Assaf Ronen

Assaf Ronen's Impressive Career Journey

Assaf Ronen has had an impressive career marked by significant milestones in the tech industry. Operating out of Redmond, Washington, he has built a diverse and robust portfolio over the years. His journey showcases his expertise in business, product management, and technology, which he has utilized to contribute to both startups and established companies.

Early Career and Military Service

Assaf started his professional journey with a strong foundation in technology. He served in the Israel Defense Forces from 1990 to 1996, working as an R&D Manager. This early role in the military's tech sector laid the groundwork for his skills in project management, software development, and system architecture. Following his military service, he transitioned into the private sector, taking on the role of Senior Program Manager at Comverse from January 1996 to January 1999, where he was responsible for various aspects of project development and hardware definition.

Impact at Radware

In 1999, Assaf joined Radware, where he significantly influenced the company's growth over the next seven years. He started as the VP of R&D, a position he held until January 2006, and then advanced to become the Senior VP of Products & Strategy. During his time at Radware, Assaf honed his expertise in strategy and product management, contributing to the company's global standing.

Role at Clarizen

Assaf's next career leap was with Clarizen as the Chief Operating & Engineering Officer from February 2007 to March 2008. His leadership helped shape Clarizen's operational and engineering directions, focusing on creating high-performance technology solutions. He then moved to Microsoft, where he spent six years from February 2008 to November 2014. As General Manager, he managed multiple groups, including Skype & Lync Development and Access & Security groups, significantly impacting Microsoft's product offerings and technology development.

Significant Contributions at Amazon

Assaf's career continued to ascend when he joined Amazon as the VP of Voice and NUI Shopping from November 2014 to December 2017. He played a crucial role in Amazon’s innovative voice technology and shopping experience. Concurrently, he served on the Board of Directors for Amazon Payments Inc. from January 2014 to January 2016, where he contributed to strategic decisions in the fintech space.

Leadership at SoFi

In 2018, Assaf shifted to SoFi, initially as Head of Product and later becoming the Chief Product Officer in June 2020. He led SoFi's product, technology, engineering, and design teams until September 2022, playing a significant role in shaping the fintech's customer-centric financial services.

Current Role at Payoneer and Advisory Positions

Currently, Assaf serves as the Chief Platform Officer at Payoneer, a position he began in September 2022. In this role, he leads the company's technology, new businesses, and growth groups. Additionally, he has taken on multiple advisory roles, including positions with Livesight and the Diversity Cyber Council, where he provides strategic guidance and supports tech training for underserved communities.

Conclusion and Notable Achievements

Assaf Ronen's career is a testament to his ability to drive innovation and growth. His notable achievements include turning acquisitions into successful ventures and building and leading world-class teams in engineering and product management. With experience spanning machine learning, cloud computing, security, and more, Assaf continues to be a pivotal figure in the tech industry, sharing his knowledge as an investor, advisor, and mentor. His multilingual skills, including proficiency in Hebrew, and his extensive network further underscore his impactful presence in the field.