Jaco Engelbrecht
About Jaco Engelbrecht
Jaco Engelbrecht serves as the Deputy CTO at Engine By Starling, bringing extensive experience in infrastructure and engineering from various roles across multiple companies. His career includes significant positions at Starling Bank, Claranet Group, and Atlassian, among others.
Current Role at Starling
Jaco Engelbrecht serves as the Deputy CTO at Engine by Starling, a position he has held since 2024. His role involves overseeing engineering initiatives and contributing to the technological direction of the organization. Engelbrecht's extensive experience in engineering and infrastructure supports his responsibilities in this leadership position.
Previous Experience at Starling Bank
Prior to his current role, Jaco Engelbrecht worked at Starling Bank as the Engineering Director from 2022 to 2024. In this capacity, he managed engineering teams and projects, focusing on enhancing the bank's technological capabilities. He also served as the Cloud & Infrastructure Practice Lead from 2019 to 2022, where he was responsible for cloud strategies and infrastructure management.
Professional Background
Jaco Engelbrecht has a diverse professional background in infrastructure and engineering. He worked at several organizations, including HotelMap and Atlassian, where he held roles as an Infrastructure Consultant. His tenure at Claranet Group included various managerial positions, such as Group Architecture & Engineering Manager and Platforms Manager. Engelbrecht also has experience as a DevOps and Infrastructure professional at LaunchDarkly.
Education and Early Career
Jaco Engelbrecht studied at Hoërskool Voortrekker, where he focused on subjects including Afrikaans, English, Accounting, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physical Science. His educational background laid the foundation for his career in technology and engineering, which began with his role as an Infrastructure Engineer at Internet Solutions in South Africa.
Consulting and Leadership Roles
In addition to his roles at Starling Bank, Jaco Engelbrecht has been a Principal Consultant and Director at Oxletech since 2013. His consulting work involves providing strategic guidance and technical expertise to various clients. Engelbrecht's leadership experience spans multiple organizations and projects, reflecting his capability in managing complex engineering environments.