This week it’s a cause for celebration at Polar Squad, because Heini Ilmarinen, our DevOps Consultant, has just been awarded MVP status by Microsoft! According to Microsoft, the MVP (short for Most Valuable Professional, of course) status is awarded to ‘[t]echnology experts who passionately share their knowledge with the community. They are always on the "bleeding edge" and have an unstoppable urge to get their hands on new, exciting technologies.”

We had a chat with Heini. Here are her thoughts about the recognition, what it means for her, and her plans for the future. 

–Congratulations, Heini!

Thanks! Yeah, I just heard on Tuesday! It’s been pretty crazy; I’ve mostly been getting a lot of congratulations through different channels. It’s such a nice thing to get recognised for my efforts, but in typical Finnish fashion, I’m kind of thinking, ‘let’s not make a big deal out of it, I just did my thing.”

–So what is that thing – what lead to you getting the MVP? 

Well, I am a speaker, but during these times, I’ve mostly been talking to my laptop at home! In terms of topics, the MVP was given for my efforts with the Data Platform category. The themes I’ve covered have mostly been things I’ve been wondering about myself at some stage.

–What got you started in the Microsoft community?

My motivation has been to share what I’ve learned in hopes of it being helpful to others. An ex-colleague suggested I should try speaking engagements – I didn’t know I had it in me! But once I tried it, it felt natural and something I could do. Also, my slides are all drawn and animated, so I keep it fun for myself and hopefully others, as well. 

–What does the MVP, and recognition in general, mean for you?

I feel like things I’ve done matter and that someone else thinks similarly about the topics I cover. That gives me motivation to continue. Concretely, I get to speak to people in Microsoft and pick their brains, and maybe other new doors will open, as well. But in the end, it doesn’t change anything – I’ll be doing the same thing.

–What’s a topic you’d like to cover more in the future?

Architecture – it’s such a great thing to have a holistic view! Capacity, data, networks, code, everything is included. It might seem a bit daunting to newcomers, but if you’re a generalist and like to examine how things interface, it’s supremely rewarding. You also get to talk with developers and the coding side of things, along with the infra side. After all, code is the reason for building infra in the first place.

–What’s coming up? Is there some goal you’re working towards?

Well, It’s been a very ‘online’ time, so it’d be great to take it to the realm of live events. You're able to gauge the atmosphere in such a better manner when you're in a physical room with actual people.

As a woman in this field, I feel strongly about diversity and ensuring everyone is on equal footing. It’d be nice to think of ways to work with Microsoft to, say, go to schools and act as a positive example. The problem with getting women involved in tech starts early on, and I’d like to find ways to affect that. 

–Sounds great. On that note – if somebody wants to pick up speaking or writing, do you have any tips? 

I recommend just getting cracking with talks and articles. When conference bookers make their selections, they prefer those with experience, and that might become a hurdle. But to tackle that, many events have newcomer tracks that are easier to get into without prior experience. Also, event organizers might be able to hook you up with a mentor to help you plan and prepare materials. 

Be bold and contact people already doing these things and just ask whether they'd be interested in mentoring you. My experience is that they probably are!

–You mentioned diversity and inclusion as topics close to your heart – any words for women looking to get active and build a professional image for themselves?

I’m going to be direct: If you're a woman and know what you are doing, you are in a good position. Right now, you stand out positively – the forces are in motion to push equality further in the field. That's something you can benefit from. That, ultimately, benefits everyone through increased diversity! I think it’s a pretty pure example of a win-win situation for both individuals and organisations, and I hope to see a new wave of women rise to the occasion and seize the opportunity.  

–So if somebody wants to book you as a speaker, what are the topics dearest to you?

Data Platforms, Machine learning, Architecture and DevOps are all close to my heart, and they tie into such a wealth of themes and topics. I’m open to many kinds of events and collaborations – just let me know! 

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