AI Insights

After years of consistently demonstrating technical excellence and ownership, Lead JavaScript Software Engineer Anatolii Zinhan was recently appointed Head of Compliance in the JavaScript division. Since stepping into the role, he has introduced meaningful improvements, streamlined key processes, and strengthened the function’s value across the division. We sat down with Anatolii to learn more about his journey, the challenges he’s tackled, and his vision for compliance going forward. 

What drew you to JavaScript development, and how has your journey evolved? 

Software development blends creativity with logic, allowing us to build innovative solutions that automate complex and risky processes. It’s a constantly evolving field, requiring ongoing learning – whether it’s new architectures, frameworks, or best practices. The ability to collaborate with driven, knowledgeable people makes it even more rewarding. 

Were you always interested in code quality, security, and best practices? 

Yes, they are critical to creating reliable and maintainable software. Senior developers naturally take responsibility for upholding high standards. A well-structured, secure, and maintainable codebase benefits both developers and businesses, ensuring longevity and efficiency. 

How did your transition to Head of Compliance happen? 

It’s been six months already! When the opportunity arose, I saw it as an exciting challenge. My priority was improving compliance processes, systematising results, and ensuring our work benefits the division. Most importantly, I wanted to strengthen reliability and security across our projects. 

What does compliance mean for the JS division? 

Compliance in the JS division means making sure our code meets industry standards and follows relevant regulations. It’s about keeping our applications secure, writing clean and maintainable code using best practices like CI/CD, proper logging, and thorough testing, and making sure we respect legal requirements such as GDPR and data protection rules.

What is the role of Compliance in the division? 

Compliance in the division plays a key role in setting and maintaining delivery standards across the JS teams. This involves regularly checking the health of our software, managing tech configurations in GitLab, gathering feedback from teams to improve our practices, and enhancing our health checks with more technical depth. The ultimate goal is to make sure our compliance efforts genuinely support both developers and the broader business. 

What were the biggest compliance challenges before you took on this role? 

One of the biggest challenges was improving the Health Checks, particularly finding ways to automate the auditor’s tasks to make the process more efficient. Since then, we’ve been working on making everything more transparent, well-documented, and easier to follow. We’ve also focused on gathering better feedback, testing a new technical section in the Health Checks, and building a tool to help collect project data more effectively. 

How do you see Compliance evolving in the next few years? 

I see Compliance becoming more closely aligned with the division’s goals and more deeply embedded in our everyday processes. Over time, we’ll likely see better collaboration across teams, clearer documentation that makes onboarding smoother, and a development environment that’s not just more efficient but also more secure. 

Many developers see compliance as a blocker. How do you maintain standards without slowing development? 

It’s important for all management levels to support compliance and show that it’s a service, not a restriction. We focus on making it part of the workflow – automating quality checks, keeping developers informed so it feels natural, and encouraging open communication between developers, compliance teams, and clients. This way, we can maintain high standards without getting in the way of progress. 

How do you engage developers in compliance? 

I try to make compliance feel like a natural part of the daily workflow rather than an added burden. We use a bit of gamification – things like leaderboards and small rewards for compliance efforts, we also run regular training sessions to keep everyone up to speed. Clear, easy-to-follow documentation also helps reduce confusion. Altogether, these efforts keep developers engaged and make compliance something that supports their work, not slows it down. 

What’s one piece of compliance advice for JavaScript developers? 

One key piece of advice for JavaScript developers is to think about privacy and security right from the start. Get familiar with regulations like GDPR and CCPA, write secure code to avoid vulnerabilities, and make sure you’re regularly reviewing and auditing your work. Being transparent with users about data collection and consent isn’t just a legal requirement – it also builds trust and sets your project up for long-term success.