Mallika Rao is a seasoned engineering leader with deep expertise in designing, scaling, and operating distributed systems that serve millions of users. Her experience spans high-throughput search infrastructure, data platforms, and large-scale migrations across complex production ecosystems. A former staff engineer turned leader, Mallika brings a systems-thinking mindset to both code and culture—she views teams, technologies, and feedback loops as interconnected architectures that can be tuned for resilience and speed. She’s passionate about building transparent platforms that accelerate innovation without trading off stability, and about leading teams through technical and organizational transformation, especially in AI-driven and data-intensive environments. Outside of work, Mallika finds parallels between the precision of mathematics and the improvisation of Indian classical music—two disciplines that shape her perspective on engineering as both structure and art. She also mentors senior engineers and emerging leaders navigating the inflection points of technical growth and scale.