Kanata North is home to some incredible talent. In our People of Kanata North series, we’re chatting with locals to find out more about why they love living and working here.
Today, we’re chatting with Heloise Doucet at You.i TV.
What attracted you to work at You.i TV?
It was the full package in a company. They were offering a really cool and relevant technology combined with a solid business plan. In addition, it seemed as if the people who ran the company cared about doing things right whether it was taking care of your employees or trying to make the best business and process decisions they could. I saw a real opportunity for my industry experience to make a day-to-day difference and help grow the company forwards.
What is your role at You.i TV? Can you tell us a bit about what you do on a day-to-day basis?
I am the Director of Product Development. I head up the developers, testers and managers for the You.i Engine Product. I manage the staffing, coaching and day-to-day operations including removing obstacles that might affect the Product team and I am known to write the occasional bit of code.
What are some of the ways that you keep your skills sharp in an ever-changing industry?
I read a lot. I love Medium. I also keep on top of ideas for diversifying high-tech by attending local Women Power Technology meetings and mentoring high school students. Technology-wise I like to read about improving the software development process and try to keep my hands dirty with code to keep up with the cool technology behind our You.i Engine.
What advice would you give to someone who is trying to gain employment in the high-tech sector?
High-tech can be a rewarding and fun career to have for life and there are jobs to suit different personalities and skill sets – you don’t have to be an introverted programmer to succeed! There are lots of networking opportunities in Ottawa to talk to people about their paths to high-tech – take advantage of them!
What is your favourite thing about Kanata North and the high-tech sector here?
I love the greenery and closeness to nature. I don’t get outside as much as I should so it is nice to watch the seasons change in such a beautiful area. I also think we have constructed a good community here that encourages networking and communication.
Just for fun: What’s your one geeky hobby or interest?
Just one?!? Well, right now my current geeky interests would be Doctor Who and Pokemon Go (it gets me outside!)