Ameesh Paleja

About Ameesh Paleja

I build things that matter at massive scale; I build the teams that make it possible.Over 25+ years, I\'ve taken products from a whiteboard sketch to billions of users. Today, as CIO of Capital One\'s Global Payment Network, I lead the technology strategy, operations, and resiliency for three major payment networks — Pulse Debit Network, Discover Payment Network, and Diners Club — the global infrastructure that underpins billions of transactions worldwide. Before that, I led the technology organizations behind Gmail (3B+ users), Google Calendar (1.7B users), and Google Chat. I co-founded Atom Tickets and took it from an idea to a market presence to a successful exit. I\'ve run the technology organizations behind Amazon\'s digital video and app ecosystem, and transformed OfferUp into a profitable marketplace.What makes me different is the combination: I\'m a deep technologist who speaks the language of business. I\'ve built and scaled distributed systems that serve billions, led critical payment infrastructure through a landmark acquisition, negotiated with governments on global communications policy, driven M&A integrations, and turned around struggling P & Ls. I\'ve been a founder, a CEO, a CTO, a CIO, and a VP of Engineering — and each role sharpened a different edge.My consistent through-line is building great teams and organizations that tackle the most complex technical and business challenges, regardless of their starting state. I\'m drawn to hard problems, messy situations, and inflection points where the right leadership changes the trajectory.I serve as a board member and strategic advisor to startups and non-profits, bringing the same rigor and urgency to governance that I bring to operating at scale.Whether it\'s building from zero, integrating an acquisition, or modernizing legacy infrastructure under regulatory pressure — I thrive at inflection points where the right leadership changes the trajectory.

Experience

1. CIO, Global Payment Network

   Capital One

   Jan 2026 — Present · Las Vegas, NV, US

   Leading all technology for Capital One\'s Global Payment Network following the landmark acquisition of Discover Financial Services. Responsible for the operations, resiliency, regulatory compliance, uptime, and end-to-end technical strategy for three major payment networks: the Pulse Debit Network, the Discover Payment Network, and Diners Club.I lead a worldwide organization of thousands of technologists ensuring these networks operate with the reliability, security, and scale that the global financial system demands.

Education

• UC San Diego

  B.S., Computer Science

Skills

• Saas
• Agile Methodologies
• Javascript
• Software Design
• Software Development
• Python
• Scrum
• Android
• Agile Project Management
• Rest
• Java
• Ruby
• Web Services
• Scalability
• Software Engineering
• Object Oriented Design
• Cloud Computing
• Web Applications
• Mobile Devices
• C++
• Perl
• Mobile Applications
• User Experience
• Rainmaker
• Mysql
• Distributed Systems
• System Architecture