Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Cecilia and I'm based in Lisbon, Portugal. My hobbies include reading, listening to music and I am a big fan of music festivals. Having been within the IT ecosystem for about 25 years, I've worked at several companies and with various technologies. After studying math and computer science, I started as a developer in a software house, managing more and more projects and became a tech lead. Ultimately, it became clear that I enjoyed being close to the client, helping them find solutions collaboratively to become more efficient. For example, "We have 30 excel sheets here, how can we make an app out of this?"
Having worked with C# programming, Microsoft, OutSystems and more provided me with a lot of understanding about software and the business side of things. My main mantra is 'grow people' meaning helping them see their potential, being there for them and supporting them along their development journey. I like what I do – this is what gets me out of bed in the morning!
What drew you to IG&H?
I was one of the co-founders of IG&H Platform Services, I'm here since day one and it's been three years. We started creating a company here from scratch. That was a big challenge because we had to find the right people, inspire them and get them on board before we even had an office.
What is your role & what does it involve?
Our colleagues do great work within strategy consulting; we then finalize their efforts by delivering an end product. Initially, I was helping with the setup of the company here in Lisbon. After three months, I returned to my role as Service Delivery Manager in OutSystems. Now, I'm a director. I'm currently managing two of IG&H’s high-level strategic accounts. We delivered a project for PLANgroep Flow and we delivered several apps for a MedTech company. This totals around nine projects and 21 people on the teams.
What does a typical day at IG&H look like?
The main priority is being present for the team. I usually pick some important SCRUM rituals like attending the daily meeting for each project at least once a week, being part of planning sprints, being part of the retrospective and being present for the demo. Coaching teams a bit is also part of it, ensuring the dry run before the demo runs smoothly.
Of course, as with any project you have phases. The start and end phases require more attention, and things tend to run smoothly in the middle. Besides that, I also work on business development. For example, I have a meeting with a customer to define new opportunities. Here, we make proposals and meet with the client to manage expectations.
What do you enjoy most about working at IG&H?
The people. A person should be able to grow in a safe environment, so I mentor as well. A safe environment means they can fail - it's ok because we are there to help them on their journey. Being there for support, sharing my knowledge and experience is what I enjoy most. Putting myself in their shoes is quite easy for me so I can help them see things differently or more positively. Sometimes, when you're stuck in the development process you can get discouraged because things get very complex, so I offer a bit more guidance then.
What has been your proudest moment at IG&H?
I don't have one in particular. It's the sum of all our achievements over the past two and a half years. Starting the new company in Portugal did make me very proud, it was new ground for me. Looking back, it's amazing to say, "I've managed this, am happy with this and am grateful for being part of this company."
Witnessing the growth of my team is amazing. For example, when someone does a demo and it's clear they are also proud of themselves... That makes me happy! Covid made things a bit difficult for me because those chances for casual coffee talks fell away, especially for those who started during the pandemic. Creating that team spirit was therefore a challenge, but we managed to create virtual get-togethers to encourage cooperation between teams.
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