Who is Mike?
Mike was born in Moscow into a student family deeply engaged in science and engineering. His parents, both researchers, instilled in him from an early age a strong sense of intellectual curiosity, rigor, and a love of learning. He is the second child in a close-knit family, in which he grew up in a stable and caring environment shaped by values of solidarity, responsibility, and mutual support.
Images of Okhtyrka, where Mike partially lived.
Shortly after his birth, the family moved to various cities in Eastern Europe, following his father’s professional assignments as a design engineer. Mike therefore spent his childhood in medium-sized towns, where he developed early independence and a strong curiosity about the world around him.
An inventive and passionate child, he became particularly interested in railways and mechanical technologies—an interest encouraged by his father, an enthusiast of railway model building. This fascination with complex systems, movement, precision, and mechanics would remain a constant throughout his life.
During his schooling, Mike quickly demonstrated remarkable aptitude for languages, particularly English, which he studied in an advanced curriculum. At the same time, he discovered computer science and programming at a time when these fields were still largely inaccessible. From a very young age, he taught himself programming on the family’s first computers, developing calculation programs and later graphical applications. His passion for technology soon became central to his path and has never left him.
A Hewlett-Packard HP 9821A, which could be used to perform trigonometric functions, derivatives, and more, fascinated Mike when his father brought it home.
The economic upheavals of the 1990s made family life more difficult. Despite this demanding context, his parents actively supported his interest in new technologies, convinced of his potential. Mike grew up in an environment that taught him early adaptability, resilience, and a strong work ethic—qualities that would leave a lasting mark on both his personal and professional trajectory.
After completing secondary school, Mike briefly began medical studies, a pragmatic choice shaped by the constraints of the time. He soon realized, however, that his true vocation lay elsewhere. He took advantage of access to computer laboratories to deepen his programming skills, while working in parallel at a printing house as an operator of computer-controlled machinery. He also became involved in student cultural life, particularly through music, founding a band in which he played the guitar—a passion he would retain throughout his life.
Aware that his future lay in technology and software engineering, Mike redirected his path toward computer science. He moved to a large university city, where he quickly secured a programming position through a competitive selection process. This marked the true beginning of his professional career in software development. At the same time, he continued his university studies, gradually building a profile as a specialist recognized for his seriousness, rigor, and technical expertise.
Mike with his father and sister at the Ufa Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI), where he won a competitive selection process that led to his first programming position.
At the end of the 1990s, driven by a deep desire for openness, stability, and freedom, Mike made a decisive choice: to leave Eastern Europe and settle in Western Europe. He aspired to live in a space founded on the rule of law, cooperation between nations, and freedom of movement. When he left his country of origin in 2000, he did so with hope, determination, and a clear intention to build his life in Europe through his skills, his work, and his personal commitment.
Integration in Belgium and a European Path
Upon his arrival in Belgium in the early 2000s, Mike had, in the literal sense, no material possessions and did not yet hold a work permit. His professional future was uncertain, despite solid technical skills and a genuine desire to integrate. At that time, he was accommodated in a reception center for political exiles in Couvin, far from major economic hubs and largely isolated from the labor market.
It was in this context that he sent a handwritten job application to a Belgian software development company, Co-Link, which was then experiencing rapid growth. The company specialized in advanced database publishing solutions designed to automate financial reporting for investment funds—an exacting, highly regulated, and high-value technological sector. Despite the unusual nature of the application, an interview was arranged.
Very quickly, Mike stood out for his seriousness, rigor, motivation, and technical skills. Convinced of his potential, Co-Link decided to hire him and to take responsibility for the administrative steps required to regularize his situation. A work permit application was submitted under the status of highly skilled worker, involving complex and demanding administrative procedures, which ultimately succeeded. Mike thus obtained a work permit and began working fully and legally in Belgium.
The first company Mike worked for in Belgium, Co-Link, 2002
When he arrived, Mike did not yet speak French. He immediately committed himself to learning the language alongside his professional activity. His integration was rapid, both linguistically and socially. The relationship with the team was excellent, and his commitment never wavered.
For nearly ten years, Mike worked at Co-Link with unwavering dedication. He distinguished himself through his availability, reliability, analytical intelligence, kindness, and continuous self-development. A demanding autodidact, he built deep expertise, particularly as an Oracle specialist, and made a decisive contribution to the company’s projects. Throughout this period, he demonstrated constant motivation, without ever showing any lapse in professionalism or commitment.
His integration into Belgian society was complete. He learned French, held stable employment, and fully respected the country’s laws and institutions. This exemplary integration naturally led to his Belgian naturalization (while he retained his Russian passport), obtained relatively quickly in light of his professional, social, and linguistic record.
In 2010, Co-Link was acquired by the Luxembourg-based company Kneip. The technical team, of which Mike was a member, was integrated into the new structure. This transition led to a professional move to Luxembourg, where Mike continued working within the technical team. He remained with Kneip for several more years before joining Luxair, again in highly qualified IT roles.
On a family level, Mike built his life in Western Europe, while his family remained dispersed across Eastern Europe. His father settled in Saint Petersburg, while his mother and sister live in Poland. Despite the distance, family ties have remained close.
May 2024