He came, he left, and now he’s back in the game again. Our Senior Software Engineer Kenny Liew came to Lizard Global in 2013, after which he left, and eventually came back again to continue his journey as software engineer and expand his knowledge and skills. His passion for software and programming is what drives him to always deliver the best of the best, together with the rewarding experience of satisfied clients. Read along if you want to know more about Kenny Liew and his story as a key member of the Lizard Family in Kuala Lumpur.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from? What are your passions and ambitions in life? And what is your function at Lizard Global?

“I was born in Ipoh, Perak, which is the northern part of West Malaysia. After studying I moved to Kuala Lumpur in search of greener pastures. I used to be active in badminton until I was confronted with a shoulder injury. Nowadays, I have grown a little fascination with mechanical timepieces. I have been collecting and also modding watches since I started this hobby about 5 years ago. Regarding my function at Lizard Global, I’m currently working there as the Senior Software Engineer.”

When and how did you first come in contact with Lizard Global?

“I first came to know about Lizard Apps (as it was called back then) right around the end of 2013. A friend of mine told me about a Dutch company starting up a development centre in Malaysia. Because of my background in software engineering, it drew my attention, and I decided to meet up with Lizard Global’s CTO Guido to discuss possible opportunities. I remember being impressed by his vision and ambition, and we were both enthusiastic about me joining the Lizard Family. The rest is history.

Why did you leave initially? And what made you decide to come back?

“While I was working for Lizard Apps for the first time, a good opportunity came knocking at my door. At that time, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to be part of a leading property portal in South-East Asia. I sensed it could give me the experience and exposure I needed in order to grow further as a developer. However, after a while, I noticed that a part of me didn’t fully let go of the Lizard Family.”

”A big part of me truly missed the startup culture within the company that I’ve enjoyed so much during my first time working there.”

“Lizard Global has been the first company in my career that I have returned to. Right before rejoining the Lizard Family, I checked how the business was doing, and I was immediately impressed with how the company has grown and matured over time. Being a part of Lizard Global in a much further developed status was a chance I didn’t want to miss.”

What are the most rewarding things you've experienced while working for Lizard Global?

“I believe the technical depth and latest technologies we use for our clients from different industries makes working at Lizard Global so interesting and versatile. While I used to be specialized in a couple of certain core technologies, Lizard Global exposes all developers to experiencing full-stack development. This full stack nature makes our skills very relevant and valuable in the industry. And to be honest, the validation of our hard work by our clients is probably the most rewarding experience of working at Lizard Global.”

How would you describe your typical day at Lizard Global?

At Lizard Global, we work the Agile way, and I normally start the working day with daily standups for the projects that I’m working on. Afterwards, I start the development based on the User Stories assigned for that day. Being in a senior role, I often need to spend some time during the day reviewing code of others before it gets published. This is mainly to make sure that we maintain a high level of quality for the products we deliver. We try to keep our meetings short, and we usually end the day by a quick check up to log our hours and make sure that we’re still on track.”

And how would you describe the overall Lizard culture in KL?

Apart from the startup-like culture, Lizard Global really possesses this sense of flexibility and freedom, especially in the ways we can dress and express ourselves, as well as choosing our preferred work hours. This provides a really satisfactory work-life balance, and makes it fun to go to work in the morning. There’s a lot of trust within the team regarding the delivery of good results. And everyone is always willing to lend a hand if you’re stuck. I really appreciate this relaxed but on-point working environment at Lizard Global, and of course the friendly and helpful colleagues.

Meet the Lizards

Want to hear more about the Lizard Family? Check out the interview we had with Lizard CTO/Co-founder Guido’s and get to know more about his deep-rooted passion for clean code and efficient software development. While you’re at it, take a look at our interview with CEO/Co-founder Jeremy and discover where his cutting-edge talent for sales comes from. If you’re curious about how our Lizard Global Product Owners spend their days in the office, find out all about it in their blog. Keep an eye out for more Meet the Lizards editions, as we’re nowhere near done.