At ELEMENT, we empower MGAs across Europe by accessing insurance capacity and finding the best risk management solutions. As of now, we are active in seven European countries and will grow into further markets with our global mindset. Our “Eye on ELEMENT” series dives into the amazing people dedicated to making this a reality. We aim to explore what they do, their passion and what drives them to succeed.
In this edition, our guest is Jan Agulan, Senior Software Engineer at ELEMENT.
Tell us what you do at ELEMENT and how your typical day looks like.
I'm a Senior Software Engineer. A typical day involves coding, architecting systems, designing solutions and improving the lives of stakeholders and fellow developers. I would like to highlight that contrary to misperceptions, collaborating is a very important part of my role. I have to actively engage in and outside of my team to ensure that we build the optimal solution to every problem, ensuring that all possible trade-offs are considered.
What did you do before joining ELEMENT?
Let me start with what brought me to the world of software engineering. When I was young, I was fortunate to discover my love for coding through a programmable Lego. That brought me to study Computer Science at university. After earning my degree, I relocated to Hong Kong and worked with a financial services company as a developer, where I spent most of my career working with cloud technology, mainly AWS. I grew within this company from being a junior developer to a manager leading different projects. Through these experiences, I understood that the true value of being a software engineer is to drive meaningful outcomes for users and stakeholders. I definitely brought this philosophy to ELEMENT. I have a keen interest in cloud technology and wanted to learn more about it. So, when I learned about ELEMENT being 100% cloud-based, it was a strong influence to join the company.
Looking into the future, what do you want to accomplish at ELEMENT?
It is an interesting time now because ELEMENT is undergoing an evolution. As a developer, it is extremely exciting to build solutions from the ground up, as this typically means fewer constraints and more freedom compared to modifying already existing systems. This also means I get to participate in technical decisions and initial implementation of solutions that will serve as the foundation of ELEMENT technology-wise, after its transformation. And as I mentioned earlier, I have a strong interest in working with the cloud and leveraging my skills and my expertise in AWS, to build what ELEMENT wants to be in the future is very motivating.
What makes you happy at your everyday work at ELEMENT?
There are really a lot of elements that make me happy but let me elaborate on one. What I find unique here at ELEMENT is that I have found the ideal work-life balance. Whether it would be the working hours in general or the remote working opportunities. For example, I just worked from the Philippines for two weeks and spent another three weeks with my parents while on vacation. In Asia, my work schedule was very demanding. So, the flexibility entrusted to me in ELEMENT to achieve work life harmony means a lot to my personal life to be more present for my young family. This flexibility and balance have made me more energized at home, and ultimately more productive at work.
