Kai Kam
About Kai Kam
Kai Kam serves as the Senior Director of Engineering and Program Management at SoundHound, where he has significantly enhanced developer productivity and aligned engineering efforts with business objectives. He has a background in software engineering and management, with previous roles at DreamWorks Animation and a strong educational foundation from Stanford University.
Current Role at SoundHound
Kai Kam serves as the Senior Director of Engineering and Program Management at SoundHound, a position he has held since 2021. In this role, he oversees engineering initiatives and program management strategies to enhance product development. His responsibilities include implementing agile methodologies and aligning engineering efforts with business objectives. This alignment has contributed to achieving significant revenue targets for the company.
Previous Experience at DreamWorks Animation
Kai Kam has extensive experience at DreamWorks Animation, where he worked in various capacities from 2003 to 2014. He started as a Software Engineer in Layout, then advanced to Lead Software Engineer for Technical Directors, and finally served as Software Engineering Manager for Platforms. His tenure at DreamWorks spanned over a decade, during which he contributed to multiple projects and initiatives in Redwood City, CA.
Education and Academic Background
Kai Kam completed his Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering at Stanford University from 1999 to 2003. His education provided a strong foundation in engineering principles and systems design, which he has applied throughout his career in software engineering and program management.
Contributions to SoundHound
At SoundHound, Kai Kam has made significant contributions, including the implementation of a rigorous agile methodology for core products. He established internationalization teams and led cross-functional programs that developed 30 knowledge graph domains in 20 languages. Additionally, he increased developer velocity by 50% within two months by optimizing workflows in collaboration with the executive team.
Career Progression at SoundHound
Kai Kam's career at SoundHound has seen him progress through various roles. He initially joined as a Senior Technical Program Manager from 2014 to 2016, then became the Director of Technical Program Management from 2016 to 2021. His leadership has led to the promotion of five individual contributors to managerial and director roles within the engineering teams.