VP of Engineering at VGW, Jeremy, explains how curiosity and a love for continuous life learning can foster success in the workforce.  

From cooking to coding, and psychology to systems, Jeremy’s career path to VP of Engineering at VGW has been anything but linear. Exploring a vibrant mix of industries during his time, he’s built a passion for learning and curiosity in life, and suggests that we are not defined by our titles or skills, but rather, by our experiences. 

So how does curiosity in life foster personal and professional growth? Let’s hear Jeremy’s story.

A Journey of Discovery

Jeremy describes his life so far as having been an adventure, “I’m very grateful for these experiences,” he explains. “I tend to learn by playing, to understand the connections, purpose and workings of whatever it is I find, then in turn being excited to share what I’ve discovered with others. I’ve found myself teaching a few subjects this way, whether as an archery coach or a motorbike riding instructor, for example. I think to be able to explain something as simply as possible to another is a good test of understanding it.”  

In a past career venture, Jeremy dabbled in the culinary world as a professional chef, which he says taught him a great deal about teamwork, efficient processes and delivery (though knowing the whole time it’s all about the dining experience!). In contrast, he also spent time as a psychiatric care worker, discovering the importance of mental health and helping others, a topic he visited later in life while training to become a counsellor. 

These life experiences and curiosities are what Jeremy says helps him foster success in life. “Along with the need for constant learning, one of the areas that motivates me personally is self-reflection and growth from a personal focus, which in turn helps with the professional areas of my life.”

Curiosity drove Jeremy toward technology at an early age. He wrote his first program at nine years old and, in between exploring other industries, has dedicated his career to developing products and solutions that bridge the gap between user needs and technical capabilities ever since. His early experiences in both large corporations and startups taught him the value of high-performance teams, where curiosity thrives.

“I had to fully understand and navigate many aspects of running a business, creating teams, developing products, and navigating multiple regulatory frameworks from conception through an operational life cycle to a successful exit of selling part of my last company and migrating a live platform and team,” he explains. “A desire to understand the world around me and improve what I found, drew me towards ways I could to do that.”

Engineers in Innovation

In his current role as VP of Engineering, Jeremy supports teams in executing complex projects while balancing diverse stakeholder requirements. A core responsibility of his is to create an environment where curiosity can flourish, while supporting people and their development to ensure clear process and objectives of the company.

 “A VP has to be able to see what could be missing, or is out of balance, when bringing everything together. We might not have to write all the menus, though we have to know how a restaurant runs and then be the head chefs in the kitchen,” says Jeremy, drawing on his cheffing experience to use as an analogy for his tech engineering career.  “Engineers are natural problem solvers,” he adds, “And accomplished problem solvers strive to understand the whole context.” 

By fostering a culture of curiosity, Jeremy helps empower engineers to ask critical questions and seek holistic solutions, rather than simply executing tasks. He encourages them to understand that there isn’t one lane or a job title defining a person, but instead, life experiences, which offer many by-products, being skills and knowledge that are applicable to many things.

“I advise engineers to not forget: we are not the skills we have or titles we see on Linkedin, we are problem solvers striving to understand the current context and find the path to a better way. Engineers – by nature of dealing with technology hands on – play an important role in the tech industry, given what engineers are typically responsible for,” he outlines. 

Consistency Builds Growth 

In tech engineering, Jeremy highlights that consistency of experience throughout the whole journey is critical. “Quality content, stable platforms, and positive interactions with company agents are all common external factors for many companies in any industry,” he says. “Though with the range of competition in our industry, quality and consistency as a baseline tends to win out.”

To balance this active engagement, he says that companies that will do well, will ensure adherence to responsible practices by offering the correct tools and controls to their customers. “A well-crafted product manages the flow, velocity and experience of the customer – just like a well-designed restaurant, dining experience and menu.”  

“Finding a specific challenge or problem the world has which aligns with your own curiosity and passion is the starting point of it all,” Jeremy concludes, as a final reminder to those seeking avenues to hone their personal and professional growth. “Though I resist the notion that someone with technical skills – or any hard skills – is defined by that or their title as what they bring to a team.”

 

Keen for more engineering career insights? Discover Alex’s Hollywood filmmaker to VGW software engineering career change.