Farhan Thawar

VP & Head of Engineering, Shopify
Toronto, Ontario,Canada
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Who Is Farhan Thawar?

Total Experience28 years
CompanyShopify
CountryCanada

Farhan Thawar is a seasoned technology executive and engineering leader with over two decades of experience building and scaling high-performing teams and products. Currently serving as the VP of Engineering at Shopify, he plays a crucial role in shaping the company's technical strategy and product development. Farhan's career is marked by significant leadership positions at major tech companies, including a tenure as VP & Head of Engineering at Pinterest. He has a strong entrepreneurial background, having co-founded and served as CTO of Helpful.com, which was successfully acquired by Shopify. Known for his expertise in mobile development, agile methodologies, and fostering innovative engineering cultures, Farhan is also an active angel investor, mentor, and a frequent speaker in the tech community. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

How Did Farhan Thawar's Career Path Shape Their Journey?

Farhan Thawar's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

Shopify - VP & Head of Engineering(2019 to Present)
Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) - Board Member(2023 to Present)
8090 Solutions Inc. - Advisor(2024 to Present)
ResponseTek - Board Member(2018 to Present)
OpenPhone - Advisor(2022 to 2024)
brightwheel - Advisor(2021 to 2023)
Ada - Advisor(2021 to 2023)
Connected - Board Member(2021 to 2022)
Ritual.co - Advisor(2019 to 2022)
Phantom Auto - Advisor(2019 to 2021)

What Are Farhan Thawar's Key Achievements?

Co-founder & Successful Exit of Helpful.com

Co-founded and served as CTO of Helpful.com, a platform designed to make business meetings more effective. He successfully led the company to an acquisition by Shopify in 2018, demonstrating his ability to build and scale a valuable technology product from the ground up.

Leadership in Scaling Major Engineering Organizations

Successfully scaled engineering teams at multiple high-growth companies, including Xtreme Labs (from 10 to 350 people, leading to its acquisition), Pivotal Labs, Pinterest, and currently Shopify, showcasing his expertise in managing large-scale technical organizations.

Active Angel Investor and Tech Community Leader

Acts as an influential angel investor and advisor to numerous startups, contributing capital and strategic guidance to the next generation of tech companies. He is also a respected writer and speaker, sharing insights on engineering leadership and technology trends.

What's Farhan Thawar's Educational Background?

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Risk Management and Financial Engineering

University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management

Bachelor of Mathematics, Computer Science with Electrical Engineering

University of Waterloo

Degree Program

Milliken Mills High School

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Notable news
Hiring actively
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Company Overview

Shopify
Total employees7000
HeadquartersOttawa
Founded2006

Shopify is a leading global commerce company that provides a comprehensive platform for businesses of all sizes to start, run, and grow their operations. It offers tools for creating and managing online stores, processing payments, handling shipping, and marketing products. Shopify's ecosystem supports selling across multiple channels, including web, mobile, social media, and brick-and-mortar locations, empowering entrepreneurs worldwide.

Shopify Stock Information
Shopify, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SHOP. The company went public on May 21, 2015

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