The 10 Most Impactful Women in Technology 2021

ISSN 2582-127X

October 2021

1 T H E

Strategizing Leadership: Women and the Cloud Industry

MOST IMPACTFUL

WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY

2021

D I LN A Visnick DIRECTOR, EDUCATION SECTOR

CHERRYROAD TECHNOLOGIES The Role of Women in Scalping up AI and Data Science

The Power of Women in Technology is Evolving to House More Leading Talents

D

iversity has become a buzzword in the corporate landscape. To foster an allencompassing workforce, it needs to start at the top. That is one reason why the upcoming years will start decorating the leadership roles with women. Female

leaders are already making a remarkable stance in the tech circle and are devising a strategic

future for the next generation of women to come. The ever-evolving, imaginative and inventive face of technology has welcomed an enormous number of women and in future, it is anticipated to grow beyond the 50% mark.

Historically, women have been left out of the computing field. The worst case is that they have played a big role in building the computing industry from ground up, but were often silenced and not given the recognition they deserved. Women's voices and ideas can be found throughout the footprints of computers and technology, starting from introducing calculations in the early days to leading the global level artificial intelligence companies today. Fortunately, things have changed in the 21st century. Bringing dawn for women in technology, their leadership roles and talents are standing by them to showcase their presence.

Equality in technology starts from the root. Yes, education is the root here. For so many years, the pervasive myth that women are 'right-brained' and therefore more suited to creative or spontaneous pursuits have continued. But the tech sector is breaking the odds to recruit more women in leading roles where they can stand as an icon of power and creativity at the same time.

Every company is, or is fast becoming a technology company. From simply having a website to using a digital payment system, deploying AI-enabled chatbots or designing a self-driving car, all organizations are engaging in technology. As capabilities grow, many companies have also had to rebalance the gender gap that has long created a scar across the globe. As technology has advanced, diversity has retreated, employing more women to lead digital transformation. Diverse and inclusive workplaces are eleven times more innovative than non-diverse organizations. Better representation of women in tech will help to ensure that products and services are designed with them in mind. Therefore, the tech industry should promote more female leadership roles and male leaders should also introduce inclusivity to ensure that women in their company are treated respectfully and fairly.

Despite the increase in women playing leading roles in tech, the industry still needs to gear up in order to promote equality in the workspace. According to a report, just 23% of people working in STEM roles are female, while only 5% of leadership positions in the technology industry are held by women. However, the fate of women in technology can be changed by taking small initiatives every day. With business leaders anticipating a growing tech skills shortage, now is the right time for the sector to tap into the underutilized female talent pool and start levelling up the playing field.

- Adilin Beatrice

Ashish Sukhadeve

Adilin Beatrice

Aratrika Dutta

Disha Sinha

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Manager

Content Analyst

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Satavisa Pati

Sayantani Sanyal

Nikita Das

Manasa Muthyala

Content Analyst

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Marketing Manager

Research Analyst

Dharmendar Passi

Kushagra Gupta

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Sales Manager

Creative Head

Marketing Analyst

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SEO Analyst

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CONTENTS

08

Linda Visnick CherryRoad Technologies

48 Strategizing Leadership

ARTICLES

Women and the Cloud Industry

64 The Role of Women in Scalping up AI and Data Science

18

24

32

Cathy Chandhok

Jennifer Harris

Sandra Trittin

Infogain

Sandstone Technologies

tiko Energy Solutions AG

36

50

40

Cherry Yeung

Jacqueline Teo

Jennifer Lee

Azendian Solutions

Azendian Solutions

Intradiem

56

66

72

Kirsteen Forisky

Shiana Siruma

Soraya Meirmans

LEAP Legal Software UK

Strata Results

You Sir

08

Cover Story

Linda Visnick

Observing the Business World with an Innovative Eye

A

s industries are migrating to cloud computing, CherryRoad Technologies

offers many solutions, products, and services for modern businesses.

With the company's expert solutions, individuals can stay connected to

their agencies, departments, and first responders. If a company is in the midst of its digital transformation journey, CherryRoad can offer advice on the best path forward, the right strategies, and create a map for your desired outcomes. Leading the innovative teams at this company is Linda Visnick, who has an eye for creating customer-centric solutions that put an end to concerning issues.

09

“

Our vision is to build community engagement.

This means we deliver technology solutions that create the highest and most critical return on investment—stakeholder engagement. We help our clients align business strategy with digital technology to modernize the enterprise applications, promote social safety, and serve their customers or citizens better.

Our vision is to bring secure, easily accessible, and always available technology innovations to the communities

- Linda Visnick Director, Education Sector CherryRoad Technologies

w w w. c h e r r y r o a d . c o m

10

“

where we work, live, and play.

Helping Companies Prioritize Performance and Value

CherryRoad Technologies Inc. is a US-based IT services provider specializing in strategic cloud consulting, software modernization, cloud hosting, colocation, network infrastructure and cloud managed services.

CherryRoad has successfully delivered on-time and on-budget services to over 500 public sector clients for 38 years.

The company has partnerships with Oracle, Infor, and DocuSign and has delivered 2000+ projects including PeopleSoft, E-business Suite, Oracle Cloud and Colocation engagements to state and local governments, transportation authorities, K12 school districts and more. It has several offices in North America and Asia with consultants averaging 12+ years of experience.

CherryRoad provides comprehensive technology system implementations, integrations, upgrades, and managed services that maximize performance and value for the customers. For almost four decades, the company has earned a solid reputation for combining its technological, organizational, functional, and vertical market expertise into practical solutions that deliver results, specifically with public sector clients.

CherryRoad Technology's

flexible approach and methodologies enable it to structure engagements that best meet its clients' specific needs.

The company is particularly proud of its high customer retention rate. When asked why they keep returning, a common thread ran through all of its clients' responses, it all comes down to CherryRoad's people. The company only employs seasoned professionals who stay focused on its clients' business issues and consistently perform to exceed their expectations.

Putting Experience to Work

Linda Visnick, Director, Education Sector of CherryRoad has 30 years of experience in the business of education and technology. She has led school districts at the executive level in various roles such as Assistant Superintendent of Business Administration, prior to transitioning to the technology arena as the Executive Director, in a modernization, improvement, and transformation initiative where she implemented ERP solutions to replace legacy systems. She was asked to transition from the business side of the organization to the technology side of her knowledge of the business and leadership skills to lead such a complex implementation.

With her experience on the business side of the organization, Linda brings a unique perspective to the technology realm that transitions to other public sector entities. Soon after the success of that implementation, she joined CherryRoad Technologies as Director, Education Sector. In addition to her previous role, Linda has been involved in the ERP implementations of more than 60 education agencies.

She understands the value that cloud

11

applications can bring to streamline business activities, reduce duplication of effort, provide analytics for better decision making, ultimately reducing costs and increasing profits. Her knowledge of cloud tools has enhanced her role at CherryRoad Technologies to include opportunities to bring communities together through cloud services and solutions.

Collaborating Like a True Leader

Linda had the benefit of building relationships across all the business functions that helped her to move to the technology field. Even though she had knowledge of the business needs, Linda still had to recognize that she didn't have all the knowledge and experience of others who surrounded her.

Too often, we think we know what is needed without actually listening to our peers. Linda believes that it is paramount to let go of one's ego and engage in conversation. “Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand or need to seek a deeper understanding. Observe the nuances of the room.

What is not being said is just as important as what is being said”, she added.

At one point through an ERP implementation, the company was seeking feedback about how they could improve on the products being provided.

There were clients in the room, large and small. The small clients generally felt intimidated by the larger clients so wouldn't provide input. Having read the room and drawing out conversations from all individuals, a business leader from one of the small clients brought forward an idea. When the team stopped to listen to the idea, they found that they could develop an analytical solution that could benefit other client agencies. Utilizing the cloud, the tool was made available for other client's editing and data analysis. Gathering and compiling others' ideas is key to leading.

Defeating Every Challenge Her Way

Linda had the opportunity to move into a leadership role at a relatively young age. Having that opportunity presented challenges, especially since there were very few women counterparts running the business of a school district.

There were groups that socialized outside of the workplace, which naturally lent to friendships and comraderies. Linda felt left out of opportunities as a result. It forced her to step out of her comfort zone and to participate in ways that enabled others to hear her voice. Linda joined organizations that enabled her to meet others throughout the State. She participated in committees that enabled her to provide presentations on the topics where her knowledge could be shared. She led groups that brought together other colleagues so that people who were new to their role or profession could learn from the veteran staff. Soon, Linda was being featured in a magazine for the work that she had done. The exposure allowed her to create relationships that were inclusive and, as a result, bring value to a much broader base than if she had stayed narrowly focused on those immediately surrounding her.

12

13

Vital Attributes of Every Transformationa l Leader

Linda believes that leaders need to have the ability to inspire others. There is so much that is encompassing in that one statement. She explains that if others are inspired by you, then ultimately you are leading with integrity and honesty. If you are honest with others, they will be honest with you. Being strategic is imperative. Hope is not a strategy. Having a penned-out strategy demonstrates thought leadership with an intentional eye and ear to the needs of the community you are supporting. Having a clear strategic plan that is easily communicated makes for easy support of your vision, ultimately leading to success. Lastly, having the resilience to overcome challenges is important. She further adds that throughout your career, you will be faced with adversity at every turn. You can act as a victim, or you can identify the path that will make you better and more valuable to the organization and client base for which you are serving.

Innovating to Solve Pain Points

CherryRoad Technologies holds 38 years of indepth expertise in servicing the state government entities. It understands the unique issues and challenges public agencies face. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, qualified labour resources are more difficult to find and retain, budget pressures grow, and government oversight and regulations continue to increase. These factors, combined with heightened demand for services by constituents, make consistent management and standardized processes a challenge to achieve. The company's Enterprise Solutions team is comprised of experienced professionals from both the business world and public sector.

Based on its interactions with the clients, including surveys and research papers, CherryRoad Technologies matches an automation solution that caters to this sector pain point. For example, it launched Digital Town Hall, a virtual meeting solution designed specifically for government meetings with their citizens. Similarly, Digital School Board and Shark UTM were designed with the features needed by K12 school districts. Minority/Women Business Entities (M/WBE) compliance reporting hurdles for state agencies are resolved through Diversity Commitment Management (DCM) Solution and so on and so forth.

14

Leveraging Technology for Well-being

The adoption of cloud infrastructure is rapidly increasing across public sector environments. The Covid-19 Pandemic acted as an accelerator for the adoption rate of cloud as it forced to trust in cloud technologies at a rapid pace. Quickly, CherryRoad Technologies clients learned that cloud platforms could be trusted with mission-critical workloads while providing scale and agility that legacy infrastructure couldn't match. At a time when citizen stakeholders were demanding solutions that were accessible from hand-held devices, at any time, from anywhere, Cloud became the enabling technology that ensured secure access, high availability, and social safety. The company has seen statistics that say 81 percent of companies with 1,000 employees or more already have a multi-cloud strategy. That number will rise to more than 90 percent by 2024.

The Road to the Future

The team believes that CherryRoad is very well positioned to maintain its leadership position in modernizing and transforming legacy environments.

They have already seen its clients begin to shift from a focus on modernization to a focus on optimization.

That's really all about

understanding how work happens in an agency model and the optimal workflows that deliver efficiency. So, it's not just about the technology, it is also about process, change management, workforce management, and more. Having supported public sector clients for more than 38 years, the company possesses all of this industry domain knowledge and expertise that its clients can lean into and increase their speed to value. Said differently, the company can really help its clients realize the 'promise' of digital technologies.

Advice for Budding Women Leaders

“Don't let roadblocks hinder you from growing as a leader”, said Linda.

Roadblocks open up opportunities for a different path. Finding your own path will enable new relationships that will broaden your knowledge and understanding. New relationships and broadening your knowledge may send you on a path of change. “At worst, you've gained new understanding and relationships. At best, you have created a successful path to propel you into the future”, she concludes.

15

Linda Visnick

Jennifer Harris

Director of Educa on Sector

Head of Marke ng & Business Intelligence

CherryRoad Technologies

1 T H E

Sandstone Technologies

Linda Visnick is the Director of Educa on Sector at CherryRoad.

She has over 30 years of experience in educa on and technology business. Linda has led school districts at the execu ve level in various roles such as Assistant Superintendent of Business Administra on, prior to transi oning to the technology arena as the Execu ve Director, in a moderniza on, improvement, and transforma on ini a ve where she implemented ERP solu ons to replace legacy systems.

Jennifer Harris is the Head of Marke ng and Business Intelligence at Sandstone Technology. She is responsible for overseeing the global marke ng func on, market trends, business data and analy cs, which enables her to build their partner ecosystem and marketplace. Throughout her career, Jennifer has led teams of marke ng professionals and was involved in business development roles across mul ple industries.

www.cherryroad.com

www.sandstonetechnology.com.au

Cathy Chandhok

Sandra Trittin

Chief Marke ng Officer

Co-Founder & CBDO

MOST IMPACTFUL

WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY

2021

Jacqueline Teo

Shiana Siruma

Global Chief Digital Officer HGC Global Communica ons

VP-Customer Solu ons APAC Strata Results

Sandra Tri n is the Co-Founder and CBDO of ko Energy Solu ons AG. She studied business administra on and holds an MBA from the Business Schools of Mannheim, Copenhagen, and Warwick. She began her career at a management consultancy by working in the areas of process op miza on and supply chain management. Sandra is good at combining technical/engineering topics with her know-how in the business.

As the Chief Digital Officer of HGC Global Communica ons, Jacqueline Teo makes digital transforma ons and innova ons ubiquitous. She has a finance background and started as a junior accountant a er gradua ng college. Jacqueline's break-in technology came from her love of travel and later, she joined a technology consul ng company.

With the emergence of 3G and smartphones, she began her journey and explored many amazing technological advances.

Shiana Siruma is the Vice PresidentCustomer Solu ons APAC at Strata Results. She is mo vated by the passion for a people-focused environment and flourishes in mee ng with global leaders and engaging for impact. Shiana manages strategies for brand awareness and promotes company offerings through various pla orms such as social media, TV, radio, and live web streaming. She is also an industry-agnos c execu ve with work experience in diverse sectors.

www. ko.energy

www.hgc.com.hk

www.strataresults.com.au

Jennifer Lee

Soraya Meirmans

Kirsteen Forisky

Ellen K. Pao

Infogain Cathy Chandhok is the Chief Marke ng Officer of Infogain. At her role, she is deeply focused on accelera ng customer experiences, an cipa ng market trends, and delivering on the company’s value proposi on as a human-centered digital pla orm and so ware engineering company. Cathy holds an MBA and a BA from the University of Michigan and regularly presents at industry marke ng events in India and the United States. www.infogain.com

ko Energy Solu ons AG

Chief Strategy Officer

CEO

Head of Innova on

Co-founder & CEO

Intradiem

You Sir

LEAP Legal So ware UK

Project Include

Jennifer Lee is the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Intradiem. Jennifer started her journey in the company as the Director of the customer success department, where she helped in building the organiza on to aid customers in driving adop on of its pla orm. Currently, her role revolves around ge ng to know Intradiem’s customers and understanding their challenges.

Later, she works with them to build automa on solu ons to address those challenges.

Soraya Meirmans is the CEO of You Sir, a company building strong connec ons with users to leverage pleasant user experience during each step of customers’ lifecycle, from a rac ng to retaining and expanding. A er taking computer science as an elec ve in schools, Soraya got a racted to technology and completed the ‘Communica on and Mul media Design’ program at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Later, her tech background helped her co-found You Sir.

Kirsteen Forisky is the Head of Innova on for LEAP Legal So ware UK. She holds many responsibili es in her role including so ware development, customer service and CRM, nego a ons, and new business development. Kirsteen is not only passionate about her work but also loves how LEAP is benefi ng thousands of law firms and legal prac oners across the world, helping to improve their performance and the results on casework.

As the Co-founder and CEO of Project Include, Ellen K. Pao works closely with tech leaders to bring fairness to all tech workers, using data-based, prac cal solu ons and recommenda ons. She also served as an interim CEO of Reddit. Before that, she spent seven years as an investment partner at Kleiner Perkins. During her two decades in Silicon Valley, she worked as a board member, engineering manager, and business development execu ve.

www.intradiem.com

www.you-sir.com

www.leap.co.uk

www.projec nclude.org

Cathy Chandhok Chief Marketing Officer Infogain

18

Leveraging Meaningful Interactions to Enable Enhanced Customer Experiences in the Digital Landscape

I

nfogain is a human-centred digital platform and

impact for the clients. This year, the company has been

software engineering company based out of the

recognized as the world's second-fastest-growing

Silicon Valley. The company envisions business

engineering services provider. It has also been

outcomes for Fortune 500 companies and digital natives

positioned as the Star Performer and the Major

in the fields of technology, healthcare, insurance, travel,

Contender in the Everest Group's Software Product

telecom, and retail, and CPG by using technologies like

Engineering Services PEAK Matrix assessment for 2021,

cloud, microservices, automation, IoT, and artificial

and has also has been accoladed as the Major Contender

intelligence by focusing on accelerating an experience-

in the PEAK Matrix assessments for next-generation

led transformation in the delivery of digital platforms.

quality assurance services and digital interactive

Infogain is also a Microsoft Gold Partner and an Azure

experience (IX) services for 2020.

Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP).

A Brilliant Leader Showcasing Engineering Excellence to Deliver a

Cathy Chandhok, the Chief Marketing Officer at Infogain

Meaningful Impact

is the one who is leading the company with top marketing

Infogain's motto, “Engineering Business Outcomes”

practices. Since the completion of her in MBA from the

showcases their engineering excellence and mission to

University of Michigan, Cathy has focused on brand

deliver meaningful and measurable solutions to drive

management, digital marketing, and marketing tech. At

19

“ Build a talent for genuine communication, as absorbing ideas without judgment or knee-jerk reaction, is the key to building anything lasting.

“ - Cathy Chandhok Chief Marketing Officer Infogain

w w w. i n f o g a i n . c o m

20

Infogain, she leads the development and execution of the

Mukerji has inspired her to focus better on corporate and

company's marketing by focusing on customer trust and

solutions strategy, world-class operations, and incisive

thought leadership. As the CMO, her role is to focus on

organizational moves.

improving customer experiences, anticipating market trends, and delivering on Infogain's value proposition as

Components that Make a Successful Transformational

a human-centred digital platform and a software

Leader

engineering company.

Cathy opines that the transformational leaders should

Her teams are located all across India, Asia-Pacific, the

not put off tough decisions and they must learn to align

Middle East, and the US to easily orchestrate marketing

their decisions with clearly defined vision, values, goals,

strategies that promote digital transformation and

and objectives.

platform-based solutions to the Fortune 500 companies.

Cathy feels that anyone can take risk, but transformational leaders take calculated risks that rely

Each Role, Each Place that Taught a Lesson

on their instincts and o their team's intelligence. Hence,

Cathy expresses that over the years, her professional

she claims that aspiring leaders should always seek new

journey has been a combination of different places. With

ways to respond to the constantly changing business

each important step, a city also had a prominent role to

environment as they will always be surrounded by

play. She started from Copenhagen in global product

competitors.

management where she built the campaign analytics function at one of the big three in Detroit, and now she is

Working Together with Customers to Enable

crushing executive management, general marketing,

Innovation

branding and communications here in India.

Cathy trusts in working together with the clients from

Working in cross cultural environments for decades

the early stages of strategy by constantly asking them

together enabled Cathy to efficiently serve different

“what if?” and “why not?” and believes in simultaneously

markets in India by envisioning things from a global point

co-creating a vision of digital platforms delivering

of view and Her teams are located across India, Asia-

meaningful customer experiences. By working at this

Pacific, the Middle East, and the US to orchestrate

100k foot view, the team can understand the

marketing strategies that promote digital

interdependencies and roadblocks impeding the clients'

transformation and platform-based solutions to Fortune

progress towards digital platforms. “This bird's-eye view

500 companies and thereby crafting messages which

is the perfect spot to sense market needs and design

resonate with the customer's unique needs.

solutions that achieve superior outcomes for the clients”

Additionally, collaborating and learning from great

comments Cathy.

minds in various industries like Infogain's CEO, Ayan

21

Keeping Abreast of the Industrial Revolution

In the last decade, India has emerged as an IT hub for

Cathy remarks that the rapid technological advances in

global software companies and has also become the

digitization have been reshaping the business landscape,

world's largest sourcing destination for the IT industry.

supercharging performance, and enabling the

As the size of India's digital economy is increasing, IT

emergence of new business innovations. The industry is

companies are establishing their centres in Tier II and

witnessing the advent of the fourth industrial revolution

Tier III cities which is further enhancing the growth and

or “Industry 4.0”. The fourth industrial revolution is

reducing the existing disparities. Currently, Infogain is

essentially a digital revolution, and a revolution of

focusing on digital innovation, platform innovation, and

technological breakthroughs, such as RPA, AI,

platform foundation. Recently, as the company joined

blockchain, and the internet of things. All of this

the private equity network of APAX Partners, the team is

accelerated massively during the pandemic and that

l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o ex p l o r i n g m o r e b u s i n e s s

acceleration is only increasing. This tech-driven

opportunities and is already in preliminary talks with a

revolution will force many companies to change their

few companies. Further, its focus also remains on

operating paradigm, from being manpower-intensive to

building senior leadership that will help the company

being technology-centric. Further, digital

grow at 20-25% in the coming years. Infogain remains

transformation will be a critical driver on how companies

committed to achieve meaningful outcomes for both the

will continue to deliver value to their customers in a

customers and employees. The company is excited to be

highly competitive business environment, with artificial

with them on their individual growth journeys.

intelligence (AI) being a central enabler of digital transformation in several industries.

Words of Wisdom for the Emerging Leaders

According to her, amidst this massive change, the human

Cathy advises emerging leaders to value time and to

element remains key to effective leadership. Some

spend it wisely, like money. “It is crucial to identify the

principles, such as those described in “Anatomy of Peace”,

activities that will make the biggest impact, then to work

remain constant. Certain other aspects have also

smarter to get them done. Every year one's goal should

changed, since effective leaders devote more time to

be to contribute 10% more as compared to last year”

understand an employee's personal wants and

adds Cathy.

aspirations, making unprecedented accommodations to

She asserts that focusing on developing a personal

empower team members to contribute in new ways,

learning plan for the year and spending 5 to 10 hours a

from new workspaces, and at flexible times.

week working on that plan will help one grow. "Create a vision board to envision yourself in job roles that require

Envisioning a Future with Growth and Development

more responsibility. Maintain a good work-life balance

India is at the centre of global attraction for information

and take regular breaks to enjoy time with your family on

technology and is considered a knowledge powerhouse.

vacations, etc" concludes Cathy.

22

Jennifer Harris Head of Marketing & Business Sandstone Technologies

24

Setting New Standards in Business Intelligence by Leveraging Innovation in the Global Market

J

ennifer Harris is the Head of Marketing and

marketing professionals and was involved in business

Business Intelligence at Sandstone Technology.

development roles across multiple industries. She

She is responsible for overseeing the global

originally came to Sandstone Technology to help build

marketing function, market trends, business data and

out their proposition through the marketing and

analytics which enables her to build their partner

communications function.

ecosystem and marketplace.

Jennifer stated, “Knowing your own strengths and

Sandstone Technology was founded over 25 years ago by

limitations can help you in creating high performing

two ex-IMB employees who identified an opportunity of

teams. Surrounding yourself with people whose skills

using the internet for banking and other financial

compliment your own and understanding what drives

capabilities. Since its inception Sandstone Technology

t h e m a i d s i n c r e a t i n g a h i g h l y c o l l a b o ra t i v e

has been providing banks and financial institutions with

environment.” She also believes that a leader needs to be

leading financial technology solutions ranging from

able to lead with empathy, especially in times of crisis.

internet banking and mobile applications through online

“Taking an interest in your employees on a personal level

acquisition tools by lending origination and intelligent

and having a true understanding of where they are at and

document processing (IDP) solutions.

any point in time, allows a leader to pick up on anomalies early and provide the opportunity to address them. By

A Dynamic Leader

understanding who they are and how they like to operate

During the course of her career, Jennifer has led teams of

means you, as a leader, will be able to help them transition

25

“ AI and ML capabilities combined with the available data that will stem from open banking will have a signi cant impact on the way nancial institutions not only engage with their customers, but also how they will deliver their products.

“ Jennifer Harris Head of Marketing & Business Intelligence Sandstone Technologies

w w w. s a n d s t o n e t e c h n o l o g y. c o m . a u

26

through any blockages, learn from them and grow” adds

part of the solution. She advised, “Empower your people.

Jennifer.

Listen to what they have to say. Create an environment for creative thinking and expression of ideas.”

Inputs for a Productive Workforce The most important thing for Jennifer early on as a leader

The Inner Meaning of Real Innovation

was knowing how hard she had to work to be seen and

Jennifer thinks that there are multiple facets to creating

heard.

an innovative working environment. “Firstly, one would

She learnt early on that the ability to listen was incredibly

need to have a thorough understanding of the customer,

powerful within the inception of her career. She advised,

“What are their goals? What are they wanting to achieve?

“Listen, absorb, and learn.” According to her, some

What are their pain points?” etc. Secondly, there needs to

working environments drive people to be very

be a strong sense as to what is happening in the market.

individualistic in their approach, where employees feel

Technology moves quickly and there are always new

as though they are competing against one another for a

ways of working, new opportunities on offer. It's having

share of voice or fighting for that promotion. These

the ability to look at the market and identifying trends

organisations create a very toxic culture and working

and forecasting what comes next.

environment. Whereas organisations whose leadership

And finally, creating an environment where people can

focus on a 'one team' approach have a healthier culture

come together to create and share ideas” asserted

and more productive workforce. Jennifer admitted that

Jennifer.

this was one of the reasons why she joined Sandstone

Jennifer believes that when one combines all elements

Technology. Despite its size it is still a family run business

listed above, he or she can identify additional features

with a lot of those foundation principles alive and well

and functionality withing existing products, or identify

today and that exactly is the reason which attracted

entirely new products to meet future needs. This is what

Jennifer to contribute for Sandstone.

she thinks is real innovation- creating something for a need that doesn't yet exist.

Empower. Listen. Create. – Her Success Secrets Jennifer observed that strategic vision, clear

Disruption Tech that Drives Innovation

communication skills, emotional intelligence, and the

Jennifer feels that there has been so much disruption

ability to organise information into processes and

within the financial sector particularly over the past

systems are some qualities that make a worthy leader.

couple of years, with the pandemic thrusting everyone

She feels that providing governance and driving a sense

into a world where agility and the ability to pivot the

of purpose to people is vital in delivering success, but

business was rewarded. It highlighted the need for

success will only come if the employees feel like they are

digitisation and servicing customers remotely. As an

27

organisation who helps banks and financial institutions

The Changing Landscapes of Leadership

meet the needs of their customers through digital

While talking about what changes in the landscapes of

transformation, they noticed how significantly the

leadership that took place over the years, Jennifer

conversation changed. “Automation, the use of AI and

mentioned that the most significant one is that the

the ability for customers to self-serve through digital

leaders have placed more trust in their people.

channels will continue to be a focus for the industry over

Empowering them to be the best possible versions of

the next couple of years. However, Sandstone

themselves. “They know that by providing their people

Technology is also seeing a shift towards API driven

with the freedom to create and not just do, they are

models such as banking-as-a-service, and with open

giving their teams the means to create real impact for

banking starting to gain more of a foothold across the

themselves, the customer and the business. It's a win-win

regions, data will continue to drive the conversation even

situation” she further added.

further” she stressed.

Jennifer also describes how the extensive use of

Words of Wisdom to New Leaders

intelligent document processing (IDP) platforms are

Advising the new leaders to become successful, Jennifer

influencing internal processes and removing manual

claimed, “Believe in yourself, be confident in your

handling. IDP platforms absorb documentation and sort,

choices, and don't change who you are to fit someone

categorise, extract relevant data, and turn the

else's expectation of what they believe you should be.”

unstructured data into structured data for validation.

She also added that the leaders should know their

These IDP technologies can handle multiple documents

strengths and must be capable enough to play with them.

at one time and carry out the task within minutes with no

Jennifer believes that women have an incredible

human interaction. These innovative solutions are born

capacity to see things for what they really are, and they

from the minds of some of the most creative and

shouldn't be afraid to call it out. “Compared to even ten

forward-thinking professionals. However, Jennifer

years ago, the number of women in executive leadership

believes that these innovations would never have even

roles has increased dramatically across all fields of

seen the light of day if the leadership within the

industry. So, aim to be one of them and create a

organisations didn't provide their staff with freedom of

leadership path for the next generation” Jennifer

thought. Jennifer is excited about what is in store for the

concluded.

financial services industry and is thrilled to be a part of that transformative journey.

28

Sandra Trittin Co-Founder and CBDO tiko Energy Solutions AG

32

A Powerful Leader Creating Impact in the exiting clean-tech industry

t

iko is a global technology provider for the

communication services. She later joined the strategy

international energy industry leading the

team at Swisscom and since 2012 Sandra is the Co-

residential device aggregation. The flexible and

Founder and Chief of Business Development at tiko

modular technology at tiko enables innovative and

Energy Solutions.

hybrid business models that allow each actor to gain money and efficiency while enabling consumers to gain

Past Experience that Taught Lessons

insight and control over their energy consumption. The

Sandra has always made a point to learn from her past

company put this unique knowledge at the disposal of its

experiences. Talking about few of her experiences

partners by making them leaders of the energy

Sandra says, “Many experiences have influenced my

revolution and also by helping them to gain an innovative

path. One of them was at the beginning of my career

image among their customers.

when I was leading a team of five people who all had more than 20 years of experience. This created tension in the

An Eminent Leader

team, as they were all used to a hierarchical leadership

Sandra Trittin studied business administration and holds

style driven by seniority. Once I was able to show all of

an MBA from the Business Schools of Mannheim,

the advantages of my collaborative leadership style, they

Copenhagen, and Warwick. She began her career at a

showed acceptance”. Adding to this she said, “It clearly

management consultancy by working in the areas of

demonstrates that there is not a single right way of

process optimization/restructuring and supply chain

leadership and management, but instead there should be

management for different companies in the automotive,

flexibility. Depending on the situation, the individual set-

food processing, and telecommunications industries.

up, and the team, it is necessary to adapt. Being

She joined Swisscom in 2002 where she worked in

personally flexible while still sticking to your key values is

different team leader roles on the reorganizing of

critical.“

process and organizational structures to increase

Sandra has always been able to combine

process efficiency for the service delivery and network

technical/engineering topics with her know-how in the

construction, before taking the lead of the software

business in her past and in her current roles. She found

design/development for the construction of IP-based

the combination of business and technical aspects very

33

“ New technologies are taking a more and more important role in today's innovation and working environment. This changes how we work. Technologies are improving solutions on many different dimensions but are also bringing additional complexities.

“ Sandra Trittin Co-Founder and CBDO tiko Energy Solutions AG

w w w. t i k o . e n e r g y

34

exciting.

for new trends on social, economic, and on the

“Another milestone was the founding of tiko. It gave me

technological levels. Combining all of these insights and

the possibility to grow, professionally as well as

using the knowledge and experience of diversified staff

personally. The possibility to combine

allows tiko to create appealing solutions”.

technical/engineering topics with my business knowhow was and remains exciting. Developing the company

The Wave of Technology which Leaves a Great Impact

to become one of the leading providers in the

New technologies are playing more and more important

aggregation of distributed energy resources, with all of

role in today's innovation and working environment and

its ups and downs, is for sure one of the key

Sandra asserts that the wave of technology changes how

achievements”, she added.

we work and therefore it impacts the role of leaders as well. “Technologies are improving solutions on many

Stepping Up in the Male-Dominated Society

different dimensions but are also bringing additional

Sandra started working in the former male-dominated

complexities. Leaders don't have to understand every

tech industries such as telco and energy, where she was

detail but should bring some understanding on how they

quite often one of the youngest female team leaders. She

can be applied and which challenges they might present '',

expressed, “In the beginning, I always needed to prove

she added.

myself before my opinions and recommendations were seriously considered. This required additional work and sometimes created tension. Luckily this has changed, at

A Future with Drastic Changes

least to a certain level, and should further change so that

According to Sandra, the industry is facing drastic

opinions and ideas of young and diverse employees are

changes, such as the continuous increase in renewables,

valued much more highly”.

digitalization, and the impact of e-mobility, just to name a few. “Companies like ours who are active in this area have

Recover, Learn and Improve

to keep up with these developments since they form the

One of the key pieces of guidance as advised by Sandra is

basis for success. Therefore, it is key to stay open-minded

to value diversity and to think in a human-centered way.

and flexible and support employees in doing so as well”,

“For the teams, look for people who have complementary

she concluded.

or even contrary skills. This will support discussions and consequently deliver better solutions. Stay open-

Words of Wisdom for Next-Generation Women

minded as much as possible, to foster innovation and

Leaders

allow partnerships and collaboration. Be resilient while

Sandra insists that all leaders must keep learning and

facing difficulties and setbacks. However, it is important

stay up to date. This doesn't mean only about technology,

to recover, learn, and improve for the future” claimed

but also behavioural topics from the teams, peers, and

Sandra.

personal environment. “The working environment has been changing and continuing to bring new challenges,

Taking Different Paths Towards Innovation

not the least of which has been influenced by COVID-19.

Speaking about innovations, Sandra said, “tiko takes

Take them on, look for opportunities that are created and

different paths towards innovation. First of all, the team

use them. And overall, stay motivated and be yourself

listens to the customers and their changing and newly

only when you love what you do, will you be able to show

developing needs. In addition, they continuously check

your full potential”, said Sandra.

35

Cherry Yeung Group Director, Operations Azendian Solutions

36

The Tech Leader Who Believes in Empathy and Adaptability

D

ana Florea, is one of the powerful women in

alignment with the company's strategy. Her career

tech as she is successfully operating as the

revolves around creating teams and environments

COO of Accesa. Part of the Ratiodata Group,

where technical intelligence and emotional intelligence

Accesa is a leading IT Services and Technology company

meet, and she likes to promote it amongst other leaders.

headquartered in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.The company

She believes that if one can be fully oneself and can put

has offices in Oradea and Munich. It is an established

their whole self into the work, they will have the best

employer of choice for IT professionals and a trusted

chance of thriving and being successful.

partner for major brands in Retail, Financial Services Manufacturing and Automotive. With more than 700

Facing the Challenging Phases

passionate IT professionals and 20+ competence areas,

The decision to accept the COO position at Accesa has

Accesa has a distinctive people-first cultureThe

been a pivotal moment in Dana's career. After only three

company's problem-solving approach through

weeks in the role, the entire world faced an atypical and

technology enables each one to thrive, their clients to

unique situation resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

evolve, and end-users to succeed.

The pace of the new times accelerated Dana's journey of self-discovery, building self-trust, courage, and

The Journey of a Successful Strategist

gratitude. The rare situations of this time have placed her

Dana joined Accesa three years ago as an Improvement

in a position to balance caring for her colleagues and

Manager and was offered the COO role at the beginning

their critical work while continuing to care for her clients'

of 2020. She is responsible for providing short and long-

needs. Dana believes that the intensity of actions has

term operational strategies that support effective

taught her more about herself as a leader than her entire

business management, nurturing people growth and

15-year career.

37

“ Be authentic, think strategically, and use your expertise. Showcase your knowledge, and don't be afraid to speak out in the business you are in or in panels, conventions, industry events on social media, or even blogging. Last but not least, learn continuously.

“ - Dana Florea COO Accesa

www.accesa.eu

38

The Making of a Transformational Leader

the meaning of technology and the people who either use

According to Dana, any transformational leader needs to

or are impacted by technology.

be empathic. She makes time to know the people at an

Humility and a willingness to seek diverse inputs are

individual level. She believes that any leader needs to

essential. A directive leadership style that lacks

understand how people respond to change, the attitude

humbleness is not resonating with the people anymore,

to feedback, or what motivates people to be part of an

especially in the IT Services industry.

organization. According to her, charisma and true

Adaptability and vision are both critical for different

presence in every situation allow no space for negativity,

reasons. For any leader, having a clear vision and

which helps leaders create and sustain a creative and

articulating it well, is a core competency. The sheer

connected environment. Leaders who inspire have at the

unpredictability of the business environments today

centre of all their actions and decisions the

means traditional analytical approaches fail to provide

organization's greater good. They generate a level of

the definitive insights into long-term strategies that

trust and accountability, which allows those being led to

leaders have relied on in the past. Adaptability without

feel safe and secure when choosing to follow.

vision can lead to rudderless change. Dana finds fearless engagement with partners to be critical. Combining

Ascending the Stairs of Customer Satisfaction

people insights and data insights will make the difference

Innovation comes in many shapes and forms for Accesa.

between engaged and connected leaders and the others

Its clients are set on their digital transformation path to

who tag along.

bring in new technologies. Therefore, every project the company delivers directly contributes to the innovative

The Future that Lies Ahead

environments of its clients. At Accesa, the company has

Dana feels that the company's IT Services are part of a

an internal audience avid to innovate and continuously

meaningful chain of interactions: the purpose of their

optimise how they work. The company's operations

services is to help clients design, build or maintain

Tooling Team supports and constantly interacts with the

technologies, which in turn help their clients and

internal audience. They aim to solve real problems and

employees be better at the work they do, get better

address real needs. Therefore, the Accesa key that

results, interact easier, understand the information in

unlocks customer satisfaction success is active listening,

new ways, or enhance the value for their customers and

paramount for both the clients and the colleagues.

overall, contribute to the betterment of life. This path is here to stay. For the future generation of women leaders,

Acing Innovation in Disruptive Technologies

Dana has the advice to build up the courage to remove

Disruptive technologies are already changing the

the "veil of invisibility". She firmly believes that women

society. They help build the future, drive productivity,

have natural superpowers like an innate ability for

increase sustainability and help people live longer. The

empathy, nurturing, and passion.

leaders of today have to combine an understanding of

39

Jacqueline Teo Chief Digital Officer HGC Global Communications 40

Accelerating Digital Transformation With A Focus On Innovation

D

igital culture is predominant in the 21st

Jacqueline Teo: My background is in Finance and I

century. Digital is an inseparable part of our

started as a junior accountant when I graduated. My

lives now. Women have been the major

break in technology came from my love of travel and I

contributors to the promotion and integration of

joined a technology consulting company. It so happened

technology even in areas that lacked knowledge of

that one of my first clients was a Telco company and I was

digital. Adhering to the digital dissemination and

inspired by how technology could change our lives. At

transformation, Jacqueline Teo of HGC Global

that time, 3G and smartphones were emerging and the

Communications isinstrumental in making digital

world was moving from ADSL to IP, copper to optical

t ra n s f o r m a t i o n s a n d i n n ov a t i o n s u b i q u i t o u s .

fibre. SMS was the word du jour and enterprises ran on

Emphasizing more on this, Jacqueline talks about the

Frame Relay. With that, I started my 25-year journey that

factors that steer her towards digital transformation for

has taken me around the world and allowed me to be a

a strong digital adoption and adaptation.

part of some of the most amazing technological advances

Featuring in“The 20 Powerful Women in Technology”,

that continue to influence our lives today.

Jacqueline Teo shares her valuable insights on digital

I am the Chief Digital Officer for HGC Global

transformations and her experience that helped her to

Communications. My role is to enable digital

take a step into the technology sector and initiate digital

transformation for HGC, across people, process and

innovations and transformations. Here is the gist of the

technology. (is this statement required here?)

interview.

What are the factors that contribute to your success?

Brief us about HCG Global Communications along with

Jacqueline Teo : I work in fairly male-dominant

your role as the CDO

environments. Early in my career, I was one of the few

41

“

The future of AI and cloud lie in the speed and cost-effectiveness of distributed technologies to the edge where user transactions occur. This will drive the development of edge-native applications that emphasise decentralised deployment and management of devices, services and data.

“

- Jacqueline Teo Chief Digital Officer HGC Global Communications

www.hgc.com.hk

42

women in technology, in the engineering-based

boundaries. This is, to me, is how the digital space works –

telecommunications and media industry. In addition, my

pioneering new experiences, continuously learning,

work was mainly based in highly conservative and

being curious, having the courage to try new things and

hierarchical cultures that would place younger women in

the passion to stay on your journey.

stereotypical roles.

I, therefore, learnt very quickly to face setbacks,

What, according to you, are the vital attributes that a

pushbacks, challenges, confrontations, provocations,

leader should possess?

conscious and unconscious biases. There weren't as

Jacqueline Teo - Transformational leaders often need to

many strong female role models in those early days. The

b a l a n c e v i s i o n w i t h d e l i ve r y a b i l i t y,

behaviour I observed and adopted were a mirror of the

limitations/constraints of resources (human, financial,

environments I was in. And I often wondered why I felt

environmental, physical) and change adoption. Often our

stressed and constantly pressured. It just wasn't

stakeholders are diverse and hence soft skills such as,

authentic.

effective communication, influencing and building

Over the years, I have been determined (and fortunate!)

strong connections are a must. My top three attributes

to find the right mentors and supporters - male and

for every transformational leader are:

female, younger and older, within and outside my industry - in my journey to authentic leadership. I have

Care about people - genuinely

come to understand that I need to be true to my values,

Ultimately, people enable change and you will need

focus on my strengths and make this my own story. And I

others to have the same vision, energy and passion as

learnt that you can't do this on your own. You need

you. To garner such support, you need to enable others to

people in your corner, keeping you on track, giving you

do what they do best. Leadership is about building on the

honest feedback so you can grow. I often err on the side

strengths of others, empowering them to take the lead

of having a voice and call things out, rather than be a

and encouraging them to achieve beyond what they can

bystander in this world and go with the politically correct

imagine. Always remember it is your privilege to be

or popular thing to do. While this has not always been

instrumental in someone else's success. So focus on their

easy, my support group has been there to keep me

success first.

focused and balanced.

One of the greatest influences for me was the emergence

Resilience

of software engineering and the implications for systems

By definition, transformations require some sort of

architecture and integration. Agile methods, extreme

change. The impact on individuals tend to be very

programming and code quality were starting to gain a

personal – some may be indifferent, some resistant,

following. In the late 90s, I remember devouring the

while others are more accepting. As a leader, you are

works of Watts Humphrey, Kent Beck, Barry Boehm, Ken

leading people (directly and indirectly) into unfamiliar

Schwaber, Christopher Alexander, etc. Back then, the

territory. Perseverance, having empathy and always

concepts were not well understood and they were

being curious as to why things are the way they are, is

disparate concepts. Back then, the concepts were

important. This can get physically and mentally tiring and

applied inconsistently and it took a lot of trial and error to

you can feel that the world is against you or does not

refine the practices and attain the outputs desired. They

understand you sometimes. Leaders need to build

were pioneers in their field and not afraid to push the

resilience not only for themselves but also in their teams.

43

Humility

can focus on creativity, innovation and design for

Transformational leaders need to have the humility to

business outcomes. More time can also be spent in

learn as well as to unlearn. Recognise that everyone

experimentation and research of new products, user

brings strengths to the solution and your best

experience, customer intimacy and delivering

contribution is bringing together those strengths to

personalised services.

create an outcome. Much like the conductor of an

Today's business landscape is extremely competitive and

orchestra.

constantly changing. Leaders have extraordinary

This is especially true when creating new digital models,

demands placed upon them to deal with conflicting

using design thinking, applying artificial intelligence and

demands. You have to innovate while transforming, and

innovating customer experiences. Consider yourself a

maintain a steady operation while driving change. On top

part of the other person's journey and use the

of that, the changing social landscape, especially brought

opportunity to be part of their legacy.

on during the pandemic, has brought new perspectives to what keeps a person motivated. Leaders now need to

How do you innovate your products/solutions?

practice more value-based leadership that gives

Jacqueline Teo: Digitization is largely dependent on

importance to ethics and humanitarian principles. They

people – their ability to imagine a solution, their

have to demonstrate authenticity and know-how to

resilience and the stamina to deliver, their acceptance of

engage in the face of topical issues such as inclusion,

the change, and their willingness to coexist with the

fairness, social justice, environmental responsibility etc.

solution.

These values are relevant when defining parameters for

Innovation is therefore not just in technology but also in

ethics and bias in AI, incentive alignment potential of ML,

the conversations and methods I apply to include people

ethical use of data, consequence of using social data to

in the journey. This normally involves constant

influence new consumption behaviours.

consultation, user trials, testing new concepts iteratively

In addition, there is an emerging workforce that has

together, creating a space for open and safe discussions

spent most of their time by themselves (physically) in the

where I make sure everyone has a voice. Mostly, I work on

virtual world. The pandemic has driven school online,

motivating people to be engaged in joint outcomes and

mobile games and social media platforms are the top

making sure they have clarity in how they contribute to

entertainment categories and the lack of borders in a

the result.

digital world distorts the traditional concepts of personal connections and relationships. Attracting and leading

How are disruptive technologies impacting innovation

your next generation of leaders will need you to shift

and leadership?

your mindset of a 'job':

Jacqueline Teo:

1. Understand these new ways of thinking and new

Innovation in the virtual world is complimented by new

motivations

opportunities to innovate in the physical world. People

2. Break traditions on titles, roles and hierarchies. Jobs

44

that exist now are not likely the ones they want nor the

need to put the extra effort into brand and customer

ones that are needed in the future

engagement to remain relevant to customers.

3. Be creative on what career development means. In this

In addition, expansion to adjacent industries such as

digital age, 18 years old can become their own CEOs and

cloud providers, IT solutions and systems integrators

they know it. So ask yourself constantly what can I offer

that offer similar or complementary solutions will

them, not why should I hire them.

continue to create competition in our periphery.

However, that is where we expect our customers to

How do you see the company and the industry in the

spend a significant part of their budget. The Telco partner

futureahead?

ecosystem will therefore need to become more open to

Jacqueline Teo: Content and social use will continue to

enable easy onboarding, collaboration and integration

drive demand for high-speed connectivity. Technology

with partner solutions. In the vast sea of such solutions,

advancements in Wi-Fi (such as OpenWifi), 5G, and

we will have to continuously review our strategies and

satellite to terrestrial integration are poised to meet

have robust governance in place to ensure we invest

these expectations. In addition, the evolution of intent-

where it matters and stay relevant to our customers as

b a s e d n e t w o r k s , l eve ra g i n g s o f t w a r e - d e fi n e d

things change.

architectures (SDN, SDWAN etc), virtualisation of networks (NFV), alongside endpoint evolution (IoT,

What is your advice for budding or emerging women

sensory, chips, cybersecurity, edge applications, data,

leaders?

e n r i c h e d ex p e r i e n c e s e t c ) a n d r evo l u t i o n a r y

Jacqueline Teo - Three things I would say to my younger

compression algorithms will continue to disrupt the

self:

telecommunications industry.

#1 The world is a big place. Whatever happens today will

As a result, telecommunication companies have emerged

be tomorrow's past. Learn, move on, and be determined

as one of the most essential industries during support of

to a better version of yourself every day.

the new normal and this will most likely stay that way for

#2 Lead with grace and kindness. Remember those who

the foreseeable future. The Telco's role in enabling

supported you, and how they helped you to where you

remote working, virtual collaboration, seamless delivery

are today. So make sure you support others in that same

of products, services and customer experiences by

way.

utilising cloud technologies, is expected to continue. Its

#3 The worse answer you will get in life is a “No”. So if you

challenge will be to evolve quickly and pivot with their

know that already, dare to go for what you want. There

customers as their industries too, get disrupted. This can

are only infinite ways to win from that point. One quote

cause conflicts in focus and challenges with resource

that inspires me to keep going is: “You miss 100% of the

allocation and priorities. Telcos will continue to an

shots you don't take (Waye Gretzky)”

important component for our digital future but they

45

STRATEGIZING LEADERSHIP

WOMEN AND THE CLOUD INDUSTRY

T

he con nuously dwindling number of women in the workforce of the tech world in general and the cloud industry, in par cular, has drawn a en on for quite some me. When it comes to women leaders in the cloud industry it is quite obvious that the number of women in leadership posi ons will be far less. But what is most revealing is that in several studies women have been found to be providing very competent leadership in companies.

Longitudinal studies spanning more than a decade have come to the apparently surprising conclusion that women as leaders far surpass men in terms of capability vis-à-vis the leadership posi ons in the cloud industry. In general, gender diversity has been iden fied beyond much doubt as a major factor in ensuring be er performance, a higher rate of employee reten on and the recruitment of talented candidates in the company. This brings in the ques on of some specific strategies for women to become top-level leaders in the industry. One can think of three strategies in this context.

Support in Tech Career The technology field has been popularly known as the maledominated profession with technical knowledge, coding languages and mul ple types of machines. But, women are now drawn towards the cloud industry, which is becoming an integral part of the tech-driven world. Women in technology need constant support and encouragement from the family and society to move forward in the cloud industry. Women are smart, intelligent, and have mul ple skills to become

48

successful in the journey towards leadership. They just need the essen al support from important sources in their lives to achieve women empowerment. Support also includes nobiasness culture in the workplace where male employees must not be given more priority in promo ons, increments and presenta ons.

Seek a Wise Mentor Women who want to pursue their careers in the cloud industry must seek a wise mentor for proper professional guidance to pave the way through the so-called maledominated field. The mentor can suggest ways to create equal opportuni es for female leaders with diversity and inclusion policies. There are mul ple women leaders who have struggled to be at the top of the cloud industry. They can have a clear understanding of the poten al risks of beginners in this field. Women role models can encourage other women to follow their vision and mission and dive into the tech-driven world without considering the hos le environment.

Consider Talent Strategies To be the most impac ul woman in technology, one needs to consider mul ple talent strategies to drive revenue in the cloud industry. The constant adapta on to the dynamic techdriven world needs various different kinds of strategies to maintain as well as enhance the posi on of the business in this cut-throat compe ve market across the world. There is a huge poten al to experience different challenges but with

massive possibili es. Women should be confident and focus on their strategies to provide an enterprise-level strategic look to the businesses.

Manage Anger Issues It is, indeed, a frustra ng and hos le environment in a workplace where it is male-oriented ambiance throughout the years due to fewer women in the tech field. Thus, women in technology need to manage and control anger issues efficiently and effec vely. There may be some circumstances where other employees will put female employees down, disturb on the halfway, ignore, or order to stop talking in the middle of the conversa on, or passing presenta ons to preferred male employees. It is a tough situa on to control anger yet stand up for oneself in sophis cated and smart ways.

employees will consider one as incompetent, dumb, or less confident. Women in technology always tend to experience this syndrome due to the male-dominated field in the cloud industry. Women need to overcome the imposter syndrome and feel confident, secured and competent throughout the years for a successful tech career. At first, they are required to realize the feeling and talk about the feeling to a focus group, a mentor, or family members to see the mirror, reframe thoughts, and realize that one deserves this promo on and work. Overcoming imposter syndrome provides posi ve feedback and respect towards oneself.

Thus, women have a difficult journey towards the success in the cloud industry and are in the posi on of the most impac ul women in technology in recent mes. But the above-men oned strategies will help to overcome fear and embrace success within a short period of me.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome is known as the feeling of fear that other

49

Jennifer Lee Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Intradiem

50

Changing the Landscape of Call Center and Workplace through Intelligent Automation

I

ntradiem provides Intelligent Automation Solutions

five years now. Jennifer started as the Director of the

for customer service teams. The company's real-

customer success department, where she helped in

time automation unlocks the value of contact center

building the organization that aids customers in driving

data to maximize productivity, engagement, and

adoption of its platform. The role was all about getting to

customer experience. Intradiem's patented AI-powered

know Intradiem's customers and deeply understanding

technology processes the massive amounts of data

their challenges, then working with them to build

generated by centers in real-time and takes immediate

automation solutions to address those challenges. In late

action to support the staff working in the center or

2019, Jennifer transitioned into her current role as the

remotely.

Chief Strategy Officer, where she uses those learnings

Intradiem's vision is to reinvent customer service for

from the early years to help lead the teams responsible

everyone. The company believes in the power of human-

f o r t h e c o m p a ny ' s p r o d u c t s t ra t e g y, p r o d u c t

to-human connections and thinks that the best use of

management, product marketing, and marketing

technology is in service of, not in the replacement of

departments.

humans. Intradiem's platform empowers hundreds of

Jennifer doesn't come from a tech background. She is

thousands of service agents around the world while

from the call center industry and would proudly say that

saving millions of dollars annually for organizations and

she grew up in the call center. Jennifer started her career

streamlining the customer experience.

as a customer service agent for a computer company, helping consumers set up their home PCs and get their

A Leader Born Out of Experience

dial-up modems working. She spent fifteen years in the

Jennifer Lee is the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of

industry in a variety of roles before joining Intradiem in

Intradiem. She has been with the company for more than

2015.

51

“ Reinventing customer service means a future in which humans and AI intersect with technology augmenting, not replacing humans.

“ - Jennifer Lee Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Intradiem

www.intradiem.com

52

From Call Center to Automation: Jennifer Wins it All

Initially, Jennifer wasn't sure how she would fit in, but she

Jennifer recalls that the first time she knew she wanted

was determined to be part of this great thing. She states

to be a people leader was when she first got a job as a call

that she took the job without a clear vision of where it

center supervisor. She worked the second shift (2 PM –

would lead, which was a little scary for a planner such as

11 PM, Wednesday through Sunday). Jennifer

herself. Therefore, she decided to start where she knew

remembers that it was an exhausting and stressful gig.

she could add value, by getting to know the people on her

She adds that the team was under-resourced and

team and helping them succeed. Jennifer also decided to

constantly battling attendance and attrition issues

say 'yes' to anything that was asked of her, even if it was

because agents didn't want to work that shift. Jennifer

outside of her expertise or comfort zone. That decision

reveals that despite the challenges, she loved every

has led to so many opportunities with Intradiem, and the

minute of it! Jennifer thrived on the connections she

willingness to stretch her capabilities has paid dividends

built with her team members and the pride she felt

over the last five years.

helping them grow and develop their own skills. The team quickly moved up the performance rankings, and that

Breaking the Routine by Speaking Up

was when she realized that the call center industry was

Jennifer shares that many times, especially early in her

ripe with opportunity if somebody was willing to put in

career, she found herself as the only female and the

the work. She highlights that metrics are king in the call

youngest person in a given meeting. Finding her voice

center environment, and no one cared if employees were

and confidence in those situations were challenging.

young or old, male or female. If they could drive

Jennifer recalls that more than once, she listened in

performance, they could advance through the ranks.

dismay as a colleague presented her ideas as their own.

Jennifer recollects that when she joined Intradiem, she

But she didn't speak up out of fear of appearing petty or

immediately recognized it as a rare opportunity to be

insecure. Over time, she realized that credibility can only

part of something special. The culture grabbed her from

be assumed for so long before it must truly be earned and

day one. She found that Intradiem had a group of

that the best leaders are those who seek to learn rather

passionate and innovative people willing to do whatever

than tell. So she focused her efforts on listening to those

was necessary to help customers succeed. She reveals

around her, and seeking ways to build her knowledge

that the company's product was like nothing she had ever

outside of work through courses, tutorials, and books.

seen before. Jennifer says that she knew it was a game-

This helped Jennifer establish her voice, instil

changer for the industry, poised to help contact center

confidence, and create a habit of continuous learning,

leaders elevate performance in a sector that was ripe for

which she has kept to this day.

change.

53

A u t h e n t i c i t y a n d Vu l n e r a b i l i t y, a M u s t f o r

articulate a vision, build consensus and momentum, and

Transformational Leaders

then get out of their team's way.

Jennifer asserts that authenticity and vulnerability are the lynchpins of transformational leadership. To drive

Customer Suggestions as the Catalyst of Innovation

transformation, one must be able to both articulate a

According to Jennifer, the most important thing

vision and get others to believe in and rally around it. She

Intradiem does with its product strategy is listen to its

opines that if people don't believe in leaders as a person,

customers. It sounds simple, but so many companies lose

they'll never fully buy into their vision. For Jennifer, being

sight of this part of the equation, and then they find

authentic starts with transparency. She strives to

themselves selling a product that is looking for a

maintain an open and transparent relationship with her

problem. She proudly says that Intradiem starts with the

team members. She doesn't hide or sugar-coat anything

problem. The company constantly asks 'what challenges

and has found that kind of communication always

do our customers face? What keeps them up at night?'

workable. When team members trust leaders, they will

Then the company builds the solutions to those problems

bring forward new ideas and problems and be unafraid to

and continuously partners with customers to iterate and

speak up when they know something is wrong. Jennifer

learn together.

insists that this kind of insight into what is really happening is invaluable. In order to embrace it, leaders

Powering the New World with Disruptive Technologies

must also be vulnerable as a leader, meaning, they must

Jennifer averts that particularly, in the contact center

be willing to admit that they don't have all the answers

industry, 2020 forced disruption in all of these areas. She

and actually listen to their team members who do.

adds that contact centers have been notoriously slow to

Jennifer speaks of seeing so many leaders fall short

move to the cloud, but the rapid pivot to remote working

because they can't let go of a classic 'command and

changed that, and the sector is seeing a significant push

control' style of management, where things must be

on cloud initiatives this year as a result. Jennifer claims

done a certain way (their way) or no way at all. According

that the great thing about the transformation is it

to her, this kind of attitude may produce short term

inherently leads to innovative thinking around data

restuls, but it smothers innovation and hampers growth.

strategy and subsequently ML and AI initiatives. One of

Jennifer avows that the best leaders understand how to

the benefits of the cloud infrastructure is data

54

accessibility, so leaders are starting to think about how to

model goes away, but rather that they'll evolve. She adds

use data more strategically going forward, and that

that as machines and AI are used to take care of more

opens up the possibilities around things like AI and

routine tasks, humans will be freed to focus on those with

hyperautomation.

more complexity and nuance. Upskilling will be

Jennifer affirms that technology is advancing rapidly. In

important and new and exciting jobs will open up for

many cases, the capabilities of AI and ML technologies

those who are willing to adapt.

are outstripping the actual application of them. She

Jennifer exclaims, “For Intradiem… the sky is the limit.”

opines that everyone knows the future is in AI, but few

She highlights that the company is expanding its

have really figured out how to harness that and produce

capabilities every day, shaping the future of customer

real results to date. It is incumbent upon today's leaders

service. And that future is one in which humans and

to take a pragmatic approach in how they apply these

technology operate together seamlessly to enhance the

technologies, by stepping back and starting with the

customer experience.

“why” versus the “what”. She highlights when one starts with the problem, one can tailor the strategy around it

A Piece of Jennifer's Mind for Emerging Women

and understand, measure, and build upon the results.

Leaders

Jennifer underlines the fact that innovation without a

Jennifer advices emerging women leaders to not try to

purpose falls flat pretty quickly.

be anything they are not. She adds that women are powerful because of who they are, not in spite of it. She

Future Vision: Humans and Machines Work Together

became a mother in late 2019 and she has found it really

Jennifer anticipates that the next five years will bring

empowering to be open and honest about the challenges

about a tremendous amount of change across all

of being a working mother, rather than trying to

industries. She states that Intradiem knows that the way

downplay them and pretend she has everything figured

people work is fundamentally changed as a result of

out. Jennifer exclaims, “I don't! And that's okay.”

2020. Therefore, the company expects to see a hybrid

Jennifer directs budding leaders to always say 'yes.' She

workforce, with a strong remote work presence across

adds that even if the project, role or opportunity sounds

many industries. The intersection of humans and

'too big' or they feel they are not ready, still say yes.

technology will only strengthen as organizations get

Jennifer concludes by saying that women leaders will

their arms around data and AI strategies, and deploy new

never know what they are truly capable of if they aren't

technologies. However, Jennifer remarks that she

willing to feel a little bit uncomfortable along the way.

doesn't think the human labour in the service delivery

55

Kirsteen Forisky Head of Innovation LEAP Legal Software UK

56

Revolutionizing Law Firms with Cutting-edge Technology

B

ased out of UK, LEAP is a case management and

including software development, customer service and

accounting software solution for law firms that

CRM, negotiations, and new business development.

delivers a world-class practice management

Kirsteen is not only passionate about her work but also

system to legal professionals, putting innovation at the

loves how LEAP is benefitting thousands of law firms and

heart of its cloud-based practice management platform.

legal practitioners across the world, helping to improve

The company gives lawyers user-friendly technology and

their performance and the results on casework.

invests significantly into research and development that

Kirsteen is uniquely poised to understand the needs of

drives law firm productivity.

the legal market and provide guidance to the software

Providing industry-leading software that is attuned to

developers accordingly. She cares about both her

the ever-changing needs of small to mid-sized law firms,

employees and clients. Kirsteen applies the core values

LEAP is dedicated to developing software to generate

of LEAP to improve continually and never give up across

efficiencies, profit, and improve service.

all aspects of her life. She finds herself privileged to work

The company combines world-leading technology with

with some of the top minds at the forefront of software

the provision of quality content that law firms come to

development and innovation.

rely upon daily and drives automation to ensure that non-billable tasks can be completed with speed and

Focusing on Case Management and Cloud Solutions

accuracy.

Having left school at the age of 16, Kirsteen initially worked in several secretarial roles before taking on a

Meet the Innovative Leader

'Helpdesk' role for a supplier of case management to the

Specialised in providing law firms with the latest legal

legal sector. Whilst the offering was for competitor case

tech, Kirsteen Forisky is the Head of Innovation for LEAP

management solutions; it soon became evident that the

Legal Software UK. She wears many hats in her role,

company needed to be able to develop and supply its case

57

“ Be the leader who innovates and takes other people with you on the journey.

“ - Kirsteen Forisky Head of Innovation LEAP Legal Software UK

w w w. l e a p . c o . u k

58

management offering.

or project work; you need to ensure that you have buy-in

Considering this, Kirsteen took on the role of

from all involved. Communication, regular meetings, and

Development Manager and brought this vision to life,

updates are essential to drive any project forward,”

delivering a unique software application that the

Kirsteen says. “We hold weekly meetings for sprint

company then sold successfully throughout the UK.

settings and have a ten minutes huddle every day for any

Several years later, Kirsteen started to look at cloud

roadblocks to be raised. Doing this allows for continued

solutions and with this the case management solution

progression, and issues are identified and resolved, on

quickly transferred into Windows Azure, giving clients

each step of the way.”

access to their client files 24/7.

She adds, “Think of challenges as 'opportunities', giving

When the opportunity for the company to be purchased

us the ability to improve our skills, both professionally

came about, alongside others in the business, Kirsteen's

and personally, and increase knowledge.”

skills and experience were invaluable, and she went on to become Development Director of Peapod Legal Office

Embracing Changes is the Key to Success

Ltd. Then in 2013, Peapod was acquired by LEAP. “I

As a leader, Kirsteen believes that one needs to adapt and

remain an essential part of the business holding the role

change quickly, embracing changes in direction rather

of Head of Innovation, managing the LEAP UK

than fighting them. One always needs to identify the

Development team to deliver applications that integrate

vision and how the end goal would look like and believe

with the core LEAP product and providing a wealth of

that it can work.

additional value to LEAP clients.” Kirsteen says.

“At LEAP we work at a fast pace, and we try new things,

Running the Development team, her influence, and

experimentation in development is essential. Now and

hands-on approach begins at initial project meetings and

again, development may not go as planned, but the secret

continues through implementation, client relationship,

is to realise if something isn't working and adapt quickly,”

maintenance, and support.

Kirsteen cites.

Above all, you require ensuring that your team is aligned.

Challenges Bring Opportunities

And everybody is swimming in the same direction. Be

At the beginning of her career, Kirsteen had to undertake

prepared to scrutinise yourself now and again on your

a steep learning curve, developing a deep understanding

projects and principles,” she adds.

of many areas of law, the day-to-day running of legal practice and the government legislation of the day to

Leveraging Latest Technology to Improve Customer

guarantee a deliverable software solution that would be

Experience

scalable in the future.

LEAP always explores ways to improve its offering. Along

“Nowadays, people are the key factor in making any task

with enhancing the software, it invests in new

59

functionality and improves integrations that will have

environment by going green 'get rid of the paper' –

the most significant impact on simplifying the working

offering a real Cloud solution means users not only can

day of the end-user. The company focuses on the clients'

access their information from anywhere but also can be

experience of the software to be an efficient and pleasant

protective of the environment by going paperless. Why

one.

print out hundreds of pieces of paper to clutter up your

Kirsteen believes there is a lot of investigation and

desk or office space when you can view all the

groundwork that needs to get completed before

information online.”

developing any application which includes: 1. What do clients need?

Strengthening Business Continuity with Cloud

2. How will it help them?

Being a reliable cloud provider, LEAP provides clients

3. What's the competition?

with the ability to work from anywhere in the world, be it

4. Will what we are proposing do the job?

via desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile.

5. How should the UI look?

The company has proved to be invaluable, especially during the global pandemic. Its clients continue to

Cloud Computing Makes Communication Effective

operate efficiently, and in many cases have expanded

Kirsteen states that with the 9-5 becoming no longer the

their business.

norm, we need to ensure that we have the tools and

As a company LEAP continues to strive and grow globally.

intellect to hand in order to competently do our work,

The company can get firms up and running in no time as

whilst maintaining a work-life balance.

opposed to utilising server-based technology which

K i r s t e e n s ay s “ W i t h o u t C l o u d c o m p u t i n g t h e

would have taken days, if not weeks.

communication and collaboration between ourselves and others would be nowhere near as effective as it now,

Words of Wisdom for Budding Women Leaders

and we would not be as efficient in our day-to-day roles,

Kirsteen's advice to any emerging women leaders is that

or our on-line personal presence.”

one needs to share the vision, ask for opinions, listen to

Cloud computing allows this to happen with minimal

the team, and tap into others intelligence and

effort so that one can access its work applications as well

resourcefulness. Kirsteen quotes that success is not

as different social media channels for communications

final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to keep going

on all levels.

that counts and use these experiences to build upon.

Kirsteen feels, “There is also the ability to help the 60

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN SCALPING UP

AI AND DATA SCIENCE

W

omen are the key piece to the puzzle of

to look up to, it becomes difficult for young women to

realizing the highest maturity levels of

envision future careers in science, technology and

digital enterprises, but unless we realize

engineering fields. A 2018 Microsoft survey shows that

this, our progress in AI and technology will remain

female STEM role models boost the interest of girls in

stagnant. To close the gender gap in science, technology,

STEM careers from 32 per cent to 52 per cent. Therefore,

engineering and math (STEM) and to accelerate

we must showcase the achievements of women in the

advances in artificial intelligence and the sciences, we

sciences and engineering across the world to capture the

must encourage and support women on all levels, from

attention of females everywhere.

the government to enterprise and establish equal employment opportunities for all.

One of the biggest pressures that females face in STEM careers is cutthroat competition amongst male

Women make up a fraction of the artificial intelligence

counterparts and the toxic workplace culture that it

workforce, whether in the form of research and

creates. A HBR article found that three-fourths of female

development or as employees at technology inclined

scientists support one another in their workplace to ease

firms. According to the World Economic Forum, “Non-

tensions. Moreover, women are likely to be demoted as

homogeneous teams are more capable than

inferior by men holding equivalent positions, whether

homogenous teams of recognizing their biases and

those jobs are in engineering, data science or AI. All of

solving issues when interpreting data, testing solutions

these factors contribute to females swiftly dismissing

or making decisions.” In other words, diverse teams and

STEM jobs to avoid such disquieting workplace

especially those that emphasize women at their

circumstances.

epicenter, are a necessary provision for enterprises to adopt, to build, realize and accelerate enterprise AI

According to a survey conducted by BCG, when it comes

maturity levels. At present, unfortunately, few

to STEM, “Women place a higher premium on applied,

enterprises understand the criticality of women to boost

impact-driven work than men do: 67% of women

AI maturity levels.

expressed a clear preference for such work, compared with 61% of men.” This finding highlights a significant

STEM, data science and AI fields experience a lack of

fact: women are vastly more likely to pursue STEM roles

female role models. Without female role models for girls

that provide them with meaning, purpose and produce

64

impactful results, but many women don't perceive this

that accompanies personal work networks, especially in

purpose and impact in STEM jobs. Therefore, without a

a young and still male-dominated field.”

clear high impact-driven pathway insight, females tend to turn their heads on STEM, data science and AI-related

It isn't enough to pique the interest of girls and young

careers.

women to pursue STEM careers: the goal is to maintain, foster and grow that interest. A study published in the

Studies have shown that communication is of the utmost

Social Forces journal found that women in STEM are

importance when it comes to getting more women

much more likely to abandon their jobs than if they held

involved in STEM careers. According to BCG GAMMA,

other careers. More precisely, the study highlights that

just 55% of women feel like they know enough about

some 50% of women holding STEM careers left after 12

employment opportunities in data science. Furthermore,

years on the job, whereas that number dropped to 20%

vague explanations of job qualifications, such as “being

for women in other fields. On average, females tend to

strong in data science,” and, conversely, incredibly in-

distance themselves from STEM after 5 years of industry

depth job descriptions in search of data wizard talent,

involvement. But why? According to the same study,

tend to steer females clear of STEM-related jobs.

“Women with engineering degrees said they left

Moreover, a HBR study found that female engagement

engineering because of lack of advancement or low

with STEM employers falls far behind men and that this

salary, along with other working conditions.” These facts

should come as no surprise as, “Given the selection bias

show that retention of women in the STEM, data science and AI workforce is chief among challenges to address.

65

Shiana Siruma Vice President, Customer Solutions APAC Strata Results

66

Assisting Iconic Brands to Achieve Business Objectives while Maximising Returns

S

trata Results is an independent ICT strategy and

APAC, Strata Results has been a people's leader for 14

business transformation services company with a

years. She is motivated by the passion for a people-

track record of assisting iconic brands to achieve

focused environment and flourishes in meeting with

their business objectives and outcomes on time and

global leaders and engaging for impact. She manages

within budget. Its approach embodies the human,

strategies for brand awareness and promotes company

technology, information, and process capabilities, and

offerings through various platforms such as social media,

when combined with sound methodology, differentiated

TV, radio, and live web streaming.

thinking, and practices, produces profound levels of

Shiana is an industry-agnostic executive– having worked

customer and business value.

in various industries such as IT/Software Development,

The company's philosophy is to work collaboratively

Banking, Hospitality, Telecommunications, Education,

with its client to 'co-create' the strategies and operating

and Outsourcing in a B2B and B2C environment.

models, allowing each of the members to bring

She is responsible for forging partnerships and building

experience and skills to bear. Its methodology quickly

trust with new clients. Shiana represents SRG's

creates aligned thinking while creating a level of

transformative solutions that can fundamentally change

challenge or 'stretch' for the client to maximize the

the way a business goes to market, behaves as an

benefits possible.

organization, and makes strategic moves within its

Strata Results' capability reflects a comprehensive and

industry. She also provides her clients proven ways of

proven approach, using internationally experienced

delivering mission-critical initiatives at a fast pace that

technology leaders.

leads to a more successful and accelerated outcome.

Leading with Strength and Passion

Learning from People Around Her

Shiana Siruma, Vice President – Customer Solutions

“There's always room for learning. We spend years

67

“ Disruption is the new normal. The ability to rapidly respond to change will move from thriving to surviving. An organization's fate will be determined by its ability to rapidly respond to change as operational resilience changes from being a competitive advantage to being a basic requirement. That's why automation is now a top strategic technology trend, according to major industry analysts.

“

- Shiana Siruma Vice President Customer Solutions APAC

www.intradiem.com

68

perfecting our craft and trying to be the best at it but it

Ÿ

Ability to swim in any ocean of ambiguity – Adapt

doesn't mean that we should stop there,” says Shiana. The

quickly, think differently about the current situation

main reason she sticks to her role is that it allows her to

and see possibilities where others may see only

meet new, brilliant people every day, and that allows her

problems.

to learn about their business, their expertise, and their

Ÿ

Dealing with difficult situations with grace and

skills, which helps her improve and in the end, share with

dignity – Look challenges straight in the eye and never

those who need guidance.

lose sight of your values, vision, objectives, and goals.

Failing forward made Shiana resilient as she learned to use failure to find success, get through the hardest times

Strategic Innovation through Researching Industry

without losing savoir-faire.

Trends Strata Results prides itself on working transparently and

Crossing the Ocean of Barriers

collaboratively with its clients, supporting its individual

According to Shiana, creating confidence in speaking up

and combined growth for sustainability. It constantly

to prejudiced superiors who hesitate her potential

checks the “pulse” of its projects and the health of its

because of her title, educational background, race,

client, to ensure that it is delivering a value-added

gender, and marital status was a major factor that

service. The company is not afraid to modify its approach

created huge hurdles in her journey.

based on new industry learnings or a specific cultural

Being knowledgeable, becoming an expert in what

difference within its client's organization.

Shiana does and doing, every little thing with integrity

The team at Strata Results constantly asks “what is our

and transparency paired with brevity and authenticity

differentiation?” The company runs regular planning

propelled her status from being “seen but not heard” to

conferences within its organization, focusing on its

“seen, heard and empowered”.

methodology growth. Topics such as Data mining, AI, Automation, and Customer Experience drive its

Attributes that a Successful Leader Must Possess

discussions. Strata Results researches industry trends

Shiana believes the 4 vital attributes below are crucial for

and ideas and attempts to expand on those concepts and

leaders to be successful.

organize them into applicable strategies that it can

Ÿ

Ÿ

Develop a strong sense of self-awareness – Do what

deploy whilst servicing a client.

you love and align your values with the organization

The company runs “wild card” sessions, whereby its

you lead.

Executive Team discusses ideas that may have not been

Passionate with people – Transformational leaders

considered before – new offerings “….as-a-service”, and

are inspiring and can motivate others to rise to the

how that might benefit its clients, and how to leverage

occasion.

existing data mining software to help optimize and

69

automate its client's business. It negotiates with data

enterprise. The company believes that clients want to

mining vendors to be able to provide cost-effective

engage at the Executive level to share “skin in the game”.

solutions.

To this end, it creates partnerships with its clients – advising them of the way forward, even if it is not

Disruptive Technologies' Impact on Today's Innovation

necessarily what they wanted to hear – but is truthful.

Shiana believes that disruption is the new normal. The

Strata Results believes that it is time for the words

ability to rapidly respond to change will move from

“ethical” and “consulting” to be placed back into the same

thriving to surviving. An organization's fate will be

sentence. This will take courage, openness and honesty

determined by its ability to rapidly respond to change as

with its clients and staff.

operational resilience changes from being a competitive

This is where Strata Results is and will be.

advantage to being a basic requirement. That's why automation is now a top strategic technology trend,

Providing Valuable Advice to Rising Female Leaders

according to major industry analysts.

On advising to emerging leaders, Shiana says “Self-

The role of a leader has drastically changed – from seeing

awareness is the first major step we need to take to reach

how things are going with their organization to being

our destination of choice. Yes, we must do our best but

proactive, creating a sense of urgency to drive change by

don't let “perfect “get in the way of being really, really

taking a stand for a better, future state while creating an

good.”

environment that fosters good relationships so that

Shiana is an optimistic person and so she sees obstacles

great ideas can happen. As businesses adapt to

not as torture or hardships but as ways to make her

technology and innovation, leadership embraces more

stronger and more capable. She always tells everyone,

personal interaction with every member in every corner

especially young women, to take time working on

of their organization – high tech perfectly pairs with a

themselves - know and own their mistakes, identify their

human touch.

right and wrong choices. “That helps them know their worth and when they know their worth - they know what

The Route Towards the Future

they can do, what they can contribute to the workplace

Strata Results shares its CEO's vision - to be the “go-to”

and the community. That allows them to choose wisely

organization, to successfully deliver a business

and never settle for anything less than they deserve. The

transformation where the clients are left with the

only thing left is to do all these with faith, a smile, and the

sustainable skills to further run and improve their

wind in their hair.”, says Shiana.

70

Soraya Meirmans CEO You Sir

72

Designing Future Products which Add Value to Human Lives

S

pecialized in UX design, SaaS user flows, and User

A Determined Digital Leader

onboarding, You Sir, a Design studio based in

Soraya Meirmans, CEO of You Sir, always had an affinity

Amsterdam, builds a strong connection with

with technology. In high school, she chose computer

users and provides a pleasant user experience during

science as an elective. As the digital world attracted her,

each step of users' lifecycle, from attracting to retaining

she completed the “Communication and Multimedia

and expanding. With the human-centered design

Design” program at Amsterdam University of Applied

approach, it creates products that deeply resonate with a

Sciences (Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA)). At that

target audience. Its clients are continuously working to

time, website designs were made in Photoshop and

improve the user experience and overall design of their

Flash, which she practiced with pleasure in her free time.

products, most of them are SaaS and B2B focused. The

During her studies, Soraya took a minor from the

company develops skills as per their requirements.

University of Applied Science in Austria. The program

You Sir uses a few proven methods such as Human-

focused on designing future products to improve human

centric design, Service Design, Conversational Design,

lives and add extra value. Since then, she has adopted the

Emotional Design, and Gamification to accomplish what

strategy of putting the user first when creating designs

it strives for. All of its methods are serving the human

and creating value with each design cycle.

touch.

After her studies, she started to work in Amsterdam

You Sir is a studio of experienced designers. It values

Standard as a junior designer. During the years of

quality the most and intends to keep targeted and

working in this digital agency, she learned a lot from the

specialized. Most of its design-minded clients are from

peers and the diversity of its projects. For the past five

the Netherlands and Europe.

years, Soraya was a Lead UX Designer with a team of

73

“ The more digitalized the world becomes, the more humans should be the designs of digital products.

“ - Soraya Meirmans CEO You Sir

w w w. y o u - s i r. c o m

74

designers. Now she is the Co-founder, CEO, and the Lead

connections and human interactions. When she started

UX designer of You Sir.

to work closely with clients and stakeholders, she got more insights into the design spectrum. This broad view

C o n q u e r i n g D i g i t a l M a r ke t t h r o u g h H u m a n

helped Soraya to improve the quality of digital products.

Connections

Another lesson she learned from practice is that

The idea of You Sir emerged a few years ago when the

providing employees more freedom and trust brings

development force of Amsterdam Standard moved to

extra effort from their side, and as a result, delivers

Poland, and the design team needed a new positioning.

better outcomes. Soraya says that everybody needs

At that time, Soraya was carrying a child, and she

freedom to arrange the working day that works the best

prioritized being a mother. As the first chaotic years of

for them, especially with remote working. The 9 to 5

raising a child were over, she could invest energy in

working schedule doesn't fit anymore.

building her company – You Sir Design Studio. Soraya

You Sir serves companies with beautiful missions to

believes that human connections are the most crucial

make this world a better, more healthy, more friendly

thing in life as well as for digital products. The company

place. Its design work helps them to grow faster, move

has noticed that digital products lack human connection,

from start-up to scale-up phase, and beyond. Soraya is

and her team aims to help companies implement it. “We

proud that You Sir's designs are shaping companies.

believe that you can create the right product only when you consider the human that is interacting with it; his

Not Giving Up

issues, goals, feelings, and emotions,” says Soraya.

“When you start your journey, you deal with much

During the past few years, she has been designing less

insecurity,” feels Soraya. “You think you are not good

and spends more time coaching the team. Being the

enough; not everything works as you wanted.” She has

owner of You Sir, Soraya also needs to think about

developed a rule for herself that “I still should do it even if

business growth and You Sir's future positioning. She is

something looks hard.” She advises trying to do. It's

more involved in marketing, sales, and strategy planning.

getting more accessible at each step of the process. And

Soraya feels new responsibilities are challenging yet

over time, it becomes more natural, you learn more, and

exciting, and there is still a lot to learn.

you trust yourself. Now Soraya knows what she is capable of.

Shaping Businesses in the Digital World An essential lesson Soraya has learned about being at

Embracing Flaws

work is not just about performing her duties. She

Soraya believes a leader should have enough confidence

believes that creating a pleasant environment with

to be able to make individual decisions. Some insecurity

colleagues and stakeholders is vital. It's about building

will appear from time to time, and it is healthy.

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Uncertainty pushes people to go forward and do better.

connections with co-workers and clients is possible.

It's also essential to be open to feedback, she advises. But

Thus, she believes it will create a trustworthy culture

the leader shouldn't take any feedback as the ultimate

where people can be the best versions of themselves. The

truth. Nobody is perfect and always right, even if s/he is

ideas from the book 'Dare to lead' by Brene Brown are

claiming that or looks like that.

fascinating and fits perfectly with what it believes in as a company, cites Soraya.

Meeting Clients' Requirements You Sir creates designs, not just for the sake of designing,

Redefining Human Interaction with Digital Products

but to bring measurable results to its clients and offer

The mission of You Sir is to show SaaS and other digital

better user experiences for the end-users. The company

businesses the importance of human-centered design.

does careful research on what users want, what brings

“Together with us, companies can bring more value to

value to them and then finds the methods to satisfy their

users, and at the same time, make their business more

needs. Soraya believes that happy users are lifetime

profitable,” Soraya believes. You Sir designs have a

users. Retention of users and hitting churn is more

particular and measurable business value. It makes users

critical for SaaS companies than onboarding new clients.

love them more. And with that, the company significantly

That's where You Sir concentrates on, and benefits the

increases its retention capabilities. It keeps looking for

company the most.

new approaches to improve digital products' design, the team innovates, and each of the members specializes in

Exposing True Self

this field. You Sir aims to be recognized as Europe's

With the adoption of technology in all industries and the

leading design studio for SaaS companies by 2022.

rapid switch to digital in 2020, a human- centred

As for the industry, the design is becoming essential and

approach plays a vital role in designing digital products.

more measurable. It's not anymore just a creative job;

Many daily activities where people get to use human

there is a logic behind the good UX, states Soraya. Design

connection switched to online. Soraya emphasizes that

changes and adapts to the way humans interact with

the human-centred design approach means creating

products. Design makes it easier to interact with digital

products that deeply resonate with a target audience. It's

products and create better products, she opines.

not only about building empathy with the end-users but also about building an easy, intuitive, and enjoyable user-

Aiming High

product interaction.

Soraya advises budding women leaders to “Be human,

A leader should be human and human focussed, opines

aim high, and do not take any old paradigms for granted.”

Soraya. Being human means, one should make oneself vulnerable and show who one is. Only then creating deep

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