References

Églantine H. Product manager, BlaBlaCar

Translated from French to English

I had the opportunity to work with Alban for a year as a Product Manager in the same team. I particularly appreciated his calm and collected approach, which allows him to approach complex problems with confidence. Technically very strong, he knows how to propose relevant solutions and implement them effectively. What also sets him apart is his ability to keep user impact in mind and to explain complex technical aspects in simple terms, which greatly facilitates collaboration within the team.

Benoit R. Software engineer, BlaBlaCar

Alban and I were both part of the same squad at BlaBlaCar. He was the senior-most backend engineer when I joined the team, and our most experienced engineer overall. What struck me then was how Alban handled the natural authority that comes with such heritage. Alban has opinions, built over the years of experience, and skills to back them up. But he also cares. He cares that his team understands what it’s doing. He care that opinions are voiced, so the teams learns from considering them openly. He cares that his team his proud of what they deliver. Alban will explore the deepest darkest parts of technical debt with care. He will write specs for business-critical features with care. He will draw out workflow proposals with care. But he will also do it all with skill. He represents a lot of what senior engineers should strive for, and I was glad to count him as a peer.

Thomas C. Software engineer, BlaBlaCar

Translated from French to English

For over two years at BlaBlaCar, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Alban on several complex projects, and I can say that I felt his added value at every level.

On a technical level, he stands out for his ability to create simple, clear, and effective designs, even for highly complex issues. I particularly appreciated his ability to imagine “out of the box” solutions, which, over time, prove to be very good decisions. His code is always readable, elegant, well-tested, and easy to evolve. His PR reviews are qualitative, well-reasoned, and informative, which allows the entire team to progress.

In terms of coordination and communication, Alban has repeatedly proven that he knows how to step back and lead major projects (both from a functionality perspective and on issues related to observability, SLO definition, high availability, etc.). His communication is clear, tailored to his audience, and he knows how to take the lead when needed. He doesn’t just point out problems: he proposes and implements concrete solutions, whether to resolve technical dependencies or improve collaboration between teams.

Finally, I’ve seen in him a true driving force for cooperation and collective intelligence. He takes initiatives to improve how to team works (e.g., clarifying the role and objectives of certain meetings) and actively contributes to creating a positive work environment. Always responsive and cheerful, he also helps less experienced people grow.

In short: a long-term technical vision, an ability to deliver with confidence, and a real strength for the team. Working with Alban is not only efficient, but also truly enjoyable.

Jérémy B Software engineer, BlaBlaCar

Translated from French

For three years, I had the pleasure of working with Alban in BlaBlaCar’s Search squad, him as a backend developer, me as a frontend developer.

In addition to his solid expertise in the Java/Spring ecosystem, Alban knows how to imagine, present, and implement robust, end-to-end solutions with the right level of abstraction. He places great emphasis on the scalability (ability to make it evolve) of these solutions. His experience allows him to understand that the relevance of a technical decision is primarily judged by the evolution of the product, and he enjoys this challenge. The quality and reliability of the deployed code is also a central concern of his, which he demonstrated by being one of the first architects of the implementation of SLOs.

Among Alban’s human qualities, I was particularly struck by his pedagogical approach, which I observed both during technical discussions and during more product-oriented discussions. He knows how to adapt to his interlocutor, rephrasing, in order to find a common language and, ultimately, a consensus. This pedagogy was also used to support more junior profiles. Personally, I will remember Alban for his invaluable assistance when I wanted to develop my backend skills. He helped me get my foot in the door, with patience and kindness.

Alban was undoubtedly a pillar within our team, and his leadership qualities naturally led him to successfully lead cross-functional projects involving several teams.

Working with Alban means having an independent, reliable technical partner with an excellent collaborative spirit. I highly recommend him.