As an automation technology company, we have a lot of internal systems in place to make sure that our teams can stay connected safely and support our customers effectively. To ensure that our internal infrastructure runs smoothly, we rely on Souriya Sengphet, our director of information technology. He has the big job of building and managing our IT infrastructure, including thinking about the best systems to install. He has an MBA from Wharton School of Business at University of Pennsylvania and joined Biosero in 2021.
Q: What do you do at Biosero?
A: I am global head of IT, so that means I oversee all things related to internal technology and keeping those systems running. I was the first true IT hire for Biosero. For the past year, I’ve been focusing mostly on doing tactical things, such as building the company’s physical infrastructure up to scale and making sure that all our systems are running properly. I’ve also focused on making sure that we have the right processes and policies in place and that our network apparatus is fully secured so that our teams can safely communicate. Now that we have a solid foundation, I’m responsible for continuing to expand our cybersecurity processes and pathways and ensuring that we meet all compliance requirements.
Q: How did you get on this career path?
A: I have a background in technical program management and project management, which gave me exposure to a lot of different areas from finance to engineering to operations. I made the transition to technology because I love it. I built my first computer when I was 5 or 6 years old and I built my first software system when I was 16. It was a simple enterprise resource planning system for my parents’ farm that we could use to maintain our stock, shipping, and information. Later, as my career progressed, I knew I wanted to demystify IT for companies and help them see its value to their businesses.
Q: What brought you to Biosero?
A: Biosero’s mission and what they do is amazing. Our solutions free up scientists to do what they do best — find cures and help us live better lives. It was amazing to see robots at work in our Acceleration Lab when I first came to Biosero and how our solution saves time and allows scientists to focus on the important areas. If we can help a company automate their processes so they can focus on curing cancer, for example, that would be amazing.
Q: What’s one thing you wish more people knew about laboratory automation?
A: It’s pretty easy to set up, particularly using Green Button Go software. The great thing about our tools is that they allow people to dive into the weeds as well as look at the same things from a holistic view. Lab automation allows people to run greater and smaller processes; they can run thousands of processes in a week that might have taken six months.
Q: If you could automate anything in your life, what would it be?
A: My home. I have automated some of it already. For example, I automated my refrigerator to tell me when I was running low on things like milk and eggs. It worked to a certain extent, but not perfectly.
Q: What’s your best career advice?
A: Keep an open mind. People who are open-minded will do the best work. You may have a belief that there is only one way to do things because it’s the way they’ve always been done. But there are new ways to do things. Tackle problems from different angles, that will help you solve some of the biggest problems.
Q: What was the first thing you ever wanted to be when you grew up?
A: I wanted to be an astronaut so I could explore space. I still want to do that.
Q: What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?
A: Most people don’t know that I grew up on a farm. Because of what I do, people tend to think I come from a big city and that I was exposed to a lot of technology as a child.
