About Drew Lawton
I'm an accomplished technical leader with over 25 years of software engineering experience, including 13 years building and managing high-performing engineering teams. My leadership is driven by empathy, informed by data, and fueled by a passion for delivering exceptional user experiences. I've led engineering organizations at companies like Crunchyroll, Twitch (Amazon), Blizzard Entertainment, and Sony Electronics, managing teams of up to 30 engineers across distributed locations.
As Director of Engineering at Crunchyroll and Twitch, I've provided strategic planning, vision setting, and technical direction for web engineering teams building React-based applications used by millions of users. I specialize in building reliable, performant web clients with reusable components, improving developer experience, and establishing engineering best practices around code quality, testing, and observability.
25+ Years Technical Experience
Deep expertise in JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Node.js, and modern web development frameworks
13 Years Engineering Leadership
Proven track record managing distributed teams, hiring top talent, and building scalable engineering organizations
Enterprise Experience
Led teams at Crunchyroll, Twitch (Amazon), Blizzard Entertainment, and Sony Electronics
Agile & Scrum Certified
Certified Scrum Product Owner and Scrum Master with extensive experience in agile methodologies
Architecture & Developer Experience
Designed React frameworks and developer toolchains used by 300+ engineers, improving build times and developer workflows
People-Focused Leadership
Known for preventing burnout, facilitating career growth, and building resilient teams with low turnover