concurrent client engagements, managing and mentoring developers while directing 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, introduced early page speed optimization techniques, and mentored developers across the team.
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 Design (Web Design & Development)Illinois Institute of Art, Schaumburg

What I Bring

  1. AI-Augmented Development

    Staged adoption of GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude Code: pilots first, then rollout with IT, while contributing to the guidance, helping establish an AI governance group, and coaching engineers on responsible use and output evaluation.

    Engineers reported 10 to 20% efficiency gains and increased time for planning and code hardening.

  2. Engineering Leadership

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

  3. Talent Acquisition & Development

    Recruiting and growing engineers from early-career through senior architect and tech lead, with structured mentorship and career planning.

  4. Technical Strategy & Architecture

    Setting frontend and full-stack direction in React and TypeScript, and leading architecture planning and design reviews.

  5. CI/CD & Delivery Quality

    Automated release pipelines, peer review frameworks, branching strategies, and testing practices as the standard across client projects.

  6. Web Accessibility

    Advocating for and implementing ADA and WCAG compliant digital experiences as part of the standard development process.

Open to New Opportunities

Engineering Manager through Director

If you are hiring for an engineering leadership role, or want to talk through a platform or team problem, email me.

info@mikeavello.com
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