As the technical lead on the new Detour updates coming to Sync’s Service Adjustment features—Glen is certainly a champion for transit. Now, let’s take a deeper dive into what makes him tick.

1. What gets you most excited about the world of transit?
Public transit is a cornerstone of what makes a city feel truly livable. When visiting a new city people often highlight the food, the people, the architecture, and the transit. It’s easy to forget about, and people are used to taking both bad and good transit as a given, but it is something that is changeable. The opportunity to help improve the lives of millions of people—even in a subtle way—is an incredible gift.

2. Tell us about your role on the GMV team?
I’ve been a software engineer at GMV since 2019. Our engineering team is not large, and everyone is expected to interact with a wide range of technologies and systems. I’ve had the opportunity to contribute across multiple product areas—from the applications our drivers use, to our web applications, to backend systems, and even the physical infrastructure that supports our operations. My focus lies in the intersection where our custom applications meet our underlying infrastructure, solving the unique challenges that arise in that space.

3. What’s one of your favorite things about the GMV culture?
I think GMV has done a good job of hiring people who are kind! The culture is built on mutual respect and patience, which creates an environment where everyone feels supported—even in high-pressure situations. This foundation allows each of us to perform at our best, knowing that we’re working alongside colleagues who care about our success as much as their own.

4. Can you tell us about one of your proudest, funniest, or more interesting GMV moments?
I’ve had the chance to tackle some particularly tricky bugs in our underlying vendor software. From resolving issues with VMware’s PID watchdog to debugging state management problems in Akka.net, and navigating quirks in Kubernetes—these kinds of bugs provide few clues and can manifest in bizarre ways. They require a great deal of attention to detail and patience to resolve. Getting to the root cause of these issues is immensely satisfying.

5. Last but not least: what’s a fun fact about you that few others might know?
One of my hobbies is creating primitive ceramics. I’m always on the lookout for natural clay and often have a bucket and shovel in my car. After processing it, I craft vessels using neolithic techniques and fire them in a campfire, just as people have done for thousands of years. It’s an enriching hobby that combines anthropology, geology, chemistry, and art—each piece is a unique, hands-on journey through history.