Four new recruits join the KOMODO team

Rebecca McLaughlin, Kyle Heron, Sarah Heanan and Hugo Duarte join the KOMODO team

We’re thrilled to reveal that we have recently welcomed four new recruits to the business, to create further robustness in the team across the core disciplines of Laravel, React and React Native, and strengthen the position of KOMODO as a key technology partner for growth-focused clients.

The four new hires are Kyle Heron, who joins as Associate Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer following a role at Accenture, along with Sarah Heanan and Hugo Duarte as Software Engineers in the platform team, and Rebecca McLaughlin as a Software Engineer in the agency’s mobile team, who has relocated from Grimsby after leading a team of engineers at a boutique agency.

Rebecca spoke of her new role, saying: “I felt as though I had stagnated and I didn't want my passion to continue learning to die out. I did some research and found KOMODO on Glassdoor with some super reviews from the employees. Based on that and the work the agency does, I decided to shoot my shot and apply for a position that I felt would suit me.

“It was a long shot since it is so far away from where I lived and this was before the pandemic and would involve relocating. The best part about joining is that instantly I've been put on a project where I've been able to learn from someone much more competent than I am since the work I'm doing is not my specific area of expertise. It has helped boost the quality of my code immensely in the short period of time I've been here and it's exactly what I came here to do.

“In the future, I hope to be able to meet everyone in real life and go for some beers or something. Starting a new role during a pandemic has been a little crazy but the team has been so welcoming already and I’ve been really impressed with how the agency adapted to full remote-working whilst still maintaining the fun, relaxed culture it’s known for.”

Kyle Heron, who joins our QA team, shared a little on his decision to join KOMODO, saying: “I joined Komodo as I felt my progress was stifled at my previous role. KOMODO is a breath of fresh air, offering me the chance to work with and learn from excellent team members who are fantastic at both development and design. I am thoroughly enjoying my time here and look forward to expanding my skillset even further!”

Armin Talić, Commercial Director at KOMODO shared further context on the recent hires, saying: “Our expectations and process often mean we take longer to find exceptional candidates, but we know that the balance, capabilities and motivations of our team are the reasons we attract clients and retain them.

“I’m delighted with the calibre of people we’ve introduced to the team - even welcoming and onboarding two members during this phase of lockdown - and have found each to be already imparting a wide range of skills and experiences that are enriching our teams and their overall approach to project delivery.”

As a result of this latest recruitment drive, the QA team now has 3 specialists and the agency’s software development capabilities are bolstered further by key skills in Laravel, Vue and React Native. KOMODO is still on the lookout for additional talent to fill senior and mid-level software engineering roles.

Software Engineer, Hugo Duarte, also shared his take on the journey so far, saying: “I was already aware of KOMODO and the quality of their work and kept a keen eye on the company news via their website and social media. As I started looking for a new role, the first company I applied to was KOMODO, since I identified myself with its core values.

“The quality of the projects and the Glassdoor score simply meant that they care not only to deliver excellent work but also care about their employees. So far, it has been a great and rewarding experience, not only for the support given by my colleagues but also for the opportunity to learn from their experience and share mine in some areas. I hope that continues in the future and that we can improve and deliver quality work together, he continued.”

KOMODO’s Managing Director Andy Greener, who founded the agency back in 2003, said: “Starting a new role in the midst of a pandemic must be daunting, but our recent hires have settled into the agency well and are making an impact in their respective roles on the work they’re involved with. I’m looking forward to coming together as a team to celebrate our new hires and other recent successes when it’s safe to do so”.

In other exciting news, it was also recently announced that KOMODO will be the technology partner of Myndr, helping them to build a mental health resource in an AI-assisted app, following a successful round of funding. AI capabilities will be facilitated by the Innovations team at Teesside University, with KOMODO providing the overall digital product.