10 Questions with Siddhartha Bala

1) When did you work at CERN (including its Scientific Collaborations) and what did you work on?
"1996-1997, worked as a programmer on OPAL and ATLAS."

2) What is your best memory of working at CERN?
"Going into the tunnel to see the LHC under construction, conversations and beers in the CERN cafeteria, attending talks on supersymmetry, the markers on campus that showed you the border between France and Switzerland."

3) What is your current job and where is it located?
" CIO of Data & Platforms Solutions and Head of Public Cloud at BNY Mellon in New York."

4) What skills did you develop during your CERN work experience which have been particularly useful in your subsequent career trajectory?
"I joined CERN shortly after the Web was invented and wrote a lot of TCP/IP code and worked with big data sets of particle data collected from detectors. All of that experience was foundational to everything I've ever worked on since then."

5) Which skills (if any) did you need to develop further when you left CERN to face your next professional challenges?
"Work after CERN required the development of many interpersonal skills. Learning to work with with others and persuade, influence, negotiate on the way to productive outcomes were critical to eventual success."

6) What tips would you give to someone who is considering a career transition from academia to industry?
"Think of skills like a Venn diagram. The intersection between industry and academia represents skills that are transferable and should be leveraged as strengths. Industry-specific skills represent learning opportunities. Skills specific to academia serve to complement a well-rounded approach."

7) What advice would you give your younger self?
"Relish the opportunity and cherish the moment."

8) Do you still keep a close eye on what’s going on at CERN?
"Yes, via the CERN Alumni Network events and communications."

9) In your opinion, what is the unique value of the CERN Alumni Network?
"There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. Some of the most fascinating, curious, creative, passionate colleagues I've worked with."

10) Imagine you are stranded on a desert island. You can have one piece of music, one book and one luxury item. Which music, book and luxury item would you choose and why?

"The Beatles' Abbey Road, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien and my wedding ring."