We are talking to Larissa del Prado, Azure DevOps Engineer at Enable U.
At the moment, I am working with our Easy Integration Platform for a customer. This Azure-based integration solution, developed by us, enables organizations to connect systems, applications, and platforms. This Platform already worked perfectly in a centralized environment, but we had not yet standardized it for virtual networks. I investigated how the different components interact in this scenario, and determined the best way to deploy these integrations within isolated virtual networks. I also worked out how to make this work effectively both on our platform and within the customer’s environment. Everything is now up and running, the approach has been standardized, and we are currently completing the final integrations.
Before that, I worked on e-VOI, our automated integration between payroll administration systems and the e-VOI platform for requesting information related to attachment orders. I added the authentication and took over the platform’s management. For another large customer, a company that provides accounting services to major organizations, I implemented the Easy Integration Platform and configured integrations, or connectors, with AFAS.
I joined Estreme, now part of Enable U, in January 2025, after completing the Make IT Work program, where I was trained as a Software Engineer in both front-end and back-end development. My graduation project involved building a holiday booking website. During that project, I learned a great deal about coding standards, collaboration, and working with Git.
At Estreme, I went through a solid onboarding program. I completed a deep-dive course on BizTalk, learned everything about cloud integrations, participated in the team’s weekly knowledge sessions, and then started working with our Easy Integration Platform.
Before retraining through the Make IT Work program, I worked for Dutch Railways (NS) for sixteen years in a variety of roles. I started as a train conductor, later worked in logistics for rolling stock and personnel, collaborated with regional traffic controllers in a monitoring role, created adjusted timetables during railway maintenance projects, and worked in the passenger information department.
As NS increasingly automated its processes, job profiles began to evolve as well. While working in passenger information, I collaborated closely with the IT team as a super user to help ensure new solutions aligned with the needs and workflows of end users. I found that process so interesting that I decided to make the move into IT myself. That is why I enrolled in the Make IT Work retraining program.
Apart from my current role at Enable U, I am also an entrepreneur. I run my own online store selling equestrian supplies, and I regularly attend trade shows and events to showcase and sell those products.
Puzzle-solving is without a doubt my favorite part of the job. I really enjoy the investigating, figuring out how things work and how to solve issues when they arise. Whether it is determining the exact settings needed to make something work or debugging an error message, I love digging into the details. It is all about analyzing, exploring, and continuing until you fully understand what is going on. Fortunately, that kind of puzzle-solving is part of almost everything I do.
Our weekly knowledge sessions with the team keep me up to date on everything happening in my field. I learn the most from my colleagues. These sessions also encourage knowledge sharing. For example, I created a wiki page documenting everything I learned while implementing integrations across different networks. It helps me capture and organize my knowledge, making it easy to refer back to later, while also providing a structured way to share that knowledge with my colleagues. In addition, I make sure to obtain and maintain the relevant Microsoft certifications, such as the AZ-204 certification.
I joined Estreme before we became part of Enable U, and I felt welcome from day one. Having worked for a very large organization, I was deliberately looking for a smaller company with short lines of communication and a personal approach; a place where you are truly seen as an individual. Fortunately, that has not changed since becoming part of Enable U. Even though we are now part of a larger organization, the atmosphere remains just as personal. Colleagues take ownership of their work, and it is always clear who to turn to for specific expertise or who to approach when you need help with something.
You may have guessed it from what I do when I am not working in IT, but I am a true horse girl. I have been riding horses since I was young, and I have had my own horses since I was fourteen. I used to spend a lot of time doing dressage, although that has currently taken a bit of a back seat because of everything else I am involved in.
I live with my boyfriend in a small village between Hoorn and Enkhuizen. We do not only have horses, we also have a bird and two cats. And soon, we will welcome a puppy: a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
I met my boyfriend through the equestrian world, even though he does not ride himself. His parents owned a horse breeding farm that was later taken over by a friend of mine who converted it into a riding stable. My boyfriend was working there as an all-round carpenter, and my friend introduced us. Her matchmaking proved to be very successful, we have now been together for three years and live together in our own home, right next to the former breeding farm.
Although my boyfriend does not ride horses, growing up around the breeding farm taught him a lot about them. He is also my partner in crime at the trade shows and events where I sell equestrian products. That is something we have really connected over. We often turn these events into mini getaways by staying overnight in a hotel, exploring the city, and enjoying a nice dinner together.
We also go on holiday together every year. During those trips, my parents look after my horses and the rest of our menagerie. My father-in-law still breeds a few foals as a hobby, although on a much smaller scale than in the days of the original breeding farm, and taking that over ourselves one day is definitely something we would like to do in the future.
Do keep asking lots of questions. It is the fastest way to get to the right solution.
