William Deck, 38
Early forays into coding and crypto mining put William Deck on path to help bring cryptocurrency into mainstream finance.
A Java course in high school drew William Deck to computers early in life, and for college he followed in his older sister’s footsteps by heading to Drexel, where he enrolled in computer science. That has led to a rich and varied career and, eventually, to the frontier of cryptocurrency. Right out of college, he hit the ground running as a software developer with Unisys, working for the mainframe networking team. He moved from junior to senior engineer and then joined the world of finance, with a job on the research computing team at Susquehanna International Group. In 2017, Deck took the entrepreneurial leap and helped fellow Drexel alumni and fraternity brothers form a crypto mining startup, where he ran hardware as CTO. Then it was back to Susquehanna for a job on their cryptocurrency trading desk. He eventually rose to become lead developer of Susquehanna Crypto, managing 12 engineers across three time zones. Drexel laid the foundation for all of this. Deck launched his career with a co-op at GuideWorks, a Comcast subsidiary, where he did smoke-testing and quality assurance for set-top boxes. His last two co-ops took him to grid operator PJM, where he worked as a junior system administrator for the Unix team.
“These two vastly different areas of work would soon lead me to a not-yet-invented career of DevOps.” William Deck
Even as he focuses on building his career in his novel field, Deck takes special satisfaction in his life outside the office. “While I am quite proud of my body of work, my crowning achievement is being a father to my three wonderful children and a husband to my wonderful wife Rebecca,” he says. “Without their support, I would not have had the success and opportunities that I have had.”
In his own words…
My Greatest Accomplishment:
The leap of faith I took in 2018 to help found a startup with some fellow Drexel graduates. This chance I took allowed me to discover how hard I was willing to work to make something my own. It taught me that there is so much that can be accomplished with hard work and perseverance.
How Drexel Shaped My Path:
Drexel introduced me to many fantastic people, many of whom I am still friends with today. These people helped me through co-ops, study sessions, work and even fatherhood. These friends help remind me about what is important in life and without whom I would not be where I am today.
Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:
In five years I hope to continue to be at the forefront of financial technology while mentoring the next generation of technologists. I hope to become more involved in giving back to the community both professionally and personally. I also hope to be making new lifelong memories with my family as they grow. DM
