Robert Fowler

Head of Software Engineering xneelo (Pty) Ltd

City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

About

👩‍💻 Engineering Leader | Scalable Systems Designer | Creative Problem Solver I’m an engineering leader who brings a fusion of creativity, technical rigor, and people-oriented leadership to solving complex challenges. Across my career, I’ve explored diverse areas—from creative problem-solving and systems thinking to dimensional modeling and transformational leadership—and I believe that the best solutions combine deep technical understanding with imaginative, out-of-the-box thinking. At my core, I believe that imagination and creativity are the greatest tools we have for solving problems, inspiring teams, and designing systems that don’t just work but truly thrive. Whether it’s developing principles-based architecture, embedding stronger habits into teams, or adapting to the shifting needs of businesses at scale, I focus on connecting creativity with practicality to unlock new opportunities. Currently, I lead 14 cross-functional teams—including developers, QA engineers, Scrum Masters, and Product Owners—through organizational transformation. Key challenges include transitioning from a monolithic legacy system to a microservices architecture, fostering team ownership, and embedding system-wide habits for continuous improvement. To support these efforts, I established a Software Engineering Leadership Team, aligning technical strategy with organizational restructuring to bridge the socio-technical gap. Key Highlights: Scalable System Design: Applying principles of loose coupling & high cohesion to create adaptive architecture. Creative Problem Solving: Leveraging imagination and structured approaches to tackle complex challenges. Flow Optimization & Agile Leadership: Improving delivery efficiency and aligning value streams to reduce waste and unlock team potential. Even as someone driven by systems thinking and technical excellence, I’ve learned success depends just as much on the human element—creativity, adaptability, and shared purpose. If you value crafting innovative systems, leading teams, or even embracing challenges with a fresh perspective, let’s connect!

Experience

  • xneelo (Pty) Ltd (South Africa)
    • Head of Software Engineering
      Apr 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 3 mos

    • Software Development Manager
      Apr 2020 - Present · 6 yrs 3 mos

  • CSG International (City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa)
    • Delivery Team Manager
      Aug 2015 - Apr 2020 · 4 yrs 9 mos

      The Delivery Team Manager is accountable for the performance and competencies of Agile Team members and Teams. This accountability covers three areas: 1. Recruiting, developing and performance managing all Agile Team members including Scrum Masters. 2. Forming and revising Delivery Teams to promote effective delivery and staff development. 3. Continually driving the culture of Delivery Teams towards higher sustainable productivity, accountability for commitments and continual improvement.

    • Software Development Manager
      Oct 2010 - Sep 2015 · 5 yrs

      At CSG International I am responsible for running 4 development teams and I am responsible for looking after the development and maintenance of 5 applications. In addition to the development and maintenance of these applications I am also responsible for the line management of the analysts and developers who are assigned to these application teams. I am also responsible for the project management of the deliveries of these teams and the co-ordination of the dependencies between these and other development teams as required. I am passionate about identifying and improving the development processes and creating streamlined cohesive development teams - teams that have strong Kung-Fu.

  • Intec (City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa)
    • Systems Analyst
      Jan 2008 - Sep 2010 · 2 yrs 9 mos

    • Software Developer
      Oct 2004 - Dec 2008 · 4 yrs 3 mos

  • Java Developer at Pick n Pay
    Feb 2003 - Oct 2004 · 1 yr 9 mos

    Assisted in the design and development of the in-house advanced retail management system (ARMS) at Pick 'n Pay. This solution provided the backbone for merchandising operations including inventory management (forecasting, ordering), warehousing and distribution, integration with point of sale and reporting, financial control, stock take and account management.

  • Java Developer at N:Crypt Systems
    Feb 2000 - Jan 2003 · 3 yrs

    N:Crypt was one of Korbitec's start-up rocket projects. At N:Crypt I was fortunate enough to work on proto-type software and get a feel for a true startup culture. During my stay I was promoted to the position of Junior Leader and gathered a wealth of knowledge of how to deal with people, how companies operate and learned valuable lessons in sacrifice and the power of shared vision.