Tech Lead with logic and heart

A Tech Lead with logic and heart 

“I’ve done a bit of everything, giving me a slightly weird, eclectic mix of expertise,” is how Hazel Weakly describes her career so far. But somehow that all fits perfectly with her current role as Architect and Lead for Guardrails within Engineering & Reliability at ING.

After gaining a university degree in Computer Science, Hazel built expertise in full-stack development, DevOps, infrastructure and engineering leadership. Prior to ING she worked in the USA as security and reliability engineer, interim head of engineering, and architect at a financial company.

When a friend introduced Hazel to ING, the company saw her potential to add value in the brand-new Engineering & Reliability team and created a role specifically for her. “To me, that says a lot about the company. They give you opportunities when they see what you’re capable of,” she says. 

‘Solving complicated problems by thoughtfully blending technology and humanity’ 

Besides being well‑versed technically, Hazel believes her greatest strength lies in solving complicated problems by thoughtfully blending technology and humanity, while making those solutions understandable. In reflection of this, ING made her Team Lead, Architect and Product Owner all rolled into one. 

Playing on several boards 

“That means I’m constantly playing on several boards at once. I need to understand the technology, our products, the architectural requirements, and also manage people.” As if that wasn’t challenging enough, Hazel also has to contend with the speed of technological advancement. “Luckily, I love sinking my teeth into figuring things out, like how to make smart use of innovation while maintaining stability.”  
Hazel gets all the support she needs to do this. “ING understands the level of commitment and ambition required in tech leadership. That makes me feel confident about what I bring; I feel covered,” she adds. 

‘ING understands the level of commitment and ambition required in tech leadership’ 

Safeguarding tech standards 

As Lead for Guardrails, Hazel is responsible for shaping the internal guidelines that safeguard the company’s standards for data, AI, cybersecurity and cloud usage, ensuring that ING builds reliable, secure and safe software. Guardrails also helps cover the frameworks imposed by regulators such as De Nederlandsche Bank and the European Central Bank.  

“Regulators require evidence that certain scenarios won’t occur. My teams and I manage our platform, keep our handbook up to date and share our knowledge about what makes reliable software and why. It’s great that it’s a real team effort. We couldn’t accomplish this without collaboration from every part of ING.”  

‘When the puzzle comes together, it’s immensely rewarding’ 

On top of all that, Hazel is responsible for strategy and making sure that the team is set up for success. “That adds to the challenge. But when all the pieces of the puzzle come together, it’s immensely rewarding,” she states.