Leading by example
How Rohan Deshpande is inspiring
our team to grow together
Working with pride
In his own words, Rohan Deshpande believes it’s ‘us against internet harm’.
As one of our most senior and long-serving team members, Rohan has seen a lot change in his five years with us. And after all this time, he continues to see each day as an opportunity to learn something new.
Since he began as a Software Engineer, Rohan has developed his creative and analytical skills to progress into a Lead Engineer role. Every day, he ensures our cyber safety platform is providing the optimum experience for our customers. As a Lead Engineer, no two days are the same. However, Rohan says the variety is a challenge he’s more than excited to tackle because he can see the incredible outcomes of his work.
“I’ve always wanted to make a difference through IT. In this industry, you could have a job in any organisation, from Government to e-Commerce. But here, I get to work with a real purpose. My role directly impacts people; it’s not just another IT job on the seventh floor. There’s a goal and a mission to achieve, and I get to leave a legacy behind after it’s done.”
Holding Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Computer Science, Rohan brings to us a wealth of knowledge and expertise in everything tech. And he works with his head held high and our mission of protecting children on the Internet close to his heart.
Embracing change
Originally hailing from Pune, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, Rohan has been a member of our team since the very beginning. After being introduced to our services by a friend who was working with us, Rohan joined our Engineering Department.
Since his early days in 2016, he’s seen our team grow in number through each stage of our development. He recalls that his first team had a total of five engineers, and he’d never expected to see our organisation grow to more than 180 people.
“I have lived through Linewize's entire journey. When I first started, we had no products for use in schools. One of my major projects was to help build that product. I felt empowered - I got to develop a system that could potentially save a child’s life.”
That same feeling of empowerment has remained with Rohan through the years. And as he recalls his most memorable moments with us, he swells with pride. One achievement he says he’ll never forget was helping us gain a listing on the Australian Stock Exchange. He says the feeling of contributing to our organisation’s growth and culture inspires him every day.
“There’s nothing else I would rather do. Technology has always been my ‘why’. As a kid, I was fascinated by computers. I was amazed that you could type in command and create something as a result. Throughout my time here, I’ve learned to embrace and accept change. I look at each new stage of growth with enthusiasm.”
Growing in knowledge
After half a decade with us, Rohan has embraced a new aspect of his role: mentoring junior and senior staff members. It’s a fresh and exciting project that particularly excites him because he can actively shape the development of our future software engineers - and our business as a whole.
“I’m passionate about helping our organisation to grow while building a team and culture where everyone thrives. Here, your work isn’t distilled into meeting quarterly targets. It’s about evolving personally and helping your team to grow with you. Every day I think ‘How can I grow my team along with the company?’. And the answer is: you have to bring them along for the journey.”