The MacCast Unconventional — Shari van de Pol

‘I was always okay to do things that were unconventional’ — Grad Shari van de Pol on making big career changes

When Shari van de Pol graduated from Computer engineering in 2001, she stepped into what was seemingly a dream job — working in software development for IBM. And for a decade, it was rewarding, but eventually something didn’t quite feel right. Looking to follow her passion, Shari made the decision to leave her career, follow her heart, and go back to school for veterinarian medicine.

And it was a switch that has helped her cultivate a rewarding career that blends her knowledge about software and technology with a natural interest in the health and care of large animals. Now, she’s an entrepreneur and owner of CATTLEytics, which seeks to help livestock clients solve difficult problems through innovative hardware and software solutions.

As she reflects on her career journey, Shari says she is starting to also look forward. Through partnerships with larger agricultural tech firms, such as TELUS Agriculture, Shari and her team can contribute to enhancing farming practices around the world.