VP of Operations and Engineering

Fernanda Sassiotto

Senior operations and technology leader thriving at the intersection of strategy and execution.

About

I'm a senior operations and technology leader with 20+ years of experience across SaaS, financial services, energy, real estate, and telecommunications, from start-ups to ASX-listed companies. I thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution, partnering with founders and executive teams to define where a company is going and making sure it actually gets there.

I bring a unique combination of skills that spans operations, engineering, finance, data, and people, giving me a whole-company lens that shapes how I think and how I lead. I've led engineering teams ranging from 20 to 150 people, ensuring the right capabilities, team structure and ways of working are in place and delivering complex programs of work. I've owned P&L, led AI adoption, driven company strategy and investment planning, and owned the operational rhythm that keeps a business moving forward. I don't optimise for my area, I optimise for the whole.

I'm a systems thinker who learns new domains quickly and isn't afraid to challenge the status quo. I know that sustainable growth is as much about how a company works together as it is about strategy.

People are at the heart of how I lead. I build trusting relationships across all levels of an organisation, create environments where people feel empowered, and genuinely love developing and growing the people around me. For me, a high-performing team isn't just about output, it's about creating the conditions where people do their best work.

If you're navigating the growing pains of scale, looking to get ahead of them, or just want to have a conversation, I'd love to connect.

Experience

Mar 2025 — Present

VP of Operations

Easy Agile

Executive leadership team member reporting to CEO, with full accountability spanning operations, engineering, data, finance, and security & IT. Partnering with leadership to define company strategy and own execution, including P&L ownership, annual investment planning, product engineering delivery, and driving AI adoption across the organisation.

Feb 2023 — Mar 2025

Head of Engineering

Easy Agile

Led the engineering function reporting to the CEO, overseeing a product portfolio generating ~US$800K MRR. Also acted as Head of Product (Jul 2023 – Jan 2024). Defined and executed the company's first engineering strategy, launched two new products to Atlassian Marketplace, led platform re-architecture to Forge, achieved SOC 2 Type I and II compliance, and rebuilt the Data & Analytics function.

Jan 2022 — Feb 2023

Head of Engineering — Trading & Market Data

Iress

Led Trading and Market Data engineering across 13 cross-functional teams of around 110 people, uniting two previously siloed business units, strengthening leadership capability, and improving delivery predictability, collaboration and execution across the region.

Sep 2020 — Dec 2021

Head of Engineering — Market Data

Iress

Led a 45-person Market Data engineering function, partnering on strategy and delivery while driving cloud migration, API modernisation, Kafka adoption, and stronger delivery practices, leadership capability and operational excellence.

Jun 2017 — Sep 2020

Executive Manager, Technology Community Programs

REA Group

Reported to CTO, advancing Diversity & Inclusion and entry-level programs across 400+ person technology community. Led delivery for Commercial LoB and Spacely, managing engineering teams, budgets, and strategic initiatives.

Jul 2015 — Jun 2017

Release Train Engineer & Agile Delivery Manager

AGL Energy

End-to-end delivery of digital and SAP initiatives across multiple scrum teams. Facilitated Program Increment planning for 80-100 people, led Scrum Masters, and drove agile transformation across the organization.

Feb 2007 — Feb 2015

Various Leadership Roles

Accenture

Progressed through technical and leadership roles including Iteration Manager, Design Lead, and Technical Support Lead. Delivered CRM and billing solutions for major clients including Telstra, NAB, and AGL.

Writing & Newsletter

AI Digest

A weekly newsletter on AI for executives and builders. Get insights on leadership, systems thinking, and navigating the AI landscape.

Mar 2026

Systems Thinking for Engineering Leaders

How to apply systems thinking principles to build resilient engineering organizations.

Read article

Feb 2026

The Future of AI in Operations

Exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming operational workflows.

Read article

Jan 2026

Building High-Performing Remote Teams

Lessons learned from scaling distributed engineering teams across time zones.

Read article

Contact

Let's connect

I'm always interested in hearing about new opportunities, collaborations, or just having a conversation about leadership and technology.

Send an email