Cisco director of engineering on managing agents: I’m not working more, but work can feel more intense

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sergio Freitas, senior director of engineering at Cisco, based in Lisbon, Portugal. His identity and employment have been verified by Business Insider. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I started as a software engineer, became a manager, and currently work as a director of engineering at Cisco, with four teams based in Portugal.