“I’ve always been excited about tinkering with things,” says Momar, our colleague from the Philippines. “As a 90s kid, I was usually the first one figuring out the ‘tech’ problems at home.” A Betamax player that ate a tape. A FamiCom or NES waiting to be set up for the weekend. A makeshift surround sound system built from whatever was available. These were some of Momar Balsamo’s earliest encounters with technology, long before it became his career.
That curiosity naturally led him to computers. He became passionate about cleaning, restoring and building PCs before pursuing a computer-related course that paved the way for a career in software development and technology.
Today, Momar is a Quality Assurance Manager in WTW’s Outsourcing North America Product and Technology team. Having joined the company in 2016, he is celebrating his 10th year with us.
Taking on technology change together
One of Momar’s proudest achievements has been his involvement in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Governance group, which led the full transition of his line of business.
As Test Lead, he also took on project and change management responsibilities throughout the journey, from Citrix Workspace and virtual machines during the pandemic to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows Kiosk.
What made the project rewarding was balancing the needs of hundreds of users, collaborating with multiple IT teams and helping deliver a solution that was both effective and cost-efficient.
Momar emphasizes that this was a shared achievement: “None of it would have been possible without the outstanding governance team I had the privilege of working with.”
Keeping people at the center
Momar’s perspective on the future of technology ultimately comes back to people. “Even though this industry is built around technology, the solutions we create should always put people at the center.”
As technology becomes increasingly automated, he believes technical skills will remain important, alongside empathy, communication and human connection.
His advice to anyone considering a career in technology is simple: “Never lose sight of the people you’re building for.” As technology advances, Momar believes there is even greater value in professionals who understand the importance of being human and put genuine connection at the heart of what they do. It’s a perspective that has stayed with him from those early days of tinkering with technology to the work he does today.
Staying curious
Technology rarely stands still and neither does Momar’s curiosity.
He places a lot of importance on understanding something before taking action, describing himself as “an ‘intense research before you decide’ kind of person.” He brings that mindset to technology by reading articles, watching videos, attending town halls, asking questions and joining training sessions and workshops whenever possible.
For Momar, staying curious goes beyond finding out what is new. It is about understanding how new ideas and technologies can become something valuable for himself and his team. Momar admits he was initially hesitant about Artificial Intelligence (AI) because he worried it might replace people like him in the workplace. But investing time in learning, researching and experimenting with technology changed his view. “I now see AI as an enabler rather than a replacement.”
He sees AI as an opportunity to explore ideas that might previously have seemed too ambitious or unrealistic and turn them into something tangible. It is that ability to accelerate creativity and problem-solving that excites him most.
Technology keeps evolving, but people remain at the heart of the solutions we create. If you’re looking for a career where you can explore new ideas, collaborate with others and help turn possibilities into impact, discover technology opportunities at WTW.
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