Bridging Tech and Innovation: Cynthia Duru’s DevOps Journey

Cynthia Duru is a skilled DevOps Engineer with a passion for automation, cloud computing, and seamless software delivery. Currently working at VISA UK, she plays a crucial role in optimizing infrastructure, ensuring system reliability, and enabling faster deployments. With a background in software engineering and a deep understanding of CI/CD pipelines, cloud technologies, and infrastructure as code (IaC), Cynthia is dedicated to building scalable and secure systems that power global financial transactions.

Daily Times Nigeria: What inspired you to pursue a career in DevOps, and what keeps you passionate about it?

Cynthia Duru: My journey into DevOps started from my love for both development and operations. I was always fascinated by how software moves from code to production and how infrastructure supports scalability. At some point, I realized that bridging the gap between developers and IT operations could drastically improve efficiency, and that’s what DevOps is all about.

What keeps me passionate is the ever-evolving nature of the field. Every day, there’s a new tool, a better automation strategy, or a more efficient cloud solution. Working at VISA UK, where reliability and security are critical, makes the work even more rewarding because I know my contributions directly impact millions of transactions daily.

Daily Times Nigeria: Building a career in DevOps as a professional in a competitive tech space can be tough. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

Cynthia Duru: One major challenge was the steep learning curve. DevOps requires knowledge in coding, cloud platforms, networking, security, and automation—it can be overwhelming. Early on, I dedicated time to learning through online courses, certifications, and hands-on labs.

Another challenge was breaking into the industry, especially as a woman in tech. I overcame this by building a strong GitHub portfolio, contributing to open-source projects, and networking with professionals in the field. Persistence and continuous upskilling were key.

Daily Times Nigeria: What makes a great DevOps engineer, and how can aspiring professionals develop these skills?

Cynthia Duru: A great DevOps engineer is problem-solving-driven, automation-focused, and collaborative. You need to understand both software development and system operations while constantly looking for ways to optimize workflows.

For aspiring engineers, I recommend:Mastering Linux and scripting (Bash, Python) Learning cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).Gaining hands-on experience with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions).Understanding Infrastructure as Code (IaC) (Terraform, Ansible)Networking with professionals and joining DevOps communities.

Daily Times Nigeria: VISA operates in a high-stakes financial environment. How do you ensure system reliability and security in your role?

Cynthia Duru: At VISA UK, security and uptime are non-negotiable. We implement automated monitoring (Prometheus, Grafana), robust CI/CD pipelines with security checks (SonarQube, Snyk), and disaster recovery strategies.

We also follow strict compliance standards (PCI-DSS) and use infrastructure as code to maintain consistency. Every deployment undergoes rigorous testing, and we practice blue-green deployments to minimize downtime.

Daily Times Nigeria: What emerging DevOps trends or tools excite you the most?

Cynthia Duru: AI-driven DevOps (AIOps) is a game-changer—using machine learning for log analysis and anomaly detection. GitOps is another trend gaining traction, where Git becomes the single source of truth for infrastructure changes.

Tools like ArgoCD for GitOps, Kubernetes for orchestration, and Terraform for IaC are transforming how we manage infrastructure. I’m also excited about serverless computing and edge computing, which are reshaping deployment strategies.

Daily Times Nigeria: How do you balance automation with the need for human oversight in critical systems?

Cynthia Duru: Automation speeds up processes, but human oversight ensures safety. We implement automated rollback mechanisms and manual approval gates for critical deployments.