Aries Systems Corporation

Tell us a little about yourself – how long have you been working for Aries? What did you do before joining Aries?

I have been with Aries for almost six years. I have been a Software Engineer my entire professional career. When I was in high school, my older brother brought home a TRS-80 computer. I started writing programs on it and from then on knew what I wanted to do. After completing a Computer Science BS degree from University of California Irvine in 1988, I started with Phillips as an embedded systems Software Engineer and later moved on to Hewlett-Packard. I started doing web development at Monster in 2000. In 2012, I moved on to various smaller companies doing more web development, then finally joined Aries in December 2016.

How have your role evolved at Aries?

Although I’ve always been a Software Engineer at Aries, I have been a member of a couple different development squads. I started on the team currently known as Targaryn, then later joined the Code Warriors team in 2021, and am currently the Software Engineer Lead for team Enterprise which is dedicated to UI/UX design related development for Editorial Manager and ProduXion Manager.

How do you stay up-to-date with customer needs and industry trends?

I make an effort to learn something new all the time, including technical skills, process skills, and people skills. For example, I participate in the user research sessions that the UI/UX team organizes to stay informed of customer needs. I also stay current with new technologies by taking Udemy learning courses and having conversations whenever possible with members of the Aries Product Management team.

How do you collaborate with other departments within Aries?

Since transitioning to a remote working model, collaboration with my colleagues has improved in some areas courtesy of applications we started using like Slack and Zoom. Being pro-active with cross-functional communications and meetings is key as I collaborate closely colleagues in other departments such as UI/UX, Product Management, Marketing, Client Services, and more to work against our current redesign initiatives.

Tell me about your department and the people you work most closely with.

I work closely with my teammates on the Enterprise squad, including our Product Owner, our Scrum Master, Quality Engineers (QEs), and my fellow colleagues within the Aries Engineering department. All great people to work with!

Describe your typical workday.

Controlled Chaos. My top priority is to ensure that my team members have what they need to complete their work. This might mean that I bounce around between tasks, but as long as the team makes progress, I feel that we will be successful.

What do you most enjoy about your job? What do you enjoy most about working for Aries?

Working with the amazing people in our organization! I enjoy the technical challenges, learning new technologies, and having the opportunity to make improvements to our product and our processes.

What are you currently reading, listening to, or watching?

The Peripheral on Amazon Prime and various audio books while traveling.

Tell me about some of your hobbies/interests outside of work.

I enjoy physical activity including, running, hiking, and mountain biking. I have two daughters in college who compete in cross country and track & field. My wife and I enjoy traveling to watch their meets.