Sabrina Castiglione

"In my role I come up with new ways to solve new problems, whether or not it's something I’ve ever done before. I self-teach, do research, organise, delegate, and makes things happen. I am motivated by solving problems and constantly tackling new challenges. I would describe myself as organised, methodical, persuasive, curious and practical. The Manager type aligns well with the delegation to my team members, and the Developer to the problems I create innovative solutions to. The Quality Controller type resonates with the processes I create to make sure things happen well, consistently, and at scale."

"I joined Tessian as Chief of Staff, building the company and solving problems. For example, if the company needs to open a US Office I take that task, break it down into its components, work out what needs to be done and I make things happen. Keeping the company has at times required me to oversee people (HR & hiring), finance, risk, legal, IT, logistics and operations. As I moved into my Chief Financial Officer role, I still oversee most of those areas, but I’ve stepped back from the HR/People & hiring areas, to focus on the other core operational functions. In the operations team we find ways to make things happen, however impossible or daunting the task may seem, and make sure that everything is set up so that the business runs (people can work, get paid, have an office, all the background necessities are there) without them needing to know how or why. The most exciting part of my job is building a company and watching it take on a life of its own. I joined as the seventh person and two years later we’re over a hundred. The aspect of the job I enjoy the most is the variety and the pace - I never stop learning and it never stops creating new challenges.My role is challenging, busy and broad and calls on a wide range of skills that a varied STEM background has equipped me for. When you build something as multifaceted as a company, it ceases to be an inanimate entity; it takes on a life of its own. I remember setting in place the small pieces, the individual, early simple cells that have developed and multiplied into the complex and evolved being the company has become, and I’m able to see the parts that have grown out of the early DNA I placed there, which has been an amazing (and sometimes surreal) experience.I see in this, the power and breadth of STEM; the ability to create something vast from small components feels truly magical. The range of problem solving skills I get to cultivate and new skills and knowledge I acquire when creating systems from scratch m"

"An all-rounded approach to school subjects had always been my practice, so whilst STEM was always something I’d enjoyed, it was by no means a given that I’d end up following a STEM path when the humanities also seemed to have so much to offer. In the end, one woman tipped the scales for me, although it wasn’t until years later that I realized she’d done so.She was a wonderful chemistry teacher. Like all truly great teachers she had both a genuine passion for her subject, and a strong vocational dedication to always forge the best path for her students. I see the influence of her enthusiasm in my settling on studying Chemistry at Imperial College London, and in the dominoes that toppled from there.My degree more strongly set me on a STEM path and from there I’ve been able to move between science, mathematics and technology roles, and take advantage of the flexibility and transferable skills a STEM background encompasses.One of my big inspirations in making my most recent move was Neal Stephenson - a sci-fi author who wrote an amazing piece of fiction called Anathem that made me realise I wanted to ask deep questions, and more than anything do something where I would always be thinking, working things out, and evaluating new ideas. My path to my role has been unconventional. After realising in my Masters year that research wasn’t the right fit for me, I changed tactics and used the mathematical analytics my degree had imparted to move into statistical roles. I worked in finance and investment actuarial for a number of years . I soon discovered that a traditional 9-to-5 career didn't suit me either - I didn’t enjoy narrow remits or repetition! So I took some time to stretch my mind & self-teach some basic coding. Going through that process, and considering what aspects I had (and hadn’t) enjoyed in prior roles, I decided I wanted to solve problems, and that the technology start-up scene had some pretty interesting problems to solve! I started looking for broader r"

"I enjoy reading, drinking cups of tea and spending time with my family and cats! I’m a huge fantasy-literature geek (Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time) and love reading articles on science, philosophy and psychology. I live in Notting Hill in London and love walking through the parks, listening to music and thinking about big ideas."

"My days are varied. They can range from meeting with my team to find out where they are with projects and helping unblock any obstacles that may come up in their way, finding creative solutions to allow them to succeed, to researching new ideas and proposals or analysing data to work out where we might want to make changes to the business. I automate, assess, create and monitor processes, and research and develop new concepts to add value to the company."

"Professional Qualifications: Have completed a number of FIA & CIMA examsDegree: (4 year) MSci Chemistry from Imperial College LondonA Levels: 5 x (A): Maths (A), Further Maths (A), Chemistry (A), Philosophy (A), Latin (A)AS Levels: 6 x (A): Maths (A), Further Maths (A), Chemistry (A), Philosophy (A), Latin (A), Physics (A)GCSEs: 11 x (A*): Maths (A*), Additional Maths (A*), Double Science (A*A*), History (A*), Latin (A*), Classical Civilizations (A*), French (A*), Religious Studies (A*), English Language (A*), English Literature (A*, one of the top 5 results for the examining board that year)"