James Lau
About James Lau
James Lau is the Chief Product Officer at Hiya Inc. and Head of Product at Microsoft, with over 20 years of experience in product management, including leadership roles at Google and Microsoft.
Current Roles at Hiya Inc. and Microsoft
James Lau currently holds the position of Chief Product Officer at Hiya Inc., where he has been working since 2023 in Seattle, Washington. Concurrently, he holds the title of Head of Product for Microsoft Graph Connectors & Microsoft Search at Microsoft, a role he has been in since 2019, based in Redmond, WA.
Previous Positions at Microsoft and Google
James Lau has an extensive background with major tech companies. He served as a Product Manager for Google, focusing on Android Developer Tools from 2015 to 2019 in Seattle, WA. Prior to this, he had multiple tenures at Microsoft Corporation: as Principal Lead Program Manager for OneNote from 2013 to 2015 in Redmond, WA, Principal Program Manager for Bing from 2012 to 2013 in Bellevue, WA, Senior Program Manager for Windows Phone Incubation from 2008 to 2011 in Redmond, WA, Lead Program Manager for Visual Studio Platform from 2006 to 2008, and Technical Program Manager for Visual Studio Platform from 2003 to 2005.
Educational Background
James Lau has an educational background in engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Additionally, he holds a Master of Engineering Management from Dartmouth College.
Career as an Internet Entrepreneur
Between 2011 and 2012, James Lau worked as an Internet Entrepreneur, contributing to various projects before returning to corporate roles.
Expertise and Interests
James Lau has over 20 years of experience in product management and holds 9 U.S. patents. He specializes in developing monetization strategies for products and has a strong focus on data-driven decisions. Known for leading with empathy and inclusiveness, he is passionate about creating products that contribute to social good. He also enjoys discussing the future of technology and innovative ideas.