For many, moving to a new country and pivoting careers simultaneously would be a daunting challenge. For Kate Vu, it was the beginning of a five-year trajectory that saw her transform from a cloud trainee into a Senior Cloud Engineer and a prolific learner with 15 AWS certifications under her belt.
Recently returning from parental leave, Kate’s story is a testament to why Mantel is a Certified Family Inclusive Workplace.
Real-world roots and radical trust
Kate’s journey began nearly five years ago when she joined the Mantel traineeship program in the Cloud stream. Unlike typical internships that often involve simulated lab exercises or ‘shadowing,’ Kate was given immediate ownership.
“What impressed me was that we were working on real, internal systems from day one,” Kate recalls. “It wasn’t just an exercise; we had to architect for reliability and long-term maintenance. Having senior principal consultants as mentors who were always available, despite their own project loads, was the real differentiator.”
This hands-on foundation – blending technical depth with high-level design reviews – helped Kate build the confidence to solve complex problems, a skill that paved her way to a senior role.
The evolving cloud: Beyond provisioning
moving servers to the cloud; it’s about automation, security, and now, the integration of Intelligent Agents.
“The role has evolved from just provisioning resources to building scalable application frameworks,” Kate explains. “With the rise of AI, cloud engineering is becoming even more critical. We are now building the foundational systems that allow AI agents to work reliably, securely, and cost-effectively.”
Kate is currently applying these evolving principles to a major migration project with BankWest. “We are moving complex Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) workloads into the cloud. It requires a deep understanding of how these systems need to behave in a modern, automated environment.”
A culture of continuous learning
If there is one thing that defines Kate’s professional life, it’s her drive to stay ahead of the curve. She currently holds 15 AWS certifications, a feat that requires a massive commitment to education.
“Exploring new tech keeps me motivated,” Kate says. “I try to find a mix between my personal interests and the areas where customers are facing the most challenges.”
Her most recent achievement – the AWS Generative AI Developer certification – aligns with Mantel’s forward-thinking approach to AI. “At Mantel, you can speak freely about your interests. Team members don’t tell you to ‘stay in your lane’; they support your growth into new spaces like AI, even if it’s outside your current project.”
Family-inclusive in action
Mantel’s commitment to being a Family Inclusive Workplace isn’t just a badge on the website; for Kate, it was the reality of her return to work. After a year of parental leave, the transition back was defined by Mantel’s core principle, ‘Make Good Choices’.
“I really appreciate the support I received,” Kate says. “I actually extended my leave twice, and the leadership team and P&C checked in on me frequently. When I was ready to come back, they ensured I had a ‘soft landing’ before jumping back into projects.”
For Kate, this meant knowing the company supported her whether she chose part-time or full-time. “I decided to go back full-time, but knowing that the team was happy to adjust if I changed my mind gave me so much peace of mind.”
Five years of being ‘in it together’
As Kate approaches her five-year anniversary this August, she reflects on the Mantel spirit that has kept her here. From her first days on major banking projects to her current work on cloud migration, the common thread has been a community that acts as one.
“I still feel like I’m growing every day,” Kate says. “Whether it’s my mentors in the cloud team or the P&C team pointing me toward new career opportunities, the support is always there. That’s what I love about being here.”
Interested in working alongside amazing people?
