Steven Fonseca

About Steven Fonseca

Senior Technology Executive, Architecture & Engineering, with expertise in multi-cloud native, SaaS, microservices, engineering excellence and data-driven continuous improvement, architecture practices, machine learning and generative AI. Lead large strategic transformation and innovation initiatives for reusable platforms, cloud migration, monolith-to-microservices, enterprise APIs, DevOps, software resilience, machine learning, and developer tooling including intelligent agents. Defined and implemented enterprise-wide blueprints for scalable, available, performant, secure, and intelligent systems. Offer uniquely informed technical leadership shaped by decades of experience across multiple industries including aerospace, e-commerce, fintech, big tech, and automotive. Hands-On Full-Stack | Technical Strategy | AI & Data Strategy |Leader-of-Leaders | Change Agent Boundaryless Collaborator | Talent Mentor | Systematic & DisciplinedTechnical Foresight & Innovation | Business & Product Partner | High Integrity | Mediator* Established the corporate SDLC to drive Engineering Excellence for an strong Walmart engineering community* Built multiple architecture practices from the ground-up at JPL, Intuit, Cox Auto, and Walmart* Led modernization of many business critical software capabilities, driving system stability and revenue growth* Drove innovation into software products starting at NASA Ames, realizing aggressive greenfield visions* Led organizational transformation through waves of technologyI welcome opportunities to connect with industry leaders, partners, and organizations in FinTech, BigTech, E-Commerce, and IT (ERP, CRM, Marketing, Workforce Management).

Experience

1. Vice President of Engineering

   Shield Legal

   Sep 2025 — Present · Las Vegas, NV, US

   Shield Legal is a technology company dedicated to transforming mass tort acquisition through software innovation. We are addressing a rapidly expanding market where law firms face increasing demands for speed, compliance, transparency, and measurable ROI. In this environment, Shield Legal has achieved strong early success and is now in a phase of accelerated growth, positioning itself as a leader in unifying lead generation, intake, compliance, and case management into cohesive SaaS platforms.As Vice President of Engineering, I am responsible for scaling the organization to meet these new business demands while building the foundation for sustainable innovation. I lead the development of next-generation SaaS platforms that incorporate cloud-native architectures and machine learning–driven predictive analytics to optimize client acquisition and case outcomes. My mandate includes leading engineering excellence, establishing resilient operating models, and embedding AI and automation into core business processes to ensure Shield Legal remains ahead of industry needs.

Education

• University of California, Davis

  BS Computer Engineering, Computer Architecture and Digital Circuit Design

• UCLA Anderson School of Management

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General

• University of California, Santa Cruz

  PhD Computer Science, Software Reuse, Services, Artificial Intelligence

• University of California, Santa Cruz

  MS Computer Science, Software Frameworks Architecture, Design, and Documentation

Skills

• Distributed Systems
• Soa
• Integration
• Xml
• Cloud Security
• Representational State Transfer (Rest)
• Process Improvement
• Cloud Computing
• Devops
• Professional Mentoring
• Project Management
• Web Services
• Saas
• Business Intelligence
• Uml
• Governance
• Architecture
• Amazon Web Services (Aws)
• Software Project Management
• Software Development
• Scrum
• Unix
• Change Management
• Scalability
• Software Engineering
• Linux
• Sdlc
• Software Design
• Security
• Enterprise Software
• Docker
• Enterprise Architecture
• Information Architecture
• Agile Project Management
• Product Management
• Business Process
• Architectures
• Program Management
• System Architecture
• Leadership