Fernando Brito, our Staff Data Engineer, shares: “I really enjoy working at tech companies with consumer-facing products and a mission that is contributing to at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I already had my eyes on Voi, but after attending a presentation at a data meetup with our former Head of Data, I was sold.” Learn more about Fernando by tuning in below!

Your last name sounds Spanish, is that so?

Pretty close! It’s Portuguese, as I come from Brazil. My full name is Fernando Santos de Mattos Brito, which is very long for most European standards. Fun fact! In Brazil, you usually get the family name from both your parents. The family name of my father consists of 2 names (de Mattos Brito), so that’s why I have three last names! Looks long (and sometimes it won't fit in forms), but hey, have you ever checked Pablo Picasso full name?

What made you want to start working at Voi?

I really enjoy working at tech companies with consumer-facing products and a mission that is contributing to at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I already had my eyes on Voi, but after attending a presentation at a data meetup with our former Head of Data, I was sold.

What do you do as a Staff Data Engineer?

I act as a technical leader in my team, coaching my teammates and making sure we have a roadmap and follow it, but I also collaborate a lot with other parts of the company on tackling problems at the departmental or organizational level.

Tell us about your background - how did you get into this field?

I completed my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science in Brazil, but I did exchange programs in The Netherlands, Canada and in Sweden. I started my career working as a Software Engineer, but always on projects related to data. Only after moving to Sweden I formally moved areas and became a Data Engineer.

Describe your role with three words!

Architecture, alignment, and mentoring.

If you could trade places with any other employee at our company for a day, who would it be and why?

Probably with one of our colleagues that work closely with our vehicles’ hardware. There is so much happening in terms of firmware and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices in our company and although I find it very fascinating, I know very little about the nitty gritty details of it.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

It depends 😁. If I'm cooking, probably a quick dish like pasta or protein with rice and vegetables. If my partner is cooking, then definitely something fancier! She is Italian and way more into cooking than me. But for sure it will be at least vegetarian or most likely vegan.