Q&A with Karen Mortimer, Senior Developer

Karen has been in the IT industry for her entire career and enjoys the variety her role at Fronde brings. “I find each project is quite different, never boring, and this diversity is the main reason I am still working at Fronde.”

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What’s your role at Fronde?

I am a full stack senior developer at Fronde.

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How long have you worked in the IT industry?  

IT is all I know. At the end of my final year of secondary schooling, and primarily to keep a classmate company, I sat an entry exam for a three-year Diploma qualification in Information Technology. We both passed and I decided to enrol for the course as it seemed more hands-on than the university course which at that stage was a more scientific/theoretical option. Many years later, and many technology stacks later, I am still in IT.

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How long have you been at Fronde?

I was with my previous employer for just over ten years, and I have been with Fronde since 2008.

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What do you enjoy about working at Fronde? 

I have been incredibly fortunate, Fronde has been really good to me. I started out as an Oracle Developer and was later provided the opportunity to gain many other skills on-the-job such as Java, Javascript, Typescript and all the other bits and pieces required for full stack development. 

I have worked on various projects for at least seven different clients over the years. 

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What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given over your career? 

Believe in yourself.

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What technologies have had the greatest impact on your life, both personally and professionally?

The internet is most definitely the biggest thing that has impacted my life. Having so much information available at the touch of a few keystrokes is absolutely mind-blowing, and I still sometimes sit back and appreciate how powerful and fantastic the www is. Kudos to the numerous individuals - too many to mention - who brought this to fruition. Any developers reading this will know how much we make use of the internet to self-learn, solve problems and collaborate with other developers.  

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Who inspires you? Why?

Sir Richard Branson. It’s hard to explain exactly why. Beyond the obvious “he started with nothing and steadily built an empire”, there’s much to be learned from his attitude and thought processes by reading his autobiography. 

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Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself outside of work? 

I am married with three awesome grown-up kids. In my spare time I like to go for walks, kayak, read and watch movies. I love sci-fi/fantasy including Star Wars, Marvel and Tolkien.

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