What do you do?
I'm part of the tech leadership team at Qonto, leading initiatives as a Staff Software Engineer. Qonto is a leading B2B FinTech unicorn revolutionizing the banking landscape for businesses in Europe. It is currently valued at more than 4bln EUR and serves more than 400k businesses across Europe. Find me on LinkedIn!
Before joining Qonto, I was the founding engineer at a Dallas-based startup, developing a credit card payment solution for major European and US commercial airlines, including Southwest Airlines, the world's largest low-cost carrier with more than 125mln passengers in 2022. There I also took care of the cybersecurity engineering implications of such system.
But my passion for software engineering and cybersecurity began early. As a self-taught programmer from a small town in Sicily, I began coding at a young age. My way to learn was through online research and involvement in the open-source community.
This made me realize what great potential communities have in building talent and driving innovation. For this reason, I've founded and am currently leading the first OWASP Chapter in Estonia, and the first Flutter Community in Estonia.
(OWASP - Open Worldwide Application Security Project - is a global non-profit organization focused on improving software security through open-source community-driven projects, with more than 200 chapters worldwide. Flutter is an open-source framework created and maintained by Google for building natively compiled cross-platform applications)
I'm also a strong advocate for Estonia's innovative digital e-governance systems. As an e-residency Community Leader, I have the privilege of helping over 100,000 entrepreneurs globally in leveraging Estonia's advanced digital infrastructure.
What is your field of expertise?
I specialize in software engineering and machine learning, with a background in the financial technology industry. My focus is on product delivery and developing new algorithms that enable machines to empower humans. I started my career path at the crossroads of software engineering and cybersecurity. This provided me with a thorough understanding of the software development lifecycle, distributed engineering management, and security aspects in highly regulated environments.
What part of your job do you enjoy the most? What are the biggest joys and wins today?
What I enjoy most about my work is the opportunity to drive innovation and discover innovative solutions to both existing and emerging tech challenges. I find motivation in researching and discovering new solutions that have a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of people.
Being involved in the community is also immensely rewarding. I find joy in creating collaborative environments where passionate people can meet, connect, teach, and learn. Seeing the growth and success of community members is a source of immense satisfaction: it exemplifies the power of our collective passions and overall effort in driving progress and innovation.
What work style prevails in your team?
Since I began my career, I've always worked in teams distributed across several different countries and, sometimes, continents. Remote working provides a lot of opportunities to boost productivity and focus, but it also presents challenges. Establishing a strong team culture is possible but tends to be more difficult when working remotely. In my experience, the most successful teams managed to find the right balance between a cooperative and independent working style. This requires effective and open communication, teamwork, ambition, and integrity.
Why did you choose Workland?
Having always been working 100% remotely I understand the benefits and the challenges presented by such a setting. While having focus is vital in my work, so is connecting with like-minded peers. I chose Workland primarily for its community and the professional environment it offers. The network of professionals and the collaborative atmosphere here are great, and this helps in boosting the creativity required in my daily work.
I'm based at the Workland Maakri 19 center, in the heart of Tallinn's financial district and just a few steps from the Old Town.
How do Workland’s solutions meet your expectations?
The flexible workspace options that Workland offers align perfectly with my need for both remote and occasional in-person work settings. The availability of private offices, meeting rooms, and open co-working spaces allows me to choose the most suitable environment depending on my daily requirements.
Workland also offered me the opportunity to network with a diverse group of professionals opening doors to new insights.
The balance between professional privacy and community engagement creates the atmosphere that I was looking for.
3 words that best describe your experience at Workland?
Flexible, innovative, and collaborative.
What kind of businesses and companies would you encourage to choose solutions for fully serviced offices, and coworking spaces at Workland?
I believe that startups, freelancers, and entrepreneurs could greatly benefit from Workland. It is a cost-effective solution that offers fully serviced offices and eliminates the hassle of managing office logistics. This allows you to focus on the best parts of your work: growth, innovation, and networking.
