Haru Sakai
About Haru Sakai
Haru Sakai is a Principal Software Engineer at Riot Games, with a background that includes significant roles at YouTube and Google. He has expertise in system architecture, production monitoring, and the design of global-scale distributed systems.
Work at Riot Games
Haru Sakai has been employed at Riot Games as a Principal Software Engineer since 2017. In this role, he focuses on the development and maintenance of software systems that support the company's gaming platforms. His expertise in system architecture and global-scale distributed systems contributes to the efficiency and reliability of Riot Games' products. His tenure at Riot Games spans over seven years, during which he has been involved in various projects that enhance user experience and system performance.
Previous Experience at YouTube
Before joining Riot Games, Haru Sakai worked at YouTube from 2015 to 2017 as a Staff Software Engineer and Tech Lead/Manager for YouTube Music. His responsibilities included overseeing software development processes and leading teams to improve the music streaming service. His two-year experience at YouTube allowed him to refine his skills in managing complex software projects and collaborating with cross-functional teams.
Career at Google Inc.
Haru Sakai's career at Google Inc. spanned from 2005 to 2015, during which he held multiple roles. He began as a Software Engineer in Staffing Systems, then progressed to Overall Backend Technical Lead for Google Play Games Services. His four years in each of these positions involved significant contributions to backend systems and services. His experience at Google included working on production monitoring, structured logging, and system metrics, which are essential for maintaining high-performance applications.
Education and Expertise
Haru Sakai studied at Brown University from 2000 to 2005, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. His educational background provides a solid foundation in both technical and analytical skills. He possesses expertise in configuring and maintaining various deployment environments, as well as in user analytics and disaster recovery. His knowledge extends to testing best practices, including unit testing, integration testing, and performance testing.
Achievements in Game Development
Haru Sakai presented at PAX Dev 2014, a conference dedicated to game development. This opportunity highlights his involvement in the gaming industry and his commitment to sharing knowledge and best practices with peers. His experience in fixed cadence multi-datacenter release processes and QA certification further demonstrates his capability in managing complex software development cycles within the gaming sector.