Cécile Tonglet
Profile
For the past several years, I've been using Rust to build everything from WebAssembly libraries to event-driven architectures, low-level IoT binary abstractions, and data modeling systems. Rust's combination of safety, performance, and expressiveness lets me tackle problems that would be risky or inefficient in other languages.
I'm the author of gptman and mbrman, both packaged in major Linux distributions like Fedora and NixOS — sometimes even used in their installers. I've also contributed to the Rust Yew framework. These started as tools I needed for my own work, but getting feedback from users discovering them in unexpected places always reminds me why I love building software that others find useful.
AI has become essential to my workflow, but not as a crutch. I use it for error detection, improving naming, exploring unfamiliar codebases, and handling tedious but straightforward tasks. It amplifies my productivity and code quality — but I'm always the one making the critical architectural decisions.
I've been using Linux since I was 15, over 25 years, starting with Debian and Slackware, spending years on Arch, and now experimenting with NixOS. The terminal is where I'm most productive — scripting solutions rather than clicking through interfaces. On the infrastructure side, I've built serverless architectures on AWS managed through Terraform, and favour Nix locally for reproducibility.
At 40, I've learned to balance engineering excellence with pragmatic delivery. I'm not afraid of diving into large codebases or unfamiliar systems, and I aim for the sweet spot where code is well-architected enough to evolve cleanly, but ships fast enough to deliver real value.
Skills
| Core Languages | Rust, Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Scala, C, Bash, Perl, SQL |
| Web & Frontend | WebAssembly, React.js, Redux.js, RxJS, HTML5, CSS, Webpack, Node.js |
| Backend & APIs | Django, Django REST Framework, GraphQL, SPARQL |
| Infrastructure | Docker, Docker Swarm, Terraform, AWS, Serverless, CI/CD, Raspberry Pi |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite |
| Tooling & OS | Git, Linux (NixOS, Arch, Ubuntu, Debian, Gentoo, openSUSE), GStreamer, Odoo |
| AI Tools | GitHub Copilot, Anthropic Claude, OpenCode |
| Other | Open-Source Software, Data Modelling, Distributed Systems, Coaching |
Languages
| French | Native |
| English | Professional proficiency |
Notable Projects & Open Source
-
gptman
↗ github.com/rust-disk-partition-management/gptman
A GPT partition table manager written in Rust. Packaged in major Linux distributions including Fedora and NixOS, where it is sometimes used in the distribution installer itself. -
mbrman
↗ github.com/rust-disk-partition-management/mbrman
An MBR partition table manager written in Rust. Also packaged in Fedora and NixOS. -
Yew framework
↗ yew.rs
Contributor to the Rust/WebAssembly frontend framework Yew. -
Apollo Router
↗ github.com/apollographql/router
Early core contributor to Apollo's high-performance federated GraphQL gateway, specifically the query planner engine. Now a widely adopted project in the Rust ecosystem.
Experience
Founded an independent Rust consultancy offering remote software development services internationally, specialising in backend systems and WebAssembly. Alongside client work, provided one-on-one mentoring to developers learning Rust, working collaboratively on real projects with hands-on code reviews to accelerate their growth.
- Built an embedded WebAssembly web application enabling real-time data visualisation and remote configuration of IoT devices
- Developed a core communication library for IoT devices, improving system structure and robustness
- Created data models for configuration screens and device communication protocols
- Set up internal tooling and CI/CD pipelines, streamlining development workflows and improving overall engineering standards
Joined Apollo Router as a freelance core developer in its early stages, contributing over 8 months to the query planner — the core engine responsible for federated GraphQL query planning and execution across distributed services. Helped lay the architectural foundations of what has become a widely adopted high-performance GraphQL gateway in the Rust ecosystem.
Contributed to CLI tooling and developer experience improvements within the Polkadot ecosystem. Provided support and enhancements to command-line interfaces, helping to streamline developer workflows in the blockchain development environment.
Short mission where I built a captive portal system and configured Linux environments for 3D video recording devices. Developed an embedded web application for real-time video and audio streaming, creating a complete solution for device setup and content delivery in a hardware-based video streaming platform.
Developed user interface components and features for a data governance platform. Left to pursue freelancing opportunities and engage in shorter, high-impact projects offering greater variety and technical challenge in the Rust ecosystem.
Completely rewrote the TenForce Web application front-end to make it fast, responsive, and easier to maintain.
Worked with semantic technology, building backends for OAuth login, Docker Compose & Swarm administration, and an import service using the Play framework and Scala. Also improved test coverage and set up continuous integration everywhere.
Worked as a backend developer in a small, agile team of 3 developers within a ~10-person company. Contributed to the design and development of core platform features enabling Belgian fiduciaries to seamlessly connect with banks and social secretariats (Group S, Partena, etc.) to retrieve financial and payroll data.
- Developed and maintained a REST API used by clients to integrate and interoperate with the platform
- Implemented new business logic across internal services, translating domain requirements into reliable backend solutions
- Built internal reporting tools to support operational monitoring and business insights
- Participated in infrastructure maintenance and troubleshooting to ensure platform stability
Managed a development team and maintained a platform for migration services, including web services, while providing deeper technical support on complex tickets.
Developed from scratch a distributed migration platform using Python, Odoo, and Docker to make deployment much easier — with AWS-hosted workers designed to scale under load. Still receiving great feedback on this from former colleagues.
Recommendations
"I had the pleasure of working with Cecile Tonglet during her time with us at IMI, and I can confidently say she made a marking impact on our IoT development efforts. Cecile is a true expert in Rust, and her technical depth translated in a very short time when she joined us into tangible results for our team. She built an embedded WebAssembly-based web application that enabled real-time data visualization and remote device configuration, giving users powerful, intuitive control over live device feeds and parameters. Beyond that, she developed a core communication library for our IoT devices that significantly improved the structure and robustness of our system. In addition to her development contributions, Cecile was instrumental in setting up some of our tools and CI/CD pipelines, streamlining our workflows and raising the overall engineering standard of the team. Cecile is someone you can trust to take ownership of complex challenges and deliver high-quality results. I would highly recommend her to any team looking for a skilled and impactful engineer."Jean-Christophe Carette — Head of Technology, IMI Climate Control · April 2026
"I worked with Cecile for almost five years in my role as a tester, and during that time she stood out as one of the most meticulous and skilled Python and Rust developers I collaborated with. She was always easy to reach, worked quickly and precisely, and brought a calm, thoughtful approach that made teamwork smooth and efficient. Beyond her work on the core product, she took the initiative to build a wide range of internal tools for testing, debugging, and troubleshooting. These tools significantly improved our workflows and made daily work easier for the entire team. Her attention to detail and steady execution helped us consistently deliver products that met customer expectations. Cecile was a dependable professional whose contributions genuinely strengthened the team."Jan Toman — Test & Support Engineer, IMI Hydronic Engineering · April 2026
"I really enjoyed working with Cecile at IMI. She's a talented Rust developer with great problem‑solving skills, clean code practices, and a strong ability to design efficient, well‑structured solutions that keep projects moving forward. On top of that, she's easy to work with, positive, and always brings great energy to the team. Any company would be lucky to have her!"Jimmy Goffaux — Ingénieur tests, IMI · April 2026
"Cecile is an amazing developer, she is quick and does high quality development, with very good maintainability and stability. The Rust development she does for us is perfectly adapted for our embedded application."Victor Hittinger — Head of Sales Switzerland, IMI Climate Control · November 2023
"I had the chance to work with Cecile and really appreciated her approach to software development. She stays calm and pragmatic when things get complex. You can rely on her to deliver fast, but at the same time she consistently puts care into building things properly with the long term in mind. On top of that, she's easy to work with. Thoughtful, collaborative, and straightforward in her communication. I can strongly recommend her to any team looking for a dependable developer."Yohan Boogaert — Software Developer, RustMinded · March 2026
"I worked with Cecile at TenForce and remember her as an adaptable and positive engineer who was open to new challenges. During that time, she worked across different areas: from backend microservices and frontend to various DevOps tasks. She took on each transition willingly, even when it wasn't her primary area of expertise, and focused on getting things done. She was reliable, practical, and brought a positive energy to the team. I would be happy to work with Cecile again and can recommend her to any team looking for a versatile and dependable engineer."Andriy Lisovoy — Senior Software Engineer, CoreLedger · April 2026
"I worked with Cecile at Tenforce and I admired how sharp and technically strong she was. She consistently delivered high-quality work and approached problems with good judgment and a practical mindset. Just as importantly, she was genuinely great to work with: reliable, collaborative, and someone who made the day-to-day work better. I look back very positively on the time we worked together and would strongly recommend her."Cristian Vasquez — Consultant – Knowledge graphs and Agentic solutions, Self-employed · March 2026
"I met Cecile when we both worked at Odoo. She's one of the best developers I know, with a huge technical knowledge and a seemingly endless desire to know even more. She's also a very kind and listening person."Nicolas Vanhoren — Software Engineer, EURESYS · November 2021