With experience from both large companies and startups, Shankar joined Kumorion to step into a leadership role. Our important work with Hashicorp Vault is part of his team’s responsibility.
What sparked your interest in cloud architecture?
I originally came to Finland to study physics, but soon realized it was not my cup of tea. Then I saw that Aalto University was offering a master’s degree in communication engineering – focusing on network technologies – so I applied and got into that program.
I already had some IT experience from back home in Pakistan, where I had been working in a support function. This gave me a good grasp of how systems work, both from the software and hardware perspectives. I built on this knowledge with Aalto’s courses in cloud engineering, which really got me interested in the field.
In 2014, I joined Nokia Networks to do my master’s thesis. For two years I worked as part of an R&D team for cloud security solutions. This was where I started to get experience of large-scale cloud systems in the real-world environment.
How did you come to join Kumorion?
After Nokia, I moved to a 20-person software startup where I was responsible for managing various IT systems and tools. Then I joined a software company working on solutions that help retailers and warehouses to reduce food waste by accurate forecasting and replenishment mechanisms.
At some point, Kumorion reached out to me through a recruiter. It immediately became clear that the company was looking to fill a senior position with someone who could work independently and take ownership of projects. The technology stack also stood out, with Kubernetes central to the role.
"In addition, as I’ve been at Kumorion for a while, I support other teams when they need help with something I have experience in."
You’ve now been with Kumorion since 2022 – what does your job entail today?
I’m the team lead for our HashiCorp Vault and HashiCorp Consul services. This means my role is a mix of technical work, people management and customer collaboration. In addition to making sure everything is running as expected, I need to keep track of new requirements to ensure we’re implementing the right solutions. It’s about seeing the bigger picture.
I also help to manage our development roadmap. This means reviewing our backlog and making sure we’re staying on track with what we need to deliver. In addition, as I’ve been at Kumorion for a while, I support other teams when they need help with something I have experience in.
What technologies do you work with most?
I work extensively with HashiCorp Vault. Knowledge of this toolset was actually one of the requirements for my role, along with other key tools such as Terraform and ArgoCD, which we use to code and deploy our infrastructure resources.
Earlier in my time at Kumorion, I worked on improving AWX (Ansible Tower). My job was to make it more robust by moving it to a Kubernetes-based deployment. I built a managed service for AWX that is now in use with one of our customers. I also worked with GitLab CICD pipelines for building the automation workflows.
"The company strongly supports employees in taking training courses for the tools and platforms we use in our daily work."
Kumorion encourages continuous learning. How has that shaped your experience?
The company strongly supports employees in taking training courses for the tools and platforms we use in our daily work. Kumorion will pay for you to take the exam and reward you when you pass it. This is really a great company benefit.
I’ve taken multiple certification exams since joining, including the HashiCorp Vault Professional certification. This is not just a multiple-choice test; it’s a four-hour hands-on exam where you have to solve issues in a real-world environment. Passing this is one of the achievements I’m most proud of.
“Here employees can make an impact without bureaucracy slowing us down. Decisions happen much faster than in a big company environment."
How would you describe Kumorion’s culture?
It’s very open and transparent – you always know what’s happening in the company. The management team does a very good job of sharing information, including at our monthly breakfast meetings.
New ideas are strongly encouraged. If you think of a tool or an approach that could improve the way we work, then you are given the opportunity to build a prototype. If it turns out as expected, then it would likely become part of our stack.
Another thing I appreciate is the trust placed in employees. You do not need to manage layers of hierarchy to get things done. Here employees can make an impact without bureaucracy slowing us down. Decisions happen much faster than in a big company environment.
Kumorion is a great place for people who want to take ownership of their work and be free to solve problems their own way. You’re also constantly learning from talented colleagues. I really appreciate how much people here know about different technologies and are willing to share their knowledge.