Mapping out an IT career

June 2008

Just over a decade ago, Sallina Lee (BComp(InfoSys)(Hons) 1997) graduated from Monash University with a goal to pursue a career in IT. Having spent most of her professional career working for a Hong Kong-based IT company, Ms Lee is happy to say her dream is being realised.

“Since I got my first computer at the age of nine, I was addicted to technology and hoped to one day work in a related field,” she said.

Ms Lee joined Esri China (Hong Kong) nine years ago as a senior system analyst and was recently promoted to the role of project manager. At Esri, Ms Lee’s main focus is to find geographical mapping solutions for clients.

“Esri is the world’s leading provider of geographic information systems or GIS. GIS is computerised software that links geographic information, like where things are, with descriptive information: what things are like. So instead of looking just at a flat paper map, GIS can tell you a vast amount of information about a particular location, building, business or government organisation,” Ms Lee said.

“Many companies have this information but GIS just gives it some more perspective.”

“I work on developing new software. One of my major projects was the design of a GIS-based centralised pollution complaint database for the Hong Kong Government’s Environmental Protection Department. The database aimed to help improve the decision-making process for managing pollution complaints from the public,” she said.

“One of the best things about working at Esri is that we are usually the first to test the latest technology in Hong Kong. We develop many large-scale strategic solutions for governments and transportation companies.”

Ms Lee believes her Monash degree has assisted her at Esri.

“The training I received at Monash, particularly in my Honours year, taught me ways of thinking about and adopting new technology. My IT course helped me to not only understand GIS technology but also how to apply that knowledge,” she said.