Michael Hackner
About Michael Hackner
Michael Hackner is the Head of Developer Productivity at Zipline, where he focuses on mentoring and enhancing developer productivity and tooling. He has a diverse background in software engineering, having held positions at Tesla, Dante Consulting, and other companies, and holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Spanish from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University.
Current Role at Zipline
Michael Hackner serves as the Head of Developer Productivity at Zipline, a position he has held since 2023. In this role, he focuses on enhancing developer productivity and tooling within the organization. His work involves implementing strategies and systems that improve the efficiency of software development processes.
Previous Experience at Tesla
Hackner worked at Tesla in various capacities from 2017 to 2022. He initially joined as a Senior Software Engineer from 2017 to 2019 in Palo Alto, California, before advancing to the role of Staff Software Engineer from 2019 to 2022 in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his tenure, he led the build and continuous integration infrastructure team within the Autopilot division, supporting a large engineering organization.
Educational Background
Michael Hackner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Spanish from the University of Maryland, where he studied from 2001 to 2006. He later pursued a Master of Science degree in Computer Science at The Johns Hopkins University, completing his studies from 2010 to 2013. This educational foundation supports his expertise in software engineering and developer productivity.
Career History and Consulting Experience
Hackner has a diverse career history that includes roles at several organizations. He worked as a Senior Consultant at Dante Consulting from 2010 to 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. He also held positions at The EMMES Corporation as a Clinical Systems Analyst and Data Manager from 2007 to 2010 in Rockville, Maryland. Additionally, he served as a Software Engineer at HelloWallet from 2011 to 2013 and as a Senior Software Engineer at Webs (a Vistaprint company) from 2013 to 2017.
Interests and Mentoring
Michael Hackner has a strong interest in mentoring and fostering a healthy engineering culture. He is particularly excited about speaking engagements and initiatives related to build and continuous integration systems. His focus on developer productivity and tooling reflects his commitment to improving the work environment for software engineers.