Belma Herenda Munich
Software Engineering Team Lead · Munich

Engineering leadership, grounded in delivery and team trust.

Over eleven years in software engineering, seven years at Germany's premier comparison portal CHECK24, and more than five leading cross-functional engineering squads. Focused on scaling backend architectures, optimizing high-concurrency MySQL databases, and turning developer groups into autonomous, high-trust teams.

View Printable CV → Read selected work ↓
Belma Herenda
Belma Herenda CHECK24 · Munich
11+ Years in Software Backend & distributed systems
7+ yrs CHECK24 High-traffic German consumer portal
5+ yrs Engineering Leadership Mentorship, hiring & delivery
MySQL Core Specialization High-concurrency query optimization
Selected Work

Leadership & Systems Architecture

Key initiatives spanning people leadership, high-throughput relational databases, and developer onboarding.

01 /
Team Leadership · CHECK24

Scaling Engineering Squads & Delivery Culture

Transitioning from senior individual contributor to empowered team leader at CHECK24. Establishing predictable Scrum delivery cycles, active mentorship, and cross-functional ownership.

5+ years
Squad Lead
02 /
Database Systems

High-Throughput MySQL Architecture & Query Optimization

Analyzing and tuning mission-critical relational database clusters. Eliminating query bottlenecks via composite indexing, lock minimization, and zero-downtime schema migrations during peak traffic.

< 5 ms
Target Latency
03 /
People & Culture

Empowering Developers: Onboarding & Mentorship

Building structured onboarding programs ("Neue Mitarbeiter") and pairing systems that cut developer ramp-up time in half while fostering psychological safety and blameless reviews.

Week 1
First Prod Deploy
Career

Professional Experience

Eleven years of consistent delivery across engineering leadership, core backend services, and relational databases.

CHECK24 Oct 2021 – Present (5+ yrs) Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Software Engineering Team Lead

  • Squad Leadership: Lead an agile engineering squad owning core comparison backend services and high-traffic transactional workflows for millions of active German consumers.
  • Delivery Cadence: Implemented structured Agile/Scrum ceremonies, bringing predictability to sprint velocity and transparent roadmaps with product stakeholders.
  • Database Performance: Spearheaded critical MySQL optimization initiatives: resolved query bottlenecks, introduced composite indexing, and executed zero-downtime schema refactorings.
  • Hiring & Onboarding: Championed developer recruitment and structured onboarding ("Neue Mitarbeiter"), pairing new hires to safely deploy production code within week one.
CHECK24 Apr 2019 – Oct 2021 (2.5 yrs) Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Software Developer / Senior Developer

  • Backend Architecture: Engineered high-volume microservices and third-party API integrations for core comparison modules.
  • Promotion to Lead: Advanced from senior developer to team leader based on architectural consistency, calm execution under pressure, and natural peer mentorship.
FORIENT LIMITED Feb 2018 – Apr 2019 (1.3 yrs) Remote / International

Software Developer

  • Developed RESTful web services, backend APIs, and optimized query execution across distributed international products.
H&H Inc d.o.o. Feb 2015 – Feb 2018 (3 yrs) Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Software Developer

  • Designed MySQL schemas, business workflows, and web applications across diverse client deliverables from requirements through deployment.
Capabilities

Technical & Leadership Foundations

Leadership & Delivery
  • Teamführung · Squad Leadership
  • Neue Mitarbeiter · Onboarding & Hiring
  • Developer Mentorship · 1-on-1s & Growth
  • Agile / Scrum · Sprint Cadence
  • Cross-Team Alignment · Stakeholder Comms
Backend & Databases
  • MySQL Optimization · Query & Index Tuning
  • Modern PHP · Clean Architecture
  • Microservices · Distributed Systems
  • RESTful API Design · Integrations
  • Zero-Downtime Migrations · Schema Design
Engineering Craft
  • Code Review Standards · Quality Gates
  • Automated Testing · CI/CD Pipelines
  • Docker & Containers · Local Environments
  • Blameless Culture · Postmortems
  • B.Sc. Information Technology · Univ. of Tuzla
Endorsements

In Their Words

“Belma was one of the best developers I worked with during my time as a team leader at CHECK24. She did an excellent job of making the necessary shift in mindset from lone wolf to team leader. She is one of the few leaders I have had the pleasure of working with who brings passion, enthusiasm, energy, and integrity to her team and brings it out in her team members.”
Alexander Pape
Alexander Pape Software Engineering Leader · Managed Belma at CHECK24
“Belma is a standout engineering leader who pairs rock-solid backend craftsmanship with an empathetic, high-trust leadership style. She empowers engineers to take ownership, sets high standards for system quality, and consistently delivers under complex business requirements with calmness and clarity.”
Vasil Kulakov
Vasil Kulakov Engineering Manager · Colleague at CHECK24