Diederik Greveling is the CTO of Xebia Base, a division of Xebia focused on data, machine learning, and cloud infrastructure. With a background as a data engineer and a Master of Science in Computing Science graduated cum laude, Diederik has played a key role in growing Xebia Base into a thriving business. Even as a leader, he stays hands-on by actively programming and sharing his knowledge at conferences. His approach blends a deep technical foundation with practical leadership, keeping him connected to the fast-evolving world of technology.
In the episode, Diederik shares how his early curiosity for building things with just a keyboard set the stage for a career focused on experimentation and continuous learning. He talks about the importance of balancing leadership duties with staying technically relevant, especially in emerging fields like AI. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for humans, he sees it as a tool to enhance work by automating repetitive tasks and enabling more meaningful contributions. By developing reusable infrastructure, his team has sped up AI deployments and introduced solutions like GenAI chatbots in production. He also discusses the challenges involved in integrating AI into organizations, from managing stakeholder feedback to creating roles focused on AI governance. Looking ahead, Diederik believes AI will augment jobs and emphasizes the need for responsible innovation and ongoing iteration to build trustworthy systems.
