Even as a child, Helena Sernec preferred playing with her brother's toy cars to dolls. It was also early on that the native Slovenian decided to study mathematics. After jobs at a Slovenian software company and a London marketing firm, her professional path led her to AVL in Graz ten years ago. "I was thrilled to be back in software development, especially at a company that had done pioneering work in the development of test systems for various drive technologies" recalls the Senior Test Manager Software, who develops software and applications for the automotive industry in her Data Management & Integration Software department.

Variety of tasks 

As an engineer, Helena integrates customer systems for the testing and production of engines in a wide range of vehicles - from cars to trucks to helicopters. What does the mathematician enjoy most about her job? "Working with customers and the variety of my tasks, which constantly present me with new challenges". The Senior Test Manager, who deals with customers and colleagues all over the world, is particularly proud of the fact that her team has enabled the integration and cooperation of several AVL products - both software and hardware - in a single solution: "Our AVL PEMS Data Management Solution™ offers complete automation of the RDE test processes, and we are now developing a similar solution for the battery drives."

Eyes on the prize 

The mathematician advises young people interested in a STEM career to follow their own path and pursue their goals and dreams. "Even if things get difficult or you are faced with challenges. You always have to look for the nice and exciting sides of a job - then the rest will fall into place". Helena's next project is to integrate the data management solution for another major automotive company. "A big advantage for our customers is the central database for all test results, which provides a clear overview.” The security and confidentiality of this data is already guaranteed during transmission. “I enjoy seeing satisfied customers and visiting them in their development areas to learn more about their work. This knowledge is particularly valuable as it adds practical insight to the theoretical understanding.