Adam Kempa
Creative Technology Strategy & ExecutionAnn Arbor, MI
I build and lead high-performing software teams, with a focus on scalable UI architecture, thoughtful user experience, and healthy engineering culture.
Experience
Ryder System, Inc.
/ Jan 2022 - Present
Senior Manager, Application Development & Support; RyderShip Product- Lead the cross-functional software organization responsible for the UI supporting a fulfillment platform that processes tens of millions of shipments annually.
- Built and scaled a hybrid design–engineering team from the ground up (front-end, UX, and full-stack).
- Directed the front-end decoupling of a legacy monolith into a modular micro-frontend architecture.
- Architected the complete redesign, build, and deployment of multiple warehouse packing applications, improving process efficiency and maintainability.
- Partnered with Product and Operations leadership to align roadmap priorities with operational and business outcomes.
Whiplash
/ May 2019 - Dec 2021
Senior User Interface Architect- Led interface architecture and UI engineering strategy across the product suite.
- Established an internal interface engineering discipline to unify the company’s design and development standards.
- Led transition of a large legacy interface to a component-based system using shared libraries and living documentation.
- Partnered with product owners to streamline UX consistency across customer-facing tools and internal systems.
Trove AI
/ Mar 2017 - May 2019
Senior Experience Architect- Designed cohesive user experiences across native mobile (iOS, Android), desktop (Electron, Web), and marketing platforms.
- Partnered directly with engineering teams to ensure consistent UX implementation.
- Owned and delivered the marketing web presence for a fast-growing multi-platform AI startup.
Perficient Digital
/ Jan 2016 - Mar 2017
Technical Director- Co-led a large, multi-disciplinary “team of teams” delivering enterprise digital solutions.
- Oversaw engineering strategy across web, mobile, and in-store experiences.
- Balanced team allocation across maintenance, new development, and innovation efforts.
- Certified as a Scrum Master (CSM) to lead agile efforts.
Enlighten
/ Mar 2005 - Dec 2015
Senior Software Engineer- Led full-stack project teams delivering large-scale web applications for enterprise and consumer brands.
- Defined and implemented technology strategies across diverse client ecosystems.
- Mentored junior engineers and drove adoption of modern front-end frameworks and responsive design principes.
Expertise
I’ve been building software professionally for over 20 years. I’ve worked in almost every role that contributes to the software development lifecycle, but I’m at my best when leading the collaboration between design and development.
Product / Design
Roadmapping & Prioritization
User Research & Testing
Wireframing & Rapid Prototyping
Design Systems & Libraries
Observability & Metrics
Documentation & Communication
Development
Technical Leadership & Mentorship
Solutions Architecture
Front-end (Vue, JS, HTML, CSS)
Back-end (Ruby, C#, PHP)
SQL & Data-driven Applications
Physical / Digital Interaction
Location-based Integrations
SMS & Conversational Interfaces
Selected Work
trove.com / Trove AIperficientdigital.com / Perficient
alliantenergy.com / Alliant Energy
carharttlookbook.com / Carhartt, Inc
thehenryford.org / The Henry Ford
udr.com / UDR, Inc
jimmyjohns.com / Jimmy John's
guituner.com / Personal Project
826michigan.org / 826Michigan
jergens.com / Jergens Skincare
biore.com / Biore Skincare
mascocs.com / Masco
whatwasthere.com / Team Project
dfcufinancial.com / DFCU Financial
fruit2o.com / Fruit2O
johnfrieda.com / John Frieda Haircare
richmondamerican.com / MDC Holdings
colgate.edu / Colgate University
be-bratz.com / Bratz
the-n.com / Nickelodeon
audiusa.com / Audi of America
comerica.com / Comerica Bank
Education
Bachelor of Science
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Wayne State University / Detroit
Cum Laude Graduate
Awards
Publications
The Believer (PDF) / July 2010Hacker Monthly (PDF) / June 2010
Make Magazine (PDF) / Spring 2005