Communication & Negotiation

I worked in different roles in quite a few organizations and teams so I know that collaboration and a team work are important. So, I find myself comfortable in the role of intermediary between clients and a team, or between analysts and developers or in a similar position when I need to listen to people and balance their needs.

Software Design & Architecture

Over the years I've been gaining more and more experience in software development, so I normally assume a role of IT Architect in my recent work places. The difference between a software developer and a software designer is less than people usually assume. A combination of domain knowledge and experience in software development allows to overview a larger scope and a longer timeframe which is essentially a strategic decision making.

Project & Product Management

I gravitate towards "generalized agile" both when I work alone on the task or when I manage a team. Which means:

• short iterations;
• clear milestones and visible deliverables;
• granular work breakdown structure and transparent progress.

Agile works well for medium and small size projects and it gives a good reality check for big projects and programs. In any case I prioritize common sense and people over methodologies.

Financial Domain

Around 20 years ago I started my career as a computer enthusiast and my focus was mostly on coding. With experience I realized that the understanding of an application domain is as important as technical qualification. After my first project with a bank (in 2007) I found a great interest in financial domain. Since that time, I got my MSc in Finance to understand what I'm working with and I continued exploring different areas of financial IT.

Programming Languages

I'm most experienced in C++, so you can call me a "C++ native speaker". But I like programming in other languages too, which are:

• Python
• Ruby
• .Net/C#
• Scala, Java
• HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Objective-C
• Erlang
• Prolog

Operating Systems & Platforms

My initial professional experience was on Windows but already more than 10 years I've been mostly using Linux at work. At home I use all 3 popular platforms (Mac, Windows and Linux). I am more "server-side developer" then "front-end" or "GUI developer", so I'm quite familiar with low level system and network programming.

Infrastructure

I'm more a software developer rather than system administrator or IT operation. However, in recent years with the advent of DevOps culture this difference became less visible. I appreciate this change, especially the move to clouds. And I'm trying to keep up with this trend.