Sadia Tahseen is an Information Technology Lead working for UL Solutions, a Safety & Compliance multinational company headquartered in Chicago. She leads many Integration Initiatives at the company. She is a technically proficient, highly analytical Senior IT professional with comprehensive global expertise across various domains including Software Development, Application Architecture, IT Operations, Integrations, Cloud Infrastructure, Databases, Disaster Recovery, Project management, IT architecture, Software upgrades and migrations. For over a decade, she focused on providing consultative guidance on enterprise application integration architecture, service-oriented architecture and cloud computing technology. She is an experienced speaker at various International Oracle conferences. She has published papers and articles on various portals like Oracle Technology Network, International SOA Magazine& Oracle Journals. She is often invited as panel judge or moderator at technical conferences. She is also an esteemed member of OATUG which is the world’s largest education, networking and advocacy forum uniting Global Oracle users and customers. She was nominated for Tech Evangelist 2020 at Women in IT awards for which she came as a runner-up. She was also nominated for Rising Star in STEM award in Global Women in Tech Awards 2021. She has also implemented a critical multi-million-dollar project which won her a team award at company.
In this interview, she shares her experience in building a successful career in IT and gives valuable advice to aspiring professionals on how to develop in this field of technology.
Sadia, can you tell us a bit about your journey?
My journey began with a fascination for how systems communicate. Starting as a middleware software developer, I quickly realized the power of integration in shaping enterprise agility. Over the years, I’ve worked on a broad spectrum of projects—from basic implementations to large-scale multi-domain transformations using middleware technologies. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with amazing teams, present papers globally, and lead projects that earned industry recognition.
Sadia, you’ve had an impressive journey leading many complex technology projects in multiple multinational companies. What key moments defined your professional development?
The opportunities I got along the way and excelling in them defined my professional growth. Paper Presentation Engagements at various International Oracle conferences have opened pathway to more client engagements & project opportunities and working with multinational clients has helped shape my career and drive my passion for Technology.
You mentioned that one of your projects at UL LLC got a Recognition Award for your team in the company. Tell us more about this project.
At UL LLC, I led many projects but there was one multi-year, $12 million cloud migration project which won UL Award and Recognition. This initiative modernized the myUL client portal, serving 10,000 active customers globally. I played the prominent role of Middleware Technical Lead where we built many Integrations to support various transformation activities between multiple on-premises and cloud applications. I was involved with the project from Inception to after go-live where I participated in Program Increment (PI) planning workshops, Led Integration Architecture, Execution, Deployments, Testing, Monitoring & Reporting. The outcome significantly got us excellent customer feedback and rewarded our team with a Recognition award at our CEO Briefing Meeting.
Sadia, you’ve published papers and spoken at Oracle Tech conferences. What topics do you usually focus on?
I mainly present White Papers & Case studies of my technical solutions in delivering successful Integration projects to my clients. I write and speak on my approach taken while integrating new ideas & initiatives in my presentations. When you start showing how integration accelerates business outcomes-people listen. I also cover topics like Application Integration patterns, Best practices, upgrades and migrations.
Sadia, the middleware space has evolved drastically. What major shifts have you observed?
The biggest shift is the move from traditional on-premises SOA to cloud-native integrations, OIC. Tools like Oracle Integration Cloud have made integration more agile, scalable, and developer-friendly. Another key trend is the rise of event-driven architecture and microservices. Integration is no longer a backend task—it’s a strategic enabler for digital transformation.
Sadia, what advice would you give to professionals looking to build a career in middleware and integration today?
Stay curious and hands-on. Technology is evolving rapidly. Understanding the business impact of integration is just as important as the technical side. Master the fundamentals of APIs, event-streaming, and cloud security. Also, platforms like Oracle Cloud keep adding powerful features, so continuous learning is key. Contribute to community forums, share your findings, and don’t hesitate to publish your work or present at conferences.
Only a combination of deep subject knowledge and IT expertise will ensure the competitiveness of a specialist. You should not underestimate soft skills either. The ability to communicate effectively, work in a team, manage projects and make informed decisions in conditions of uncertainty are critical for career growth. Develop these skills along with technical competencies. It is important to be open to continuous learning and development.
Thank you, Sadia for sharing such valuable insights. You’re clearly someone who’s not just building systems but shaping the future of integration. Thanks for the inspiration and I wish you further success in conquering new heights!
Thank you for your interesting questions! It was my pleasure to share my thoughts and insights. The best part of tech is the people who build it together.
