Meet the team: Saranya Vellaisamy

Meet Saranya Vellaisamy, one of Aknostic’s talented cloud engineers. With a background rooted in solving complex problems and a journey from India to the Netherlands, Saranya brings a graceful blend of technical expertise and cultural richness to her role. In this interview, she shares insights about her professional journey, her experiences adapting to life and work abroad, and her passion for travel, collaboration, and continuous learning. Let’s get to know Saranya!

Can you tell us a bit about your professional journey so far? How did you get into cloud computing and DevOps?

I began my career as a software developer in India, where I worked for a year. However, my interest in cloud engineering started when the team at my previous company had to migrate a product to the cloud. We started working from scratch, implementing and managing applications on AWS, and learning a lot along the way. This experience taught me how to put the product application into the cloud and how to maintain it. 

This problem-solving journey sparked my passion for the field. After moving to the Netherlands, I decided to continue in cloud engineering, which has been challenging and rewarding. I started looking for a position as a cloud engineer, and this is how I joined the Aknostic team.

What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

Working on cloud infrastructure and tackling real-time issues gave me a sense of accomplishment. The dynamic nature of the cloud and its opportunities confirmed my interest in the field. I started to like it and became interested in cloud engineering because it opened a career perspective. 

What were your first impressions of working in the Netherlands?

The work-life balance here is amazing. I appreciate the structured work hours, 9 to 5, which allow me to spend more time with my family. 

Another impression is the collaborative environment at Aknostic, which has also been great. I’ve always felt supported by my colleagues. As a team, I never feel alone because we all work together. If I'm stuck at work, I can just ping someone, and they will take the time to answer, so it is a very supportive and helpful environment. 

Working with the Aknostic team has been wonderful. As I said above, everyone is approachable and helpful. When I have technical questions or need support, I can ask people directly and they are always willing to help. I’m learning so much, especially in the projects I’m working on. When I returned to work from maternity leave, the team was very understanding and accommodating. For example, they gave me space to return to my own rhythm, assigning the work slowly and checking my ability to do it.

Can you share more about your role at Aknostic?

I’ve worked on both operational and developmental tasks. I’m mostly working on legacy, doing some maintenance tasks or development, like writing code in lambda, and much more! Currently, I’m diving deeper into Kubernetes (EKS) projects, focusing on building solutions that streamline processes. It’s an exciting space where I’m learning continuously. Also, everyone on the team is very knowledgeable. 

I hope to achieve some specific goals. I would like to develop a product that can simplify some processes and be used in all projects. But it’s still too early to tell! 

What aspect of your work as a cloud engineer excites you the most?

Definitely the problem-solving aspect. Each deployment or new product brings unique challenges. It’s pretty rewarding to design, develop, and implement infrastructure solutions while staying updated on emerging trends through conferences and meetups, like the CNCF conference or meetups hosted at the Aknostic office. I also read blogs online and use LinkedIn to gain knowledge. Another way to stay updated is with colleagues. They know a lot about tech, Kubernetes, and sustainability. When we organize knowledge-sharing sessions, the discussions are always very insightful. This is why we are also developing our own tool, the Kubernetes Emissions Insights Tool, to do things we know best.  

Have you found any activities or places in the Netherlands that remind you of home?

Since we moved to the Netherlands, we want to stay connected to our roots. We enjoy celebrating Indian festivals like Diwali with friends here. We gather at friends’ places, cook traditional dishes together, visit each other’s homes, and recreate a bit of the festive atmosphere. It’s really festive. We also often visit the Vinayagar Temple in Den Helder; it gives me a sense of feeling at home when we miss our families. 

Traveling with my family is our favorite pastime. We often explore new places, whether in the Netherlands or outside. One of my most memorable trips was to Titlis in Switzerland. It’s really beautiful, and the view is breathtaking, especially when you are driving around! In the Netherlands, we also love discovering new spots and making short trips whenever possible, on the weekend, for example.  

We have a pretty good coffee machine at Aknostic. What's your go-to drink?

I prefer Indian-style coffee with milk and sugar, similar to a cappuccino. I limit myself to two cups a day, though I could easily drink more, like five or six cups. I also like drinking tea. It depends on the time, maybe a coffee or tea.