Lisanne de Groot

Lisanne de Groot is a Software Engineer at Bloomberg, a position she has held for nearly three years. She works in the Asset and Investment Management space, focusing on system performance and scalability. Prior to this she was Head Teaching Assistant at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, where she instructed students in beginner to intermediate Python software.

For Lisanne, the computer science class she took at university developed her love for the world of technology, especially the problem-solving element of software engineering. It was her role as a teaching assistant which helped her to realise how much she enjoyed encouraging other women to enter the field.

"As part of my role as a Teaching Assistant at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, I helped teach an introductory computer science course. I was extremely proud to have secured a huge number of students to join the course, quite a few of whom had initially expressed disinterest in the subject.

"A number of women who had already entered the course were convinced that computer science wasn't the right fit for them, and they were anxious about what it entailed. Too many of these women, and so many others, have experienced being belittled in spaces typically dominated by men, when all they need is someone to empower them to share their opinion. I was this person for anxious new starters.

"I have since been lucky enough to have ex-students reach out to me and let me know they have gone into a career in computer science all because of that introductory class. It's an amazing feeling - for both them and me!"

Since joining Bloomberg in 2020, Lisanne has worked as part of the Typescript team focusing on buy-side decision support products for portfolio managers; helped build out the ability to send trades directly from a position analysis application; and now works with teams in the trade state management space to develop observability tools and dashboards.

Lisanne has developed a programme in her tech area of engineering called AIMclusion, and is co-lead of B-PROUD - Bloomberg's LGBTQ+ employee group - where they focus on community engagement, allyship and education, D&I, and departmental collaborations.

Lisanne comments:

"I have been fortunate enough to work with the Bloomberg 'Women in Technology' community to lead on delivering workshops about glue work to women looking to enter the technology space, and the effect this can have on a career as a woman in tech.

"My work across these various initiatives means I am helping create an inclusive culture across the business, providing Bloomberg with the proof points to say it is a truly diverse and open company - ultimately helping to recruit and retain female talent from all backgrounds and walks of life."