Shanshan Song, PhD, is a respected leader in engineering, known for her expertise in database storage and infrastructure strategy. Since 2023, she has served as the senior director of engineering at Uber Technologies Inc., where she oversees the database and defines the strategy for the data infrastructure team, ensuring the delivery of reliable infrastructure. Recognized for her expertise in database storage, she has been instrumental in executing and delivering high-quality enterprise products and services that align with customer requirements.
Before joining Uber, Dr. Song held several key roles at VMware from 2014 to 2023, starting as an R&D manager and advancing to senior R&D director. During her tenure, she demonstrated exceptional strategic thinking and technological innovation, successfully delivering 1.0 products and services under constrained resources and high-pressure conditions. From 2006 to 2014, she honed her skills at Oracle Corporation, where she progressed from member of the technical staff to software development manager.
Dr. Song laid a strong academic foundation, earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2001, followed by a PhD in computer science from the University of Southern California in 2005. She further expanded her expertise by completing an engineering leadership professional program at the University of California, Berkeley in 2020.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Song is actively involved in civic organizations and mentorship programs. Since 2020, she has been a founding member of Enrich and served as global thought leadership chair for VMware Asian PoD from 2020 to 2021. Her commitment to empowering future generations is evident in her mentorship role in VMware’s Girls Who Can Code program from 2015 to 2017. She has also made significant contributions to academic literature with publications such as “Selfish Grids: Game-Theoretic Modeling and NAS/PSA Benchmark Evaluation” and “Collaborative Internet Worm Containment.”
Reflecting on her path, as Dr. Song advanced in her career, she recognized the importance of challenging the status quo. With the rise of AI and other technological innovations, she believes there is no need to fear job displacement. Drawing parallels to past advancements such as trains, air travel, the Internet, and cloud computing, she views AI as the next step in progress. She emphasizes the need to embrace new technologies and leverage them to solve everyday problems, as exemplified by Uber’s use of AI. She believes that as technology continues to evolve, the world will improve, and adapting to these changes is essential.
Dr. Song attributes her success to the support of her family, particularly her parents, who instilled in her the value of education. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys traveling, exploring different cultures, interior design, and reading novels, and spending time with her two children. Looking to the future, she envisions continuing her impactful work at Uber while eventually transitioning into a general manager role to embrace the business side of her career.