DevOps Diversity Podcast

by Conor Delanbanque

The DevOps Diversity Podcast is the all-inclusive place to talk people, process and technology for enterprise transformation and modernization. Hosted by Conor Delanbanque, CEO & Founder @ Strategio and Forbes 30 Under 30. Strategio is dedicated to improving diversity, equity and inclusion for underrepresented and underserved groups, within enterprise IT.

Podcast episodes

  • Season 1

  • Ep. 13 - Jasmine James, Senior Engineering Manager - Developer Experience @ Twitter

    Ep. 13 - Jasmine James, Senior Engineering Manager - Developer Experience @ Twitter

    Jasmine James is a Senior Engineering Manager at Twitter, leading the developer experience pillar in the engineering effectiveness organization. Prior to Twitter, she worked at Delta Air Lines enabling cloud native application development by providing modern tooling and capabilities utilizing open source projects. Jasmine has delivered multiple keynotes at various technology conferences including KubeCon and Cloud NativeCon, focused on her experience during the last decade both as an engineer and a leader. Jasmine lives in Atlanta, GA. Some of the topics we discuss include Chaos Engineering, planning for failure, tool selection and leadership techniques. We also compare some of the differences between legacy companies and Big Tech, given Jasmine's experiences with both environments. If you enjoyed this week's episode, please remember to like and share with your connections to help others access these conversations. Links to references from this episode: Jasmine James' LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-james/ Learn more about Strategio https://strategio.tech/ Therapy For Black Girls Podcast https://therapyforblackgirls.com/podcast/ Book: The Culture Code https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Code-Secrets-Highly-Successful-ebook/dp/B01MSY1Y6Z If you're looking to break into Tech https://strategio.tech/selection-processs/

  • Ep. 12 - Tiffany Meyers, AVP, Chief Architect, Corporate Technologies @ Nationwide

    Ep. 12 - Tiffany Meyers, AVP, Chief Architect, Corporate Technologies @ Nationwide

    During this episode, Tiffany discusses being a role model and some of the pros and cons this carries. Promotions and career growth usually go hand in hand with being a role model to others, and sometimes navigating that responsibility takes time to learn. Integrity and authenticity go a long way - Tiffany talks about how leaders have to show up as their authentic selves now more than ever in the world of virtual work. We discuss mentorship. Tiffany explains that “it’s not about the number of mentors you have, it’s where they show up in your life that I think is really critical.” Tiffany uses mentors now more as a senior leader than she did in the early stages of her career - demonstrating the importance of continuous learning. Tiffany also talks about enterprise architecture, systematic complexity and the way time constraints can impact growth and transformation. She also highlights that technologists need to understand the business in order to provide maximum value. Links to references during this episode: Trina Hill, DevOps Diversity Podcast episode https://rss.com/podcasts/devopsdiversity/298520/ Natalie Nixon, DevOps Diversity Podcast episode https://rss.com/podcasts/devopsdiversity/288486/ Favorite Podcast: Software Engineering daily https://softwareengineeringdaily.com/ Current book: Continuous Architecture in Practice https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Architecture-Practice-Addison-Wesley-Signature/dp/0136523560

  • Ep. 11 - Mathura Srinivasan, Head of Agile Delivery @ Snapcommerce

    Ep. 11 - Mathura Srinivasan, Head of Agile Delivery @ Snapcommerce

    During this episode, Madhu compares her experiences working in a large bank to the environment in her current role in a high growth startup. We compare the differences between Agile culture and Agile practices. Madhu and I discuss some of the blockers to enterprise transformations and some useful ways to avoid these potential hurdles. We talk about continuous improvement and building quality into our systems, as well as the importance of fast and regular customer feedback to build better products and services. Mathura Srinivasan was born in Chennai, India educated in the UAE and moved to Canada in 1997. She holds a double Major in Psychology and Law, and graduated from Winnipeg Technical College with a certificate in Microcomputer Systems Technician course. This helped launch her IT career, where she is now the Head of Agile Delivery at Snapcommerce. Madhu is also a coach that helps seasoned professionals with diverse backgrounds enter the job market within North America. Links from this episode: Snapcommerce https://www.snapcommerce.com/?utm Madhu's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathurasrinivasan/

  • Ep. 10 - Sai Adivi, Vice President of Technology @ Inspire Brands

    Ep. 10 - Sai Adivi, Vice President of Technology @ Inspire Brands

    During this episode we spoke with Sai Adivi, Vice President of Technology at Inspire Brands. We discussed the digital transformation of the restaurant industry, which is modernizing everything from the kitchen to the customer experience and payment systems. We covered topics ranging from robotic process automation to platform and site reliability engineering. Sai talks about the importance of culture, people and process and how these are still the drivers for any technology transformation. Similar to most industries today, the war on talent is adding increasing pressure on pricing, strategy and growth. Sai shares some of the approaches he and Inspire Brands are taking to get ahead of the competition. Sai Adivi is currently the Vice President of Technology at Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes nearly 32,000 restaurants and 7 brands including Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In restaurants, worldwide. He is responsible for driving Inspire’s technology infrastructure, Tech Ops & QA strategy, ensuring rapid evolution digital and data capabilities through technology, ensuring systems and technologies used are profitable, secure, and efficient, and driving innovation across all facets of the technology organization.

  • Ep. 9 - Trina Hill, SVP of Technology @ Synchrony Bank

    Ep. 9 - Trina Hill, SVP of Technology @ Synchrony Bank

    During this episode, Trina explains how her own personal 'Board of Directors' give her the mentorship, sponsorship and accountability that she needs to continue growing in all areas of her life. They are a diverse group of people who want to help each other win and give direction, feedback and advice. Trina occupies many seats as an Executive, a mother and a wife to name a few. She opens up about motherhood and leading her family during the pandemic and after the murder of George Floyd. We discuss Trina's experiences being the first or the 'only' as an African-American woman with a graduate degree and an executive role in financial services. She talks about how she navigates the pressures presented to her outside of work through family who don’t often understand the burden and dynamics that she has to manage. Trina Hill is the Senior Vice President of Technology for the Consumer Bank and Treasury at Synchrony. She is responsible for providing strategy and overall execution for the Bank and Treasury (including payments) products for a FinTech. Trina spent over 20 years driving transformation in the areas of payments, new product development, disaster recovery, business continuity, system security and simplification. In addition to her role, Trina continues to serve in employee resource groups, specifically the African American Network. She is also heavily involved in Girls Who Code. Trina holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems and an MBA in Leadership and Business Administration from the University of Georgia, and she holds numerous certifications in the areas of agile, disaster recovery, business continuity, program management, and coaching. She loves learning and providing life and coaching to not only her peers, University of Georgia mentees, and so many others. Trina has a heart for others which shines through her service. She serves as a Board Advisor for Working Women Worship, a non-profit organization focused on the spiritual and professional development of women. She also is a philanthropist. Links from this episode: Trina Hill on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinalhill/ Synchrony Bank https://www.mysynchrony.com/ Strategio https://strategio.tech/