S1E3 Distinguished Engineer Annie Vella's wild career journey and finding joy as a reluctant manager

Started programming early with a Commodore 64, showing natural curiosity and persistence despite initial skepticism from teachers about women in computing

Career path included frequent moves between countries and domains, working across construction, travel, banking, and pension industries while continuously learning new technologies

Transitioned from individual contributor to management roles multiple times, finding satisfaction in solving problems and helping others succeed regardless of the role

Values curiosity and continuous learning, taking on new challenges even when uncertain about outcomes or lacking direct experience

Believes AI and tools like ChatGPT will change how engineers work but won’t eliminate the need for software engineering skills

Emphasizes the importance of understanding business context and domain knowledge when building software solutions

Found value in both staying within a single domain for depth and exploring multiple domains for breadth of experience

Successfully managed remote teams during COVID-19, adapting to rapid change and helping organizations transform digitally

Recommends focusing on problem-solving skills and being explicit with communication when managing teams

Currently serves as Distinguished Engineer at Westpac New Zealand, combining technical leadership with organizational influence