Innovation keeps things rolling at Infare
Innovation has always been a cornerstone of Infare’s mission. Since its founding in 2000, Infare has grown from a single office in Copenhagen to four offices across the globe with nearly 150 employees. In this month’s Infare Insights, we talk with Software Developer Gitte Karpinski, who has been with Infare for almost fifteen years and has seen first-hand Infare’s drive for innovation. We recently spoke with her about her time at Infare and how roller derby and airfare data may be more connected than one would think.
Gitte, can you describe your role at Infare?
I joined Infare in 2005, initially as a member of the Data Collection team to then move to the Development team early 2017. My job duties were fluid for years, allowing me to be a part of the growth and development of what Infare is today. Now my role is mostly focused on backend and database programming for Pharos, as well as maintaining some of our legacy systems.
My background in Data Collection has given me a deep understanding of our data foundation and what can be done with it, and then switch to working on customer-facing products and internal tools now means I understand that side as well.
Over the past fifteen years, Infare has grown and evolved into the leading data and technology partner for the global airline and aviation industry. What are some of your favourite moments and memories since you joined Infare? What are the biggest changes?
My biggest personal moments almost all have to do with some sort of performance optimisation. Lately, I have been focusing on Pharos, but as is the nature of any software, there is always more to do. And that’s ok; I really enjoy making things better and faster.
By far, the most significant change I have seen in Infare is the size of the company. Growing from a small start-up to a company of nearly 150 people has been a journey of learning and adapting. Over the years we have seen people come and go, but we also have several people who have been with the company for over ten years – and there are three of us who will soon celebrate our 15 years anniversaries within a few months of each other!
For me, a positive change has been a clear focus on diversity at Infare. While the IT world tends to skew male, myself and others are working together to help make Infare a welcoming and accepting working environment. It’s not always easy, but I am happy to use my seniority to make Infare a better place for everyone.
You have been active in the world of roller derby for over five years and have refereed over 300 bouts in 14 countries. How do you think your time on the roller derby rink has made an impact on your work at Infare? How has your role at Infare prepared you for roller derby?
Roller derby has made me more confident and assertive, and it has taught me that I am allowed to speak up and campaign for things I believe in. Roller derby, as well as a decade of leadership and cooperation in EVE Online (a multiplayer online role-playing game), has also taught me how to work with people from diverse backgrounds, nationalities and traditions. This has been incredibly useful as Infare has expanded from one to four offices across Europe. More importantly, it has taught me that making a mistake is absolutely fine, so long as you do whatever you can to correct it – and sometimes things cannot be fixed but instead are an opportunity to grow and learn.
Photo: Courtesy of Peter Troest
Conversely, my job at Infare has taught me to have an analytical approach to roller derby officiating, as well as teaching me how to prioritise my focus and what needs my attention. As officials, we keep tally of what points are scored and handle any penalties while play is on. We need to continually weigh what is more important to deal with at that specific moment without impacting the game unnecessarily or unfairly.
How does Infare’s drive for innovation help support you and your colleagues?
As we have grown, we have the ability to develop new solutions while improving on existing systems. This means that if someone brainstorms a creative way to handle a challenge or would like to develop a new solution, we often can test out our theories. This willingness to let us experiment and educate ourselves is a boon for both us employees and Infare as a company.
What’s next for you with Infare?
At Infare, we’re always looking at ways to take our data storage and retrieval to the next level. The airline industry’s appetite for data is continuing to increase, and Infare is eager to satisfy that hunger! My team is also slated to give some of our internal programs some love – which I am excited about, as that demands a combination of knowledge of several systems I have worked on during my years at Infare. Even after nearly fifteen years at Infare, I am always excited to see how innovation plays a key role at Infare.
Feel free to reach out to Gitte directly at gk@infare.com to discuss the latest Infare news.
