Ola Lawal

I started writing software because I was fascinated by how much you could build with very few resources. That instinct — do more with less, make it actually work — has driven every role I've taken since.

Over the course of my career I moved from individual contributor to technical lead to Head of Engineering at a London fintech. At each step I learned something new about what separates teams that ship from teams that spin — and it's rarely about technical skill.

As Head of Engineering I built and led teams delivering financial products that operated at real scale, in regulated environments, with real consequences for getting it wrong. I dealt with architecture, security, compliance, hiring, roadmap conflicts, and investor diligence. I learned what good looks like from the inside.

But fintech was only part of the picture. I helped a UK health-tech company through a successful exit. I built systems in media that ended up being used by major industry players in the United States. I secured platforms for banks and oil companies in Africa. The thread running through all of it was the same: complex problems, high stakes, and teams that needed senior technical leadership to get it right.

That global experience — across industries, continents, and company stages — is what I bring to every engagement. I've seen what works at startup pace and at enterprise scale. I understand regulated environments, security-sensitive systems, and the reality of businesses that have been running successfully for years but know their technology isn't keeping up.

I founded STAAL because I kept seeing the same problem: business leaders who needed senior technical guidance but couldn't get it. Sometimes that's a founder building a new product. Sometimes it's someone running a successful company who knows technology should be doing more for them — but isn't sure what to change, what to keep, or who to trust. Either way, the kind of technical leadership they needed was usually trapped inside well-funded companies. I wanted to change that.

I don't do 90-slide proposals. I don't hide behind process. If something isn't going to work, I'll tell you early. If I think you're making a mistake, I'll say so. That directness is what you'd want from an engineering leader inside your business — and it's what you get with me.