Chuck Hudson is Senior Director of Global Software Engineering Fire Solutions at Johnson Controls, where he leads global engineering organizations responsible for embedded software, cloud platforms, connected services, developer tooling, quality engineering, UI/UX, and full-stack application development. With more than 30 years of experience, he has led the delivery of large-scale software platforms across IoT, robotics, mobile, cloud, and enterprise technologies, helping organizations transform how software is designed, developed, and delivered. Throughout his career, Chuck has held engineering leadership roles at Johnson Controls, iRobot, Lookout Mobile Security, and Control4, as well as founding a successful automation company that was later acquired. His teams have delivered innovative products used by millions of customers worldwide, including cloud-connected robotic platforms, enterprise IoT solutions, and mission-critical life safety systems.

Chuck is a recognized technology leader, inventor, author, and educator. He is the holder of multiple patents, has authored technical publications and an O'Reilly book on software APIs, and frequently speaks on software engineering, innovation, AI, and technology leadership. He has a passion for translating emerging technologies into practical engineering strategies that deliver measurable business value.

In addition to his industry leadership, Chuck has served as an adjunct professor for more than 15 years, teaching graduate courses in artificial intelligence, business analytics, digital transformation and technology strategy. His work bridges academia and industry, helping prepare the next generation of technology leaders while remaining deeply engaged in solving today's engineering challenges.

His current focus is on how generative and agentic AI are fundamentally reshaping the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), software engineering organizations, and the future of product development. Drawing on real-world experience leading global engineering teams through AI adoption, Chuck shares practical lessons, emerging best practices, and forward-looking perspectives on how engineering leaders can successfully navigate this transformation.