Meet Suthawan (Kate) Sukhum, Senior Software Developer, Ovation Fertility
Kate Sukhum, Senior Software Developer Kate Sukhum has been providing her tech expertise to the Center for Surrogate Parenting, an Ovation® Company, since 2003. She’s proud of all her contributions to the team, but the one that stands out the most is helping to develop the CSP database of surrogates.
How did you get into your line of work?
I’m from Thailand, and I came to the United States to complete my master’s degree in computer information systems. After earning my degree, I moved from Detroit to Los Angeles. When I got to LA, I worked at IT consulting firms and for Universal Studios. I also worked for a radio station.
What’s an average day like for you?
As the senior software developer, I provide cross-team assistance to Ovation and CSP. In general, this involves programming and answering emails. I also do monthly data processing for financial reporting.
The project that’s my baby is the electronic case manager system for surrogates. I made the system originally, and now I work with our team to make sure everything is working smoothly. Our surrogate case managers keep track of so much detailed information, so my goal is to provide a tool that helps make their job easier.
What’s your favorite part of working for CSP/Ovation?
When it comes to CSP, I love that it’s a collaborative and friendly environment. Everyone works together to support each other in getting work done and having a great time doing it. I think this is why people tend to work at CSP for such a long time.
As for Ovation, I enjoy being part of a cross-functional team that allows me to both contribute and learn something new every day.
Do you have a favorite memory from your role?
When I first started with CSP, they were doing surrogacy case management on paper, so my job was to create a digital system to manage their surrogates. It was a big task to undertake at that time, but it was so worth it because it has made everything much easier for the team, and it’s still a system that we use today.
Our case managers can be more efficient, and we have capabilities like data mining. I’m very proud of my contribution because I’ve created something that makes everyone’s lives easier as we help intended parents have a baby with help from a surrogate and our team.
What do you like to do outside of work?
It’s so important to relax and recharge. I like to spend my down time doing things like seeing family, going to the movies or dinner with friends, hiking and watching sports.