Employee Spotlight: YongPeng Zhang (YP)

YP joined SRT in the head office in Maryland as a PhD Graduate from North Carolina State University. He studied Computer Science with a focus on GPGPUs and CUDA programming. Excited by the trail-blazing work SRT was doing, YP applied for a position and joined the team in 2012!

Emily:
You joined Stone Ridge Technology in 2012. Please share your account of your journey within SRT from then.

YP:
My journey with Stone Ridge Technology spans two distinct chapters. In the early days, I was closely involved in the development of GAMPACK, SRT’s first successful commercial product. GAMPACK laid the technical foundation for what would become ECHELON’s solver—a core component of our platform today. At the time, the company was small and nimble. There were stretches when I was the only one in the office, as both Vincent (CEO) and Ken (CTO) were frequently travelling.

Even in that lean phase, a strong culture of camaraderie emerged. Casual coffee chats, lunch discussions about improving our products, and spontaneous idea exchanges helped foster a warm, collaborative atmosphere. That foundation of mutual respect and teamwork became a defining trait of SRT’s culture, one that has endured even as the company has grown.

After a few years, I returned to China for a four-year period. When I rejoined SRT, it felt like stepping into a new chapter of the company’s story. The team had expanded significantly, and the collaboration with Eni marked a major milestone. It was a celebratory time, full of new energy, new talent, and rapid progress, particularly with the evolution of ECHELON. Since then, everything has continued to move forward in exciting ways.

What’s most inspiring, however, is how the core of SRT has remained unchanged. Despite its growth, the company has retained its flat structure, collaborative spirit, and clear sense of purpose. The blend of friendship, accountability, and a shared drive to tackle complex challenges still defines our work environment.

Emily:
What have you been working on lately?

YP:
Lately, I’ve been focused on two major developments within ECHELON. The first is a new scripting feature designed to enable more flexible and dynamic user interactions. It’s currently undergoing SRT’s rigorous testing workflow and is set to launch later this year. This addition will significantly enhance the adaptability and usability of the platform.

In parallel, I’ve been preparing ECHELON for cloud deployment, a development enabled by the increasing accessibility of GPU resources, driven in part by the rise of AI infrastructure. As we speak, our cloud-based ECHELON is being rolled out. This will be especially valuable for engineering consultants and organizations without dedicated GPU hardware, allowing them to fully leverage ECHELON’s capabilities from virtually anywhere. My colleague Jose Pina can be contacted for more information on this new capability.

Emily:
On the topic of AI, Stone Ridge Technology recently announced ENVOY, a Gen AI reservoir simulation assistant. What else is on the horizon related to AI at SRT?

YP:
AI can transform the software development process itself. From accelerating feature implementation to tightening feedback loops, AI has the potential to significantly enhance the speed and efficiency of our development cycles. This is an area of active exploration and innovation for us, and we will share further details soon.

Emily:
What do you feel gives Stone Ridge Technology its advantage in the competitive reservoir simulation space?

YP:
SRT’s advantage lies in its strong and versatile team, a group of highly qualified individuals Vincent has assembled with great care. This team can quickly bring diverse technical ideas to life. Just as importantly, the company culture fosters motivation and balance. Flexible working hours allow employees to manage personal responsibilities while remaining deeply productive. It’s a work environment built on trust, collaboration, and shared purpose, which I believe sets us apart.

Emily:
Yes, I am incredibly grateful for the flexibility with my eight and five year old's activities and working across time zones.

YP:
Time really does fly! Both of our kids were toddlers when I began at SRT, now they're almost old enough to drive. We are definitely looking forward to that; saving us countless trips shuttling between school, home and soccer practices.