Qais Al-Lafi

Pioneer
DISC Type : Dsi

Senior Director of Engineering at AI71

Seattle, Washington, United States

Overview

Qais is a seasoned Engineering and AI Leader at AI71, with over 20 years of experience building and scaling systems at Microsoft and Amazon. He was instrumental in developing groundbreaking products like the Amazon Astro robot and Microsofts Copilot. Colleagues describe him as dedicated, result-driven, and a fantastic problem-solver.

Originally from Jordan, Qais developed a passion for technology and engineering early on. He lived in Seattle for nearly a decade before moving to Abu Dhabi. He is also a proud father, recently celebrating his sons published research in the field of efficient AI.

Unique fact: He was a key contributor to the creation of Amazons first personal robot helper, Astro.

Personality Overview

Friendly But Fast

Dynamic But Sincere

Decisive But Friendly

They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)  They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product

Topics They Care About

Applied AI Solutions
He has a stated passion for turning research into scalable solutions that drive business growth and operational efficiency, from AWS and Copilot to his current role at AI71.
Consumer Robotics
Played a pivotal role in creating Amazon's Astro robot, a multi-year project that addressed some of the most difficult problems in consumer robotics.
Leadership Philosophy
Believes in loyalty to principles over people, stating that a leader's commitment must be earned through character, not blind devotion.

Media Appearances

Qais has no verified media appearances

Work History

8-2024
Senior Director of Engineering at AI71
6-2021 - 12-2024
Software Engineering - Microsoft Copilot, Search, Assistant and Intelligence (MSAI) at Microsoft
7-2019 - 6-2021
Software Engineering at Amazon Lab126
10-2016 - 9-2019
Software Engineering at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
11-2015 - 10-2016
Principal Software Engineer at EXPRESS

Education

2014 - 2016
Master of Science - MS from Iowa
2013 - 2013
PMP Certificate from Project Management Institute

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 19 Location : Seattle, Washington, United States Job Level : Senior Designation : Senior Director of Engineering at AI71
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Qais

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘your decision will’, ‘you will impact’ etc.
  • Showcase existing customers and use case-studies to grab their attention
  • Mostly stick to your standard pitch and qualifying script, but add some stories or anecdotes to it

DONT's

  • Don't lean very heavily into providing too much information, sharing whitepapers etc.
  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine
  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions or pushing them, but take a formal approach

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Qais is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Qais

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Qais move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can Qais take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And Qais

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.