CV
Leo Thesen
Skills
🤲 Leadership
💡 Problem solving
🗣️ Communication
Technologies
I guess I just say AI now.
But I was pretty good at: solution architecture, Typescript, Python and Terraform before the robots started doing it all
Languages
🇬🇧 English
🇮🇩 Indonesian
💻 TS, Python
Work: for myself
Lazy Surf Report
Founder, South Africa | September 2025 - Present
- Built and operate a surf forecasting product end to end
- Forecast rating engine, data pipelines and webcam architecture
- Agentic development workflow built on Claude Code
Lazy Surf Report is a surf forecasting application covering breaks across Africa and the Indian Ocean, which I build and run solo.
At its core is a spot rating engine that classifies conditions as bad, good or perfect from swell direction, height and period, wind and tide - supported by swell energy and wave power modelling and tide classification logic. I designed the live webcam monitoring architecture around HLS capture. It’s basically a fully Whatsapp native application, you get personal messages on WhatsApp and can view the webapp within Whatsapp.
At its core is a spot rating engine that classifies conditions as bad, good or perfect from swell direction, height and period, wind and tide - supported by swell energy and wave power modelling and tide classification logic. I designed the live webcam monitoring architecture around HLS capture. It’s basically a fully Whatsapp native application, you get personal messages on WhatsApp and can view the webapp within Whatsapp.
Work: for other people
Fractional CTO
Independent, South Africa | August 2025 - Present
- Fractional CTO and technical advisor to founder-led SaaS businesses
- Security governance, solution architecture and engineering leadership
- Hands-on delivery alongside in-house engineering teams
PARAMOS Technologies Limited
United Kingdom | 2025 - Present
- Fractional CTO and ISMS Owner
- Security and compliance certification programmes
- Platform architecture and technical decision making
- Engineering practice and delivery
PARAMOS is an AI-assisted field service platform for repairs, maintenance and compliance, giving operators a single place to run jobs, scheduling, auditing and contracts.
I lead the technical function as fractional CTO, working directly with the founder. The remit spans security and compliance governance, platform architecture, and the engineering practices that let a small, fully remote team ship safely and quickly.
The headline piece of work is taking the business through ISO 27001:2022 and Cyber Essentials Plus certification as ISMS Owner, unlocking enterprise and public sector tenders that were previously out of reach. Alongside that I own the architectural calls across the platform's communications, analytics and delivery pipeline.
Solutions Architect
MOHARA, South Africa | April 2019 - May 2025
- Co-managing director of MOHARA South Africa
- Leading out the Solution Design function within MOHARA
- Technical lead on multiple projects
- Client management
I have progressed at MOHARA from Junior Engineer to Solutions Architect and co-manager of the South African hub; with over 50 employees. I have been involved in the business and technical strategy of the company, partaking in leadership traction meetings and sitting on “engineering steering” which oversees the engineering function as a whole.
I have honed both my leadership and technical skills and have led many of the most critical projects - usually in fintech. I thrive in a team environment, with some of my best work being mentoring and teaching other engineers.
I have honed both my leadership and technical skills and have led many of the most critical projects - usually in fintech. I thrive in a team environment, with some of my best work being mentoring and teaching other engineers.
Technical lead
ekko, United Kingdom | 2022 - 2024
- Designed several new products
- Individual contributions to the codebases
- Interfacing with founders
- Team leadership
I took over technical leadership of ekko after they had released their initial application, the customer facing eco-banking application. I led planning and development of new features on that codebase, as well as maintenance of the codebase. The team size ranged from 2 to 13 engineers.
ekko launched several new products, mostly B2B API based applications, that I also designed and led the development on.
ekko has recently raised $2.5M.
ekko launched several new products, mostly B2B API based applications, that I also designed and led the development on.
ekko has recently raised $2.5M.
Technical lead
Kikapay, United Kingdom | 2020 - 2022
- Designed architecture
- Individual contributions to the codebases
- Interfacing with founders
- Team leadership
I led Kikapay through the full project lifecycle from initiation to closure: designing the initial architecture, development, new feature design development, monitoring and maintenance. I led a team ranging from 3 to 12 engineers.
Kikapay was an early adopter of the Open Banking specification and we developed applications that were not yet available to the world. It was a fast paced environment with much uncertainty around user’s needs.
Kikapay was an early adopter of the Open Banking specification and we developed applications that were not yet available to the world. It was a fast paced environment with much uncertainty around user’s needs.
Technical lead
EMSOL, United Kingdom | 2019 - 2021
- Rewrote the application
- Launched new products
I led EMSOL through a complete rewrite, launch and further product development cycles.
I managed a team of two engineers. EMSOL hired an in-house team and is still operating today.
I managed a team of two engineers. EMSOL hired an in-house team and is still operating today.
Certifications and awards
Golden Key International Honours Society
2016
”Golden Key is the world's largest collegiate honor society. Membership into the Society is by invitation only and applies to the top 15% of college and university sophomores, juniors and seniors, as well as top-performing graduate students in all fields of study, based solely on their academic achievements. As an international honor society with more than 400 chapters at colleges and universities around the world, Golden Key is committed to a high standard of scholastic achievement, and an ethos of integrity, innovation, respect, collaboration and diversity.”
2016
”Golden Key is the world's largest collegiate honor society. Membership into the Society is by invitation only and applies to the top 15% of college and university sophomores, juniors and seniors, as well as top-performing graduate students in all fields of study, based solely on their academic achievements. As an international honor society with more than 400 chapters at colleges and universities around the world, Golden Key is committed to a high standard of scholastic achievement, and an ethos of integrity, innovation, respect, collaboration and diversity.”
Class Medal for Computer Programming in Matlab - University of Cape Town
2016
”Received the top mark in the class (97%)”
2016
”Received the top mark in the class (97%)”
Dean's Merit List - University of Cape Town
2013 - 2016
”The Dean's Merit List, which is published annually, contains the names of students whose academic performance over the year is meritorious and hence worthy of recognition.”
2013 - 2016
”The Dean's Merit List, which is published annually, contains the names of students whose academic performance over the year is meritorious and hence worthy of recognition.”
Paul van Niekerk award - Oakhill School
”This is the most prestigious award at Oakhill. It goes to a learner who generally and for a length of time has represented all that Oakhill stands for”
”This is the most prestigious award at Oakhill. It goes to a learner who generally and for a length of time has represented all that Oakhill stands for”
Education
Bachelor of Science in Engineering - BSc (Eng)
University of Cape Town | 2013 - 2016
University of Cape Town description of Electro-mechanical Engineering:
In today's computerised world, industry welcomes our graduates who understand both the mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines and can design, build, control, and maintain a wide range of engineering products and processes. Examples of these include: motor-cars and aeroplanes (where computers control the engines and ensure that the engines are working efficiently); production machine tools such as automated lathes and milling machines; artificial hearts, and many other products used in the world of medicine; robots that are increasingly used in industry and medicine; even the humble washing machine which is now computer controlled.
Electro-Mechanical Engineering entails the study of mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials, basic electrical engineering, basic mechanical engineering, and the integration of these in carefully structured design courses.
Awards:
Golden Key Honors Society Member 2016, Top Student: MAM2082F Programming in MATLAB, Dean's Merit List 2013-2016
In today's computerised world, industry welcomes our graduates who understand both the mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines and can design, build, control, and maintain a wide range of engineering products and processes. Examples of these include: motor-cars and aeroplanes (where computers control the engines and ensure that the engines are working efficiently); production machine tools such as automated lathes and milling machines; artificial hearts, and many other products used in the world of medicine; robots that are increasingly used in industry and medicine; even the humble washing machine which is now computer controlled.
Electro-Mechanical Engineering entails the study of mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials, basic electrical engineering, basic mechanical engineering, and the integration of these in carefully structured design courses.
Awards:
Golden Key Honors Society Member 2016, Top Student: MAM2082F Programming in MATLAB, Dean's Merit List 2013-2016
School
Oakhill School | 2001 - 2012
Grade 81% average
Awards:
• Paul van Niekerk award – “this is the most prestigious award at Oakhill. It goes to a learner who generally and for a length of time has represented all that Oakhill stands for.”
• Head of House 2012