Get to Know the Team – Simon
Welcome to our Get to Know the Team blog series! Each month we are shining the spotlight on one of our own, giving you the opportunity to get to know each member of our Wealthbit family a little bit better.
Proudly South African at its core, Wealthbit is growing into a truly global business with teammates around the world who work with passion and dedication to our ideals. From Cape Town to South Korea, Salt rock to the UK, we want to introduce you to some of our phenomenal colleagues who are taking the South African financial management world by storm.
Today, we're introducing you to Simon van Dyk, our Chief Technical Officer. If you haven't met Simon van Dyk yet, it's high time you got to know this amazing guy! Simon is based in London, United Kingdom, and brings a unique set of skills and experiences to Wealthbit and we're excited to share his story with you.
As the CTO (as well as a contributing developer), Simon is responsible for figuring out how the apps are built and empowering the team to do the same. He brings his broad knowledge and technical expertise to the table, making him the ideal person for the job. Simon enjoys the extensive responsibilities of his role in a small team. This both challenges and stimulates him.
*Fun fact: In Simon’s early career he gave many technical conference presentations, both locally and internationally (even though he says he isn’t particularly skilled at speaking, we beg to disagree) and earned himself a Tech Nation endorsement and obtained one of the best work visas available when they moved to London in 2018 with his wife Jen.
Simon has been a part of the Wealthbit family since February 2022, but he was part of the initial product development team that built the first version of Wealthbit between 2017-2018.
When you work with Simon, you'll get quality work, clear communication, and a deep understanding of our platform and the importance of financial health. Simon understands that financial health is just as important as overall health and he's passionate about helping others achieve financial stability. That is why Simon’s care for people is deeply rooted in why he believes in our work here at Wealthbit; to help empower people to create and manage their own long-term financial plans so they can stop worrying about whether they have “enough” money and instead focus on living their (finite) life.
What makes Simon so special is that he's not just a tech whiz, but he also genuinely cares about people. He values equality and justice and puts in a lot of effort to ensure everyone's voice is heard and that he's creating an equitable environment where people feel safe and can be vulnerable. This is what makes people enjoy working with Simon. He's a great listener, and he's always there to support his colleagues.
Simon is an adventurous spirit who loves to travel and experience new cultures. He enjoys making delicious food and experimenting with new recipes, and one day he hopes to publish his own recipe book. Simon is also passionate about design and photography, and he enjoys learning more about these subjects. Despite not being a big fan of sports, Simon still watches Formula 1 on Sundays as this was a pastime he used to do with his dad. He has also been known to play the occasional game of CS:GO.
One of Simon’s top-traveled places has been Iceland. He went on his honeymoon there 10 years ago and is returning there for his 10-year anniversary later this year.
In conclusion, to say Simon van Dyk is a valuable member of the Wealthbit team is an understatement. He is a core component of Wealthbit and our team. He is dedicated to helping our clients achieve financial health and freedom, and he is passionate about mentoring and coaching his team.
We are lucky to have him on board. He's a tech expert, a great colleague, and a caring person, making him the perfect person to help Wealthbit achieve its goals of empowering 1 billion people!