Engineering is all about solving complex problems. Being constantly required to invent new solutions means engineers have to be adaptable and use a wide range of skills to succeed in their work.

An increasing number of engineering graduates are now choosing to take their creative problem-solving skills a step further by adopting hybrid roles. Whether you call them Field Application Engineers or Technical Account Managers, these vital professionals help commercial and technical teams to collaborate more closely, which in turn strengthens customer satisfaction.

Today, we’re showcasing Silvère To-Sah-Be-Nza - one of AdaCore’s own Technical Account Managers. Read on to learn more about his journey from Engineering graduate to working with software engineering customers in the field.

What's your educational background?

I studied Computer Science at EPITA, a French engineering school. At that time, I didn’t have much previous experience with computer science but I knew I was interested in new technologies. During my studies, I majored in embedded systems. I wanted to be as close as possible to the hardware to fully understand how it works.

While at EPITA, I also did a couple of internships. First, I worked on a tool design to evaluate translation quality for a product that functioned similarly to Google Translate. Then I did an internship focused on embedded systems, working on the firmware of a PLC programmer logic controller. The goal of this internship was to implement a compression algorithm in the firmware.

So I definitely had a strong interest in software and embedded systems from the beginning.

How did you hear about AdaCore?

I was introduced to AdaCore during my time at EPITA. Two of my teachers were AdaCore employees and I really enjoyed their courses, particularly the Ada one.

When job-hunting one day, I saw a role come up on LinkedIn and immediately recognized the company as AdaCore, where two of my friends were already working. They told me it was a great company to work for with a collaborative, family spirit, so I trusted their advice and submitted my application.

How has your career progressed at AdaCore?

I started at AdaCore during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought it might be challenging to join during this time, but the integration process turned out to be very smooth.

Technical Account Manager (TAM) was a new role for me, as my previous experiences had been in Software Engineering. In my previous roles, I didn’t have the opportunity to interact with customers. At AdaCore, I collaborate with more people, do technical presentations, and interact with customers and other teams, such as the Software Development and Marketing teams, and it’s been a great experience.

The integration process was very well organized which enabled me to transition smoothly to my new position. At my previous job, after only 2 weeks I was asked to go in the field to fix bugs and develop a new feature for their software. At AdaCore, my new manager really took the time to train me in full for 4 months. I received training on technical elements as well as on soft skills and commercial knowledge. This was really helpful for me and was definitely the best integration process I’ve done so far. I have now been with AdaCore for 4 years.

Can you tell us more about your current role and what you’re working on?

Much of my job involves interacting with customers/people - I focus on understanding customer needs and then proposing suitable solutions by translating technical needs into products. I also work together with my Account Manager to qualify customer needs and determine the best approach for them. Then I also have to engage with the product optimisation process by passing on feedback from customers to Engineering. My role can sometimes involve working with engineers when we need to develop custom solutions for customers or on answering a specific technical question they may have.

My role isn’t always office-based of course. Another key part is promoting products to customers at events/trade shows. Sometimes I will also visit customer sites to talk to them about their projects - I feel very privileged to have the chance to see what innovative companies such as Thales or Airbus are working on. It’s definitely the best part of my job!

Another thing I like about AdaCore is working with talented people. I have really learned a lot during technical meetings here working on projects on specific topics such as compilation. My best memories are these opportunities to work with such skilled, competent people.

How would you describe your typical week?

My typical week includes regular meetings with my manager to discuss current activities and progress. I work closely with my Account Manager to review sales opportunities and together we decide what to do next. I also have team meetings once a month to discuss wider objectives.

During the week, I will have various meetings with customers for different purposes. This might be an initial meeting with a prospect to understand their needs and propose the right solution for them. It could also be a technical meeting focused on a particular topic, such as a product demo or a development update. Or it could even be a follow-up meeting to support a customer, such as during a product evaluation to ensure the customer is satisfied with our technology.

Some of these meetings can be on-site. It's great to meet the customer in person, rather than online where it feels like a more formal environment. While on site, you can really get to know the customer as a person.

I also work on technical requirements proposals for customers. This involves collaborating with the Product team to determine how we can best meet the customer’s request, as well as checking in with Engineering teams to estimate the effort needed to deliver the solution.

Another important part of my job is, of course, to keep developing my technical skills. I prepare demos to stay up to date with the latest software developments at AdaCore and have projects to keep my programming skills sharp. For one of these projects, I have just started creating a small-scale operating system in Ada. This helps me to stay up-to-date and always be aware of the latest developments during customer meetings.

What would you say to someone interested in joining AdaCore?

I would tell them about my experience at AdaCore — I’ve been treated very well since I arrived. People at AdaCore are supportive, welcoming and really good at what they do. Everyone is always willing to help, and engineers and stakeholders from other teams will always take the time to help you.

As a technical person, I’ve worked for four different companies and, in my opinion, the level of technical skills in our team here is simply unparalleled.

What do you value most about working at AdaCore?

I really appreciate that Adacore gave me the opportunity to transition to a new role. This has significantly contributed to my professional and personal growth. I’ve had the chance to enhance my soft skills, meet many new people, and gain insights into customer projects. It’s been a really rewarding experience!