[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Elizabeth Kiilu is a Software Engineer here at Cellulant. She has been in the company since 2018 and is responsible for designing and developing payment solutions for customers and merchants across Africa. 

Elizabeth describes herself as soft spoken, open-minded and a go-getter. She is analytical, innovative and a creative problem solver who enjoys transforming thoughts into reliable systems that facilitate day to day operations for customers and merchants alike.

In her free time she loves reading, travelling, listening to music  and working on classic cars. 

Elizabeth shares her Cellulant story

Where did you go to university? What did you study?

After interacting with computers for a while I realized I would do something in Information Technology and everything pushed me towards  Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). As I grew older, I developed some interest in business and luckily the university had this new course – Bachelor of Business Information Technology (BBIT) which offered a balance of both interests so I went for it.

What attracted you to Cellulant?

The culture. Each person you interact with either in  brainstorming sessions, design sessions or even at lunch has a way of making you believe you can do anything, the makepossible attitude. Cellulant also creates an environment where you can curve out your path and bring value to your team and the company in general

What do you do at Cellulant? 

I am a Core Platforms Software Engineer. My day to day activities involve analyzing problems, designing solutions and writing software to facilitate payment processing. I also maintain and test systems that allow customers to pay for services and settle merchant accounts.

What drives you?

• Building something out of nothing and becoming a better version of myself everyday.
• Family – they support and inspire me so I feel great when I am able to help them overcome obstacles.

 What new ways of doing things will you keep from this past year?

Stakeholder management – this past year, I have improved my communication skills and stakeholder management. This has made it easier for me to work with others and receive feedback that has helped me grow. Into this year, I would like to work on these skills to improve customer satisfaction.

Read Also; Deliver Beyond Customer Expectations – Darey tells us how

What are you looking forward to solving for the business this year?

• Facilitate adoption and improvement of the new stable, efficient and user-friendly Tingg Payment Gateway. This system will improve service fulfillment to customers and give merchants autonomy.
• I also look forward to ensuring that knowledge on the systems is freely available to all users. This will in turn reduce the time taken to solve issues that arise during payment processing

What is something you wish you knew earlier in your life?

I don’t need to know everything to start – I used to doubt myself a lot because I thought I needed to know everything to be able to build an application or design a solution or even air my thoughts. In a way this fear pushed me because I would ask even the most trivial questions because I wanted to understand why and lucky for me, my team was always there giving answers and ensuring I give my best at everything. 

What achievement are you most proud of?

• For the last 3-4  years we have built three versions of what is now the Tingg Payment Gateway. With each new version we have enhanced the system to offer more capabilities such as refunds, forex, settlement, reconciliation and float management e.t.c to customers in 20 plus countries across Africa. These versions have also proven to be more reliable and efficient compared to the legacy systems which has resulted in improved service fulfilment to customers and revenue growth. 
• We have championed the adoption of newer technologies such as gitlab, rabbitmq, kubernetes e.t.c and developed coding standards which have made system maintainability and recovery easier.  

Read Also; No Man is An Island – Alex Makukula

What words of  Inspiration would you give to young women and girls who still feel that tech or certain professions are not for them?

It’s the 21 Century, society should not dictate what you should or should not do. If it is something you are passionate about, go for it. 

What is the best career advice you have received so far?

The best time to start is now and you can only get better at it by doing it.

Describe Cellulant in one sentence

The place that believes in you and gives you opportunities to do things that shape the economy of the country and the continent at large.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]