Hello, I'm
Geoff Woodburn
Technology leader and architect with 20+ years building and scaling engineering organizations. I design systems that last and build teams that thrive.
About
A bit about me
I'm a Principal Application Architect at Apptio, an IBM company, with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. My work sits at the crossroads of architecture, design, and engineering — I believe great systems are built on clarity of thought, and great code is maintainable.
I'm a systems thinker at heart. Over two decades, I've founded and grown multiple companies from the ground up — experiences that deepened my passion for applying technology with intention to solve real customer problems. From startups to enterprise, I've honed a craft that blends strategic vision with hands-on technical precision.
- Role Principal Application Architect
- Company Apptio (IBM)
- Approach Systems Thinking
- Experience 20+ Years
Career
Professional trajectory
2025 — Present
Principal Application Architect — Apptio, an IBM Company
Driving architecture strategy and technical vision for enterprise technology business management products. Mentoring engineering teams, guiding cross-organization technical decisions, and shaping long-term platform direction.
2024 — 2025
VP of Engineering — Paxton AI
Led the engineering organization at an AI-powered legal technology company. Owned technical strategy, team development, and delivery of AI-driven tools for legal professionals.
2021 — 2024
VP of Engineering — Reperio Health
Managed the technology behind an at-home health testing platform spanning two mobile apps, two web apps, and a hardware device connected over Bluetooth Low Energy — while serving as HIPAA Security Officer.
2018 — 2021
Director of Engineering — Puppet
Led engineering teams building event-driven automation and serverless workflow products, including Puppet Relay. Drove technical strategy and team growth in the infrastructure automation space.
2016 — 2018
Lead Front-End Architect — Reflect Technologies
Shaped front-end architecture and built the design system that carried forward into Puppet's product suite. Reflect was acquired by Puppet, where the team continued building automation tooling.
2012 — 2016
Director of Engineering — Cloudability
Joined as one of the earliest engineers and grew with the company from one to around a hundred people. Helped build a cloud cost management platform from the ground up. Cloudability was later acquired by Apptio.
2009 — 2012
Senior Software Engineer — Adknowledge
Built the reporting platform and data infrastructure at a digital advertising technology company, working across the full stack to deliver analytics and performance tools at scale.
2006 — 2009
Owner — Woodburn Designs
Founded and ran a web design and development consultancy, delivering custom solutions for clients. Where the entrepreneurial bug first took hold.
Expertise
What I bring to the table
Architecture Strategy
Designing scalable, resilient systems from first principles. Translating business goals into technical architectures that evolve gracefully over time.
Engineering Leadership
Building and scaling high-performing engineering teams. Setting technical direction while creating cultures of ownership, craft, and delivery.
Systems Thinking
Seeing the whole picture — how teams, technology, and processes interconnect. Identifying leverage points that unlock outsized impact.
Cloud & DevOps
Deep expertise in cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, and platform engineering. Proven track record from early-stage Cloudability through enterprise-scale Apptio.
Startup & Scale
Founded and grown multiple companies. Experienced across the full lifecycle — from zero-to-one product builds to acquisitions and enterprise integration.
AI & Emerging Tech
Hands-on experience leading AI-focused engineering teams. Practical understanding of where AI delivers real value versus hype.
Focus
Where I focus most
The problems I'm most drawn to sit at the intersection of architecture, engineering, and organizational design. These are the areas where I've spent the most time and built the strongest convictions.
Architecture & System Design
Designing scalable systems from first principles. Evaluating trade-offs, identifying risks and scaling bottlenecks, and building architectures that evolve gracefully over time.
Engineering Organizations
Structuring teams for delivery and autonomy. Defining roles, career ladders, and operating models that help engineering organizations scale without losing velocity.
Technical Due Diligence
Evaluating codebases, teams, and technical debt through the lens of M&A, investment, and partnership decisions — with a practitioner's perspective.
Contact
Let's connect
Whether you want to talk architecture, swap engineering war stories, or just say hello — I'd like to hear from you.