Hi Sotiri! You've worked across business analysis, consulting, and AI. What attracted you to the world of AI?
Honestly, it wasn’t like a dramatic career pivot, it felt more like switching back to Tech after some years in Business roles. I’d worked across different roles touching business and consulting, but I always had this pull toward the more tech side of things. So, when the big GenAI breakthroughs started happening in the early 2020s, I thought this is the moment to go all in. AI felt like the field where you could have both intellectual depth and hands-on impact at the same time and I believe this ‘personal bet’ worked.
AI is changing rapidly. What skill do you think is most important for AI professionals today?
Technical foundations matter, you need to understand what’s happening under the hood. But honestly, the skill I kept combing back to is adaptability. New tools and frameworks emerge almost every week, and if you’re too attached to any single one, you could be obsolete before you know it. What separates the strongest AI professionals I’ve worked with is that they’re fundamentally problem solvers first, and technologists second. And increasingly, I think the role is shifting from tool-centric to human-centric, with agents, AI coding assistants and whatever comes next, the technical execution is becoming more automated. What remains distinctly human is the ability to frame the right problem, communicate clearly, and bring people along with you. That’s where I’d put my money!
A big part of your role is mentoring and developing people. What do you enjoy most about helping others grow?
What I enjoy most is watching someone go from needing guidance on every decision to just... handling things on their own. That moment when they stop asking 'what should I do here?' and start figuring it out themselves that's satisfying. I'm also more interested in helping people build the how of learning rather than just solving the problem in front of them. If someone needs to pick up a new skill, I'd rather sit with them and map out an approach than just show them the answer live. And the ‘softer stuff’ matters too how they communicate, how they handle a difficult conversation or a setback. That's often where the real professional growth happens.
