Susanne W. Hagen - Data Vendor Manager
Talk about your background and how you ended up at Unacast.
I graduated from NTNU as MSc in Physics back in 2008, and continued my journey with an MBA from Hawaii Pacific University. The next 8 years, I worked with seismic processing in CGG, as a project manager. Although fulfilling and technically challenging, the oil industry has not really been blooming in a long time. So when I got the opportunity to go to Florida for a year, with my two kids and supporting my partner in starting up a US office for his company, I did just that. The moment I decided to leave CGG, I started preparing for a change of industries. I signed up for a Python class at NTNU, did some online courses, and started thinking about what I wanted to do when I grew up. My experience from CGG involved some programming, big data and analytics, making it a natural transition to IT. From when I first heard about Unacast, I knew this would be my dream company to work for, and the longer into the interview process I got, I was sitting in other interviews thinking about how much I wanted the job in Unacast. Easy choice!
Talk about the things about your work that interest you most.
What I enjoy the most is the continuous opportunity to learn new things, and for my role in particular, being in the intersection between tech and business. I like the complexity of our products and seemingly endless exciting use cases. Coming from a rigid international company with (at some point) 10 000 employees, it feels liberating to work in such a small and dynamic environment rapidly adjusting to the market demands.
Tell us about a project you are especially proud of!
I am especially proud of Unacast's position when it comes to privacy, always being one step ahead of the regulations. On my first day working with Unacast, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) came into effect, protecting the end user's rights when it comes to personal information. The law is applicable to California residents - Unacast applies these regulations to all of the US. I've had the pleasure of improving our internal system to ensure all our supply partners comply with all applicable regulations, building confidence that we are operating in the users' best interest, and making internal reviews easier to follow up.
Talk about the team and the culture -- what’s different about Unacast?
The people. Everyone is so passionate about their work and keeps impressing me every day. With a common wish for Unacast to succeed, it seems nothing is impossible, and products are developed in record time. The culture is well aligned with all three UNA values. Have fun, seriously!
What do you do in your spare time?
Most of my spare time I spend with my kids and family, and extended family/friends. I play volleyball and enjoy traveling although 2020 has not really been the best year for this.
What is your favorite tech at the moment?
VTVL rockets. And as I'm quite new to the industry, the power and capabilities of a cloud based framework still impresses me.
Interested in joining the Unacast team? Check out our open positions: https://careers.unacast.com/
