Humans of Xero: Juan Arias

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Welcome to Humans of Xero! It’s an occasional series about some of the awesome humans that work at Xero. We’ll talk a bit about their work, their passions, some fascinating facts, and what makes them tick. We’d like to introduce Juan Arias, a Technical Leader based in New Zealand. We had a chat to him about life in and out of Xero.

Tell us about your role at Xero?

My role as a Technical Leader is a bit of a blend of several different roles and I love the variety – no two days are alike at Xero! My work crosses the boundaries between being a senior developer, an architect, a business analyst and last but not least, a leader. I really enjoy running a team of people by providing both business and technical vision, advocating for using the right technology and producing good quality deliverables. Being a leader also means that I get to put a bit more of a human touch to my role by mentoring and helping people find their motivations.

Why did you decide to join Xero?

Living overseas was something I always wanted to do and landing a job abroad was a dream of mine. New Zealand was one of the places high on the list of countries I wanted to relocate to because of the beauty of the nature and the lifestyle.

I was lucky enough to be approached by a recruiter who offered me a position at Xero while I was still living in Argentina. It didn’t take much research at all for me to be hooked on Xero and all the awesome stuff they’d been doing. I really didn’t have to think twice before accepting the offer, Xero is a solid company with a great product and they use the latest technology. Not to mention it’s one of the biggest companies in New Zealand with offices all over the world, it felt like it was meant to be.

What’s it like working at Xero?

Working at Xero is incredible! There are so many talented people here working in all different areas of the business. I joined Xero after having 10 years of experience working in software and I still learn something new everyday, it’s really amazing.

I find that everyone here is also really open-minded and it’s part of the culture to be really inclusive so people feel safe to share their opinions and know that they’re being listened to. One of the great aspects of the Xero culture is that everyone is really friendly, part of being an expat is having to make new friends and I can honestly say that I was easily able to make my new best friends at work.

Tell us something #human about yourself?

I love leading others and I’m really happy to be a leader at Xero. I care so much about my team and I always set aside time for regular catch ups to understand their motivations and help them to find the right opportunities. Being a mentor to the people I work with is something I’m passionate about, I find that understanding their priorities and helping them to grow is very rewarding. I try to pay it forward by helping others develop their career at any chance I get!

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