What does it take to make split second decisions on a world stage, with cameras, coaches, athletes and thousands of spectators watching your every move? Alongside her work as a .NET developer and AI specialist, Tessa spent years climbing to the highest level of international jiujitsu refereeing, eventually becoming the first woman in the Netherlands to earn the ‘World‑A’ level, the highest refereeing certification in the sport.

In this session, she reveals the surprising parallels between world class refereeing and leadership in tech. The same principles that drive top level arbitration also define effective technical leadership: clarity, confidence, preparation and the ability to stay calm when everything is moving fast.

Through stories from international tournaments, intense training and years of high stakes arbitration, Tessa shows how the mindset required at the highest level of sport directly translates to modern engineering teams. From handling pressure and making confident decisions with incomplete information to learning from mistakes and continuously improving your craft, this session connects elite performance to everyday leadership challenges in tech.

You will walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately:

• How to stay calm and effective under intense pressure
• Techniques for making fast and confident decisions with limited information
• Why preparation and deliberate practice matter more than talent
• How to build resilience and recover from mistakes without losing momentum
• What world level performance teaches about leadership, trust and team dynamics
• How these principles strengthen your work as a developer, engineering professional or tech lead

• Target audience: developers, tech leads, managers, anyone interested in performance psychology
• Session type: inspirational / leadership / personal experience
• Technical level: non‑technical (suitable for all audiences)
• Preferred duration: 45 minutes
• Requirements: projector + audio