Welcome back! Q&A with… Seán Barry, Senior Software Engineer

Welcome back! Q&A with… Seán Barry, Senior Software Engineer

Meet Seán who returned to Vortexa as a Senior Software Engineer.
We wanted to find out why Seán decided to come back, how he found his return and what he enjoys the most about the company!

13 September, 2024
Jessica Irvin
Jessica Irvin, VP People & Operations
Firstly, welcome back Seán! Could we start by asking what motivated you to return to Vortexa?  

During my time away from Vortexa I had a variety of interesting experiences – from working at a unicorn scale-up, to working as a contractor for a large dating app with millions of users, to building a quantitative risk platform on the trading floor of a multinational investment bank.
Ultimately none of these experiences fulfilled me in the same way as the work I did at Vortexa, and most importantly I missed working with a team full of friends. Coming back to Vortexa felt like coming home, and I’m absolutely delighted to be back in a team of incredible people, doing work that challenges me and teaches me.

The time I have spent working here has been formative in my career - I’ve learned so much, and met so many smart, driven people.
How did you feel on your first day back? 

I really felt like I was back where I belong! Lots of people I’d known for 5 years since first joining warmly welcomed me back, and filled me in on what had changed in the two years since I left. I hit the ground running, immediately being able to pick up on parts of the tech stack that I knew intimately.

What do you enjoy the most about Vortexa? 

What we do at Vortexa is complex, and there’s always something challenging to figure out. The time I have spent working here has been formative in my career – I’ve learned so much, and met so many smart, driven people.

Vortexa’s culture is very welcoming and friendly, and this is propagated across the entire company hierarchy.
How would you describe Vortexa’s culture? 

Vortexa’s culture is very welcoming and friendly, and this is propagated across the entire company hierarchy. People show no hesitation in taking time to help others, so knowledge is shared quickly and effectively. It really is the warmest, most welcoming place I’ve worked at.

How would you describe Vortexa in five words, or less?

It’s called vessel, not boat!

Jessica Irvin
VP People & Operations
Vortexa
Jessica Irvin
Jessica is the VP People & Operations at Vortexa and is responsible for hiring, learning & development, culture, engagement, performance management and leading expansion plans.