Promotion: Tech Lead GenAI at Rabobank

Koen van Gilst / November 1, 2024
2 min read
I'm excited to share some career news: I'm now a Tech Lead GenAI at Rabobank's Wholesale & Rural Innovation department. This new role marks a significant step forward in my career and allows me to dive deeper into the intersection of AI technology and innovation. In this position, I'm responsible for leading the technical side of GenAI-driven solutions that advance agrifinance and banking innovation. My focus areas include:
- AI Experimentation & Validation: I design and conduct technical tests to evaluate the feasibility of AI solutions, primarily working with Large Language Models to solve real banking challenges.
- Team Building & Leadership: I recruit talented engineers and foster supportive environments where teams can thrive and push the boundaries of what's possible with AI.
- Resource Management: I identify and secure the technical resources needed to transform innovative concepts into working solutions.
- Strategic Collaboration: I work closely with business stakeholders and engineering teams to ensure our AI initiatives align with product goals and deliver tangible value.
- Innovation Pipeline: I guide projects from early-stage experimentation through to successful MVP launches, staying hands-on with coding and technical experimentation throughout the process.
What excites me most about this role is the opportunity to build an engineering culture that values both technical craftsmanship and continuous learning. I'm focused on creating environments where teams can leverage cutting-edge AI technologies while maintaining our commitment to practical, valuable applications that serve our customers.
This promotion feels like a natural evolution of my career journey - from my early programming days to frontend engineering, and now to AI innovation at one of Europe's leading banks. I like that I'm still able to do hands-on technical work while also taking on leadership responsibilities. This combination makes for an incredibly fulfilling next chapter.