Ellen Schellekens: From childhood code experiments to building infrastructure at scale at KBC
When Ellen Schellekens speaks about her job at KBC, one thing becomes instantly clear: she’s someone who loves to build — and never stops learning. From cobbling together her first websites as a curious teen to leading infrastructure projects for one of Belgium’s biggest banks, Ellen’s path is driven by quiet confidence, hands-on growth, and a touch of childhood wonder.
Early sparks: inspired by pixels, guided by family
Ellen’s love for tech didn’t begin in a classroom, it started at home, in a house full of computers and curiosity. “My dad worked in IT, so we always had computers around. I grew up playing games like Freddy Fish,” she laughs. But it was watching her older sister build websites that lit the real spark. “She was writing HTML and CSS, and I remember thinking: wow, I want to do that too.”
With a stack of her dad’s programming books in hand, Ellen taught herself the basics. By high school, she was already creating websites. “I didn’t code much for a while, but just before university, I picked up Python, I knew it would come in handy later.”
From chemistry dreams to computer code
Ellen didn’t head into university with tunnel vision. “I was torn,” she says. “On one hand, I loved the idea of working on batteries and renewable energy — making a real-world impact. On the other hand, programming had always been fun.”
So she played it smart: a broad engineering programme to explore both. After the first year, the choice became clear. “Computer science just clicked. It matched better with my strengths and way of thinking. Besides that main reason, I also had an added benefit: my sister had done the same degree, so I already had a better view of what was waiting for me.”
Starting small, thinking big
Ellen’s first job was at a scale-up, working on machine learning models that could scan and understand invoices. “The company consisted of 60 to 80 people, I recall. In my team, the one working on the invoice recognition solution, there were just three of us. That was intense, but I learned a ton.”
Still, something was missing. “I loved the brainy side of AI, but I kept craving something more hands-on. I wanted to build.”
She dipped her toes into infrastructure work on the side, but juggling two roles made it hard to fully dive in. So when a position at KBC popped up, focused on cloud infrastructure, she knew: this is it.
Why KBC: mentorship, scale, and impact
For Ellen, the move to a larger company was mainly about learning and mentorship. “At my previous job, there was only one person doing infrastructure. He did his best to help and mentor, but he was also managing the entire company’s infra, so his time was limited. At KBC, I’m in a team of twelve. Everyone’s working on similar problems, so I can learn from many people. That was a conscious choice.”
At KBC she found not just expertise, but also trust. “I’ve been here just over two years now, and I’m already tech lead for our product. That means I get to shape the future of our platform. And that trust, those opportunities, mean a lot to me.”
Being in a larger organisation also comes with a different kind of rhythm and reach. “There’s more structure, and you collaborate across many teams. That makes networking and internal alignment really important, and it creates a lot of opportunities too.”
Why infrastructure feels like Lego
At KBC, Ellen’s work might live in the cloud, but it’s far from abstract. “We build infrastructure that helps other teams — especially data scientists — work safely and efficiently with AWS services,” she explains. “Deploying models, running predictions, testing tools — we make all of that possible behind the scenes.”
It’s not just lines of code. “We design systems, write Terraform, run security threat modelling, document everything, get approvals — and then support the people using it all. Some days I’m debugging; other days I’m presenting to a room full of users. It’s deeply technical, but also very human.”
What keeps her hooked? “You build something and you see it. You go into the AWS console and all the components are there, working together. It’s like Lego: small blocks, big structures. That tangible sense of creation? That’s what I love.”
What she values: growth, support, and psychological safety
Joining KBC didn’t just grow Ellen’s tech skills — it grew her. “A few years ago, the thought of presenting to a big group would’ve freaked me out,” she says. “Now I’ve stood in front of rooms full of data scientists giving live workshops. Younger me would be shocked.”
And she credits KBC’s culture for creating space to grow. “They offered me the tech lead role. I didn’t ask for it. That kind of trust, that’s motivating. It makes you want to rise to the challenge.”
Racing ahead without losing control
For Ellen, the biggest challenge in tech right now is speed — and staying smart about it. “AI is moving crazy fast. It’s exciting, but in a bank like KBC, security isn’t optional. We have to keep up without taking shortcuts — and that’s a tough balance.”
Still, that rapid pace is what makes tech so thrilling to her. “There’s always something new to dive into. The hardest part? Choosing which rabbit hole to go down next.”
For women in tech: choose your space, and back yourself
Asked what advice she’d offer to women stepping into tech, Ellen doesn’t hesitate. “Pick your environment wisely. Even if you’re the only woman in the room, you should feel respected. If you keep feeling like ‘the odd one out’, maybe the issue isn’t you, maybe it’s the room.”
She credits much of her positive experience to thoughtful choices. “I always ask to meet the team before saying yes. If there’s no spark, no click… I don’t join. It matters who you work with.”
And for those stuck at a crossroads? “If a decision feels difficult, it usually means you have more than one good option. Just pick one; and go all in.”
Looking ahead
Will Ellen one day become a product owner? A system architect? Everything is possible. “Right now, I enjoy being close to both worlds. I like that I don’t have to choose just yet.”
What she’s sure of: KBC gives her the space to grow. “There’s trust. There’s room to explore. And there’s always something new to learn. For now, that’s exactly where I want to be.”
From playful websites as a teen to cloud infrastructure for one of Belgium’s biggest banks, Ellen’s story shows what’s possible when curiosity meets opportunity, and when you build your path one thoughtful piece at a time.
