What led you to study Computer Science at UC?
I studied mostly creative subjects like design, photography and media studies in high school, and I actually planned on studying Art History at university! Before being admitted to UC, I received the Riccarton Rotary Youth Trust scholarship, for which I had to explain what I wanted to study and why. I think I chose Computer Science since I felt like it was the one itch I hadn’t yet entirely scratched during high school, and I still really wanted to explore it. I grew up playing computer games, tinkering with gadgets and watching the internet grow. I particularly liked how UC structured its Bachelor of Science programme since it allowed me to take a huge depth of courses alongside Computer Science, like Classics, Spanish, French Literature, Finance and more, especially through the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Award.
Can you talk us through your journey from graduation to where you are today?
After graduation, I briefly worked full-time as a management consultant in Ōtautahi before deciding to head back to Europe to study a double master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction and Design in Sweden and France. Somehow in between then and now, I worked at the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology designing operator experiences in aviation, electricity transmission and trains for private companies in Paris; founded a deep-tech startup, worked with investors and travelled the world to meet fascinatingly talented people; and built cloud telecom software at Ericsson in Stockholm, before finally joining Vermiculus, where I help build financial market infrastructure for some of the world’s largest financial institutions.
What is your day-to-day life like in Stockholm, both inside and outside of work at Vermiculus?
Day-to-day life in Stockholm is super chill and outdoorsy, kind of like being back home in Ōtautahi. Stockholm is an archipelago with thousands of islands, nestled between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea, surrounded by endless birch and pine forests, and with roughly the same population as Auckland. Sweden has legally enshrined the right to hike and camp throughout the whole country, even on private property, so it feels like it has become my duty to make the most of it. In summer, you might then find me camping around different islands by kayak; in autumn, catching up with friends before we enter hibernation; in winter, skiing and trekking up north under the northern lights; in spring, foraging for berries and mushrooms; and travelling around Europe all year round.
Vermiculus is majority-owned by its employees, so we are all in it together to grow the company. There is no hierarchy (no juniors, seniors, directors, or whatever)—everyone has the same legal title of “Business Developer” and the same job description—since our focus is to just build the company together, and we all benefit through equity and profit-sharing. Work-life balance, trust, ownership and collaboration reign supreme in Sweden, so I have a large sense of agency, growth and flexibility. The team I work with doesn’t wait for a manager to tell us what to do; instead, we work directly with our client to understand their needs and we decide altogether the best way to solve their problems. One day I can be locked in building a new feature, the next day I can be sharing my ideas on developing our AI strategy with the CEO.
Alongside working, you've continued to pursue new learning opportunities. Could you talk us through what you've been studying and what motivates you to keep challenging yourself?
Education is free in Sweden, so I took the opportunity to learn and master Swedish by completing all official high school language exams, and now I’m enrolled in a full-time bachelor’s degree in Chinese that I study in the evenings and weekends after work. I usually speak English and French with my partner who was born and raised in France with Chinese parents, so I understand the importance of speaking your partner’s native language—it completely changes how you understand one another’s culture and each other. It’s not every day that you find yourself in a situation where you can both study something for free and enjoy a lot of flexibility at work, so I just figured: why not!
Looking back on your time at UC, what moments or experiences stand out most for you?
My time at UC was sincerely full of incredible, unforgettable experiences. The student club culture, outstanding professors and the flexibility to study such a wide breadth of subjects have left the greatest mark on me. I was lucky enough to be able to organise events and marketing in a club exec; explore the whole South Island by paddle, harness, foot, and more; and to eat a gluttonous amount of free food. In only the 8 years since my graduation, the remarkable people I met at UC have now spread across the world and become CEOs, startup founders, diplomats, politicians, engineers, and more. I really believe that my time at UC helped me to adopt this mindset that anything is possible and to just go for it, whatever it may be!
