Name: Mark Kychma
Place of Birth: Lviv, Ukraine
Age: 37
At TU/e from: August 1999 - April 2002, Designer program Applied Computer Science / Software Technology
Current position: Being based in London I represent the largest Ukrainian software house SoftServeInc in the United Kingdom and the Benelux.

How did you obtain your current position?
SoftServe has 3,500+ software engineers working for about 200 companies, ranging from giants like Google and Panasonic to small start-ups and independent software vendors. I manage the accounts and expand business in Europe. I joined the company only three months ago, but I already enjoy the fast learning track and catching up with the latest industry trends.
You will laugh, but I heard about the job while hanging out with friendsin a sauna. I applied the next day but was rejected. I decided to take the top-down approach and contacted the chairman of the company. After a month of interviews and negotiations I signed the contract.

How do you reflect on your time at TU/e?
Before TU/e, I already built up some experience as a software developer and then as a team leader. However, my self-taught knowledge lacked structure and I felt I was missing the bigger picture. And I yearned to learn how to run a business properly. The post-Soviet system excelled in the fundamental disciplines but in the 90s there were no good managerial programs in Ukraine. By a stroke of luck I met Ton van Kemenade in Minsk who carefully listened to my story and advised on opportunities at TU/e. You might say he was sent from above. My time at TU/e was one of amazing discoveries, especially professional but cultural, too. Besides carefully selected academics and industry professionals who, brick by brick, laid the solid foundation for properly fostering IT products, the Stan Ackermans Institute provided numerous trainings on how to build a career and survive in large organizations. At TU/e I’ve received the best coaching in my life. A special thank you goes to Harold Weffers who helped me win the UFE/Océ Designer Award and graduate with merits.

Did you consider staying in the Netherlands?
Overall, I lived in the Netherlands for seven years. Maybe the best perk was having a day off for my birthday (former Queen’s Day). Now the holiday has been moved, there’s no real reason to stay (chuckling). But seriously, I enjoyed the country, the people, the culture and the rich history. The Dutch are very easy to work with. And yet, I like living in London and my kids love their lives in the city, too. We have no plans to move again in the near future.

What advice would you give current students?
Follow your intuition. If things are not comfortable today, work on them to improve. If you see progress, you are headed in the right direction. If you don’t, it may be time to sit and reflect and contemplate about more fundamental changes. As an alumnus I dragged a few guys to TU/e.They liked the education system but were homesick. They returned back to their motherlands and some achieved more than I did. If you are determined to succeed, you will do so anywhere. And it’s always more fun to ride a wave a few feet ahead of the crowd than trying to keep up with the laggards.