Recognized at Work...

Trust and respect - "He is a calm and composed individual who actively listens to others' concerns and treats their viewpoints with respect. His polite attitude and open-mindedness create a collaborative atmosphere where conversations feel like discussions among peers rather than opposing teams. These qualities make him an ideal embodiment of our Trust and Respect core values."Going beyond - "Shariq is an outstanding colleague—exceptionally knowledgeable and always demonstrates a proactive, "can-do" attitude. Over recent months, I’ve had several requirements where we needed to introduce new processes or update existing ones, all linked to regulatory standards. Shariq has played a pivotal role in ensuring these changes were implemented swiftly, often with short notice, while also providing the necessary documentation. He leads a dedicated team of unsung heroes who consistently step up to assist and deliver support whenever required, making complex tasks feel seamless and well-managed."

Cloud Security Excellence awarded by Wiz

Both security and platform engineering have worked tirelessly over the year to rid our hosting environments of active/exploitable critical vulnerabilities. 

The Crowd ... strike

Oh so this is how the world will end .....

CrowdStrike Falcon

Eid Mubarak

While many are enjoying the Eid break, it's still a hectic time for managers, especially in Engineering, as we work to complete performance reviews before next week’s deadline. Personally, balancing these reviews with other business priorities has been challenging to say the least.

In the meantime, we're busy addressing tasks from the SAMA pre-audit, which is adding to the workload. I'm really pleased with the progress we’re making toward preparing GCP as a potential second site in KSA, and I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication from everyone involved.

Another round of layoffs...

Another round of layoffs at my company. A whole team of 4 slashed, Engineering Manager, Vice President not spared. All in all 8 made redundant in a company of around 100.

With the tech layoffs going around the world, I feel this is the new normal. Hiring and firing will continue. We have to accept a level of risk now wherever we are working.

The only advice:

  • Give your best, but not at expense of your own time
  • Be more visible with your work
  • Work to enhance relationship with your peers, not with the Company
  • Always focus on your own learning and skills so you are hirable

Happy new year!

2023 comes to a close, we achieved so much in this year and lots more to do in 2024 ...

Team Platform Engineering

Sessions with team to completely transform our way of working.