Roland Gyavol, Software Architect, on His IT Journey Fueled by Curiosity and Persistence

Today, we dive into Roland Gyavol’s journey from a curious student to a Software Architect at GlobalLogic Romania. Starting without a computer in high school, Roland discovered his passion for IT, building a career specializing in .NET technologies and leading innovative projects in the trading industry.

Get a glimpse of #BehindTheCode to learn how Roland’s dedication to learning, mentoring, and staying active fuels his passion for software architecture and professional growth.

Could you please share with us a few things about yourself?

In 8th grade, I didn’t know much about programming or IT in general. Despite this, I decided to enroll in the Mathematics and Informatics class at the Kölcsey Ferenc National College in Satu Mare. Before 9th grade, I didn’t even have a personal computer, and IT wasn’t part of the curriculum for 5th-8th grade.

However, I was exposed to some aspects of IT through MatLap, a mathematical journal for undergraduate students published by the Ferenc Radó Mathematical Association in Cluj-Napoca. The association, established in 1993, released this journal monthly (10 issues per year). While most articles focused on mathematics and challenging math problems, around 1998, they introduced a new section on informatics. Initially, it featured articles about hardware and later about standard Windows applications like WordPad and Paint.

Reading about these applications without knowing what they were—let alone having access to them—felt abstract, like trying to learn swimming from a book. Still, these articles intrigued me far more than the mathematics ones, and they sparked my interest in IT. For reasons I can’t fully explain, I chose to pursue this field further.

In high school, during our first IT lesson in 9th grade, the teacher introduced us to the concept of a “while loop” in pseudo-code. I didn’t understand a single word. Later, we started learning Pascal and eventually some FoxPro in 12th grade. Thankfully, I soon realized programming wasn’t as intimidating as it first seemed. By then, I knew that this was what I wanted to do.

After graduating high school, I moved to Cluj-Napoca to study at Babeș-Bolyai University. After earning my degree, I joined Fortech and decided to settle in Cluj. Five years later, my wife and I faced a choice: stay in Cluj or move back to Satu Mare. That’s when I decided to start working from home—well before it became a common practice—and I’ve been doing so for 11 years now.

Please describe your career journey and your current role.  

I graduated in 2008 and joined Fortech (that became GlobalLogic at the beginning of 2024) in September that year.

Initially, I was hired to work on a C++ project, but that assignment ended just one month after I joined. This presented an opportunity for me to dive into .NET and C#, which has been a foundation of my career ever since. Over the past 16 years, I’ve worked with a variety of programming languages, including C++, PHP, and numerous .NET technologies spanning from .NET 3.5 to the latest .NET 8 and ASP.NET Core. My experience covers a broad range of technologies, such as WinForms, WPF, Windows Phone 7, Metro, and ASP.NET MVC.

Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in many projects, working in both large and small teams. One particularly memorable project gave me the opportunity to work in Germany for several months over a three-year period. These months were part of a series of delegations, spread across different periods, allowing me to gain invaluable insights into diverse work cultures and approaches to software development.

My current role at GlobalLogic Romania is Software Architect. As a Software Architect, my responsibilities for the project extend far beyond writing code. I am deeply involved in designing new components, ensuring system architecture aligns with project requirements and long-term scalability. I review and validate designs proposed by team members to maintain high architectural standards. My work ensures that the software is robust, maintainable, and capable of meeting current and future business needs.

Beyond project work, I strive to contribute actively to the GlobalLogic .NET Community, aiming to share knowledge and support my peers in their professional growth.

Tell us more about the project you’re currently working on. 

Currently, I’m working on a project with a smaller team. Half of the team consists of GlobalLogic developers and QA specialists based in Romania, while the other half includes developers from the client’s side in the Netherlands and India.

This project was initiated by Fortech in 2013, and I joined the team about six years ago. The application we’re developing serves as a centralized data repository, collecting and harmonizing data from multiple sources to enable timely and accurate monitoring, reporting, and analysis across the organization’s entire business.

Our end clients are prominent players in the commodities and trading industry, including a major company in the milling manufacturing sector and an industrial group in the agro-food transformation field. The application’s core functionality includes daily position and performance reporting, advanced risk analytics, and personalized dashboards. The intuitive, widget-based interface ensures that users can easily access the insights they need to make informed decisions.

What’s the project’s tech stack like? 

We are currently in the process of upgrading our frameworks from .NET Framework 4.8 to .NET 8 a transition that also involves updating several third-party frameworks.

The main application is built as an ASP.NET Core application and leverages DevExtreme and HighCharts components to display grids and charts. On the backend, we use ComponentSpace for SAML SSO, Entity Framework Core for data access, and MS SQL server as the database.

In addition to the main application, we maintain several supporting Windows Services. These handle tasks such as importing data, exporting reports, and ingesting stock market data using QuickFix/n. There’s also a simple API that serves data, alongside some helper Python scripts and Matlab libraries for specific use cases.

What’s your favorite thing about this project? And what is the biggest challenge?

The technologies used in this project, especially with the ongoing migration process, offer me numerous opportunities to explore the latest trends in the field. As the team’s tech lead this is also a valuable chance for me to grow both technically and professionally. Additionally, the nature of the project provides fascinating insights into the stock market and trading industry.

One of the most challenging aspects is staying aligned with rapidly evolving trends and requirements in this dynamic field, all while maintaining a healthy balance within the team. Our team is highly diverse, which brings unique strengths but also occasional challenges. We are continuously striving to evolve, optimize, and enhance the quality of our work goals that, while rewarding, can sometimes be more complex than anticipated.

How about the team? What’s the vibe in there? 

The team is genuinely remote, with three members based in different cities: Oradea, Satu Mare, and Cluj. We don’t get to meet in person very often, but in early November, during the client visit, we had the chance to gather at our Cluj office.

On the client side, there are two developers who we work with. While the collaboration isn’t always easy, especially due to differences in approaches to problem-solving, we always find solutions.

In the past, we’ve also organized team outings during these visits—whether it was in Oradea or Cluj. We’ve enjoyed activities like barbecues, go-karting, and even shooting at a gun range, which helped strengthen our bond and team spirit.

Tell us a little bit about your hobbies. How do you spend your free time?

My main hobby is sports. Since 2022, I’ve been an active participant in the Moving Challenge program, but I also enjoy running, hiking, and cycling throughout the year, even outside the competition period. This month, I had the exciting opportunity to participate in the 39th Budapest Spar Marathon, which marked my first marathon run. In winter, I enjoy snowboarding.

Beyond staying active, I have a passion for cooking and love experimenting with new recipes both in the kitchen and outdoors using a BBQ.

When time allows, I also enjoy reading and playing music, particularly the guitar and piano.

Roland participating in the 39th Budapest Spar Marathon

Roland doing a bike track for Moving Challenge

What’s next in your career journey?

My plan is to continue my journey at GlobalLogic, focusing on learning and improving professionally. With new technologies constantly emerging, the current project offers plenty of challenges and opportunities for growth.

In addition to my technical development, I am also dedicated to enhancing my mentoring and coaching skills. I aim to provide valuable support to my team members, helping them grow and succeed in their roles.

What advice would you give someone interested in joining GlobalLogic? 

GlobalLogic’s scale and diversity make it a place where professionals from all backgrounds can find opportunities that align with their goals and aspirations. Whether you’re looking to work on cutting-edge technologies, grow your skills, or collaborate with talented teams, GlobalLogic has something to offer. Join us, and you will find out.