Professional Summary
Engineering Leader Driving AI Transformation at Microsoft
Zheng is a seasoned engineering manager with over a decade of experience building resilient, full-stack teams that deliver at massive scale. Combining strategic vision with deep technical execution, he has guided his team through multiple technology cycles—from mobile-first to AI-native.
In his current role leading a 15-person cross-functional unit, Zheng is redefining engineering leadership for the AI era. He focuses on internalizing AI capabilities personally to serve as a practical role model, bridging the gap between high-level strategy and daily code. This hands-on approach enabled the successful, high-velocity launch of Microsoft's Copilot mobile app. Zheng builds teams defined by autonomy, psychological safety, and a relentless pursuit of efficiency, ensuring his engineers are equipped not just to use AI, but to build the future with it.
Work Experience
Microsoft (ASG → WebXT → MAI)
Principal Software Engineering Manager- Promoted through ranks: SDE → SDE II → Senior SDE → Senior SDE Manager → Principal SDE Manager
- Longtime owner of mobile development for Bing and Microsoft Start (MSN) across Android, iOS, and iPad
- Built and led a cross-functional team across Android, iOS, Web, Data, and Services, capable of full-scope delivery from UX to backend ops
- Designed and scaled an Azure-based platform for mobile delivery: distributed data pipelines for logging, A/B testing, and insights; multi-platform push systems and telemetry-based alerting; service clusters for search, personalization, and monetization; CI/CD and in-house tooling for release management and experimentation
- Led from zero the launch of Copilot Mobile App, delivering 3 clean releases under executive visibility, with zero major regressions
- Partnered with product and marketing to create a data-informed growth engine for paid acquisition, integrating Adjust, backend attribution, and real-time dashboards—yielding 120%+ ROI annually
- Embraced the AI transition by leading LLM-driven platform rewrites, decoupling legacy architecture and piloting new semantic layers for mobile-native Copilot interactions
- Known internally for balancing discipline with trust, Zheng focuses on team health, cultural integrity, and decision velocity
- Participated in early-stage Windows-integrated experiments to extend mobile scenarios, contributing to design and feasibility
Alibaba Group – UED Team
- Built internal tools and open-source projects (InfoViz, WebOS) using Flex, HTML5, and Node.js
- Focused on developer productivity and data visualization frameworks
Microsoft Research Asia
Summer Intern- Completed two summer internships focused on data visualization
- Developed interactive prototypes using JavaScript and Silverlight
Education
Tongji University
M.Eng. in Computer Software and Theory (Distributed Systems)Tongji University
B.Eng. in Computer Science and TechnologyPatent
Leadership & Communication
Zheng is known not only for technical rigor, but also for building resilient teams with a culture of autonomy and clarity. He actively cultivates shared ownership, pragmatic execution, and a calm-but-decisive leadership style—even in high-stakes, cross-org settings.
Fluent in both Chinese and English, Zheng has long worked across time zones and cultures, collaborating (and negotiating) with global teams across the U.S., India, and Israel. He is as comfortable in architectural deep-dives as in heated prioritization debates.
Beyond Work
Zheng is an INFJ, often balancing long-term systems thinking with deep individual focus. He is passionate about efficiency tools, automation workflows, and personal knowledge systems—from command palette launchers to structured digital habits (Notion, PARA, Raycast, etc.).
He believes that great tools extend the mind, and that every system—from software to self—deserves thoughtful iteration.