Aaron Chu
About Aaron Chu
Aaron Chu serves as the VP of Engineering at CarLotz, bringing extensive experience in technical operations and engineering leadership from previous roles at Shift, Clara Lending, and The RealReal. He emphasizes collaboration, technical vision, and building modern tech teams aligned with business objectives.
Current Role at Shift
Aaron Chu serves as the Vice President of Engineering at Shift, a position he has held since 2022. In this role, he focuses on creating reliable, scalable, and maintainable environments through self-service, automation, flexibility, and simplicity. His leadership emphasizes the importance of technical vision, collaboration, and culture within engineering teams. He is dedicated to building modern tech teams that align with the company's top-line business objectives.
Previous Experience at Shift
Before his current role, Aaron Chu worked at Shift in various capacities. He served as the Director of Technical Operations from 2020 to 2021 and later as the Senior Director of Technical Operations from 2021 to 2022. During his tenure, he contributed to the company's technical operations and played a key role in enhancing operational efficiency.
Education and Expertise
Aaron Chu studied Engineering at Sierra College from 1998 to 2000. He also attended the University of Waterloo, where he studied Computer Engineering for one year in 1997. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of California, Davis, from 2000 to 2003. His educational background provides a solid foundation for his expertise in engineering and technical operations.
Career Background
Aaron Chu has a diverse career in technical operations and engineering leadership. He worked at Clara Lending as the Technical Operations Lead from 2016 to 2018, and then as the Director of Technical Operations at The RealReal from 2018 to 2020. He briefly held the position of Head of IT at SoFi in 2018 after its acquisition of Clara. Earlier in his career, he served as a Systems Architect at Hi5 Networks, Inc. from 2003 to 2011 and as an IT Assistant IV at UC Davis from 2001 to 2003.
Achievements in Engineering Leadership
Throughout his career, Aaron Chu has emphasized the importance of building strong technical teams and fostering collaboration. His leadership style focuses on aligning engineering efforts with business objectives, ensuring that technical vision is integrated into operational practices. His experience across various organizations has equipped him with the skills necessary to lead engineering teams effectively.