Tell us about your journey in tech. How did you get started, and what motivated you to pursue a career in tech?
My career in tech was not initially planned. As a child I grew up with very little interest in technology. As a teenager I was not great at maths and really struggled to concentrate during the classes. I did not have any career aspirations, unlike my friends, and also had the misconception that a career in technology and engineering required excellent numerical skills. At the end of high school, I was still not sure but did not want to have a conventional career. In the end I decided to attain a BSc in Oceanography back in Brazil, where I am originally from.
Against all the odds, my passion for mathematics and physics flourished when I joined the university and I learnt how to code. My first step into a tech career was learning MATLAB. At that time, I met Fabiola Amorim who was working towards her MSc in Coastal and Sedimentary Geology. She really inspired me, and as a direct consequence, I ended up majoring in Physics and developing a passion for extracting insights from complex datasets.
Professionally, my journey has always been within tech but extremely non-linear, starting with data science, moving into Oil & Gas where I worked as a Navigator for Marine Seismic Operations worldwide for many years. After a work-related injury and a career break, my path shifted again, but passion for data was still very much alive! I taught myself how to use Power BI as well as SQL and I managed to get my first job as a data analyst. Along the way, I’ve met other incredible professionals, to name but a few, Lisa Beeching, Laura Smith and Jennifer Myers who did not only inspire me but also supported and empowered me to develop my skills further. Having them around was crucial on this new stage of my career.
I have been working with data since 2007 across multiple industries. For the past 4 years my focus has been on Business Intelligence tools (designing and implementing reporting solutions using Power BI). Last year I hit a great milestone achieving the IT Chartered Status from the British Computer Society.
I’m also a passionate STEM Ambassador for the STEM Learning UK. Through volunteering I support my community and help break stereotypes in STEM.
Share a pivotal moment or project that contributed to your success in the tech industry?
I can say for sure that meeting Fabiola Amorim when I started coding was a significant event. Her personality, leadership and coding skills were incredible, and I really wanted to be like her! Later, I met a geology student, who introduced me to the Oil and Gas Industry. From that moment I decided I was going to work for Oil & Gas, and I did. This experience was extremely important as it exposed me to new technologies like dynamic positioning systems, relational GPS, and marine data acquisition method and technologies; it helped developing my analytical and problem-solving skills further as well as developing a more holistic approach in technology management.
Have you had any mentors who significantly influenced your career? How did they support your growth?
Yes, I have been quite fortunate in that regard. I have had great mentors who supported me identifying career goals, helped me improve my technical and soft skills like communication, time management and stress management. Having a mentor has also been extremely beneficial to overcome my imposter syndrome and learn how to recognise and celebrate my own achievements. It’s also been a great opportunity to learn how to better navigate a corporate career. Leon Gordon and Din-Houn Lau have been great mentors and I’m extremely grateful for their efforts and genuine interest in my professional growth.
“Don’t be afraid to fail. Learning from failures improves our resilience. Failures are part of success and often provide information that get us closer to our goals.”
How do you actively network within the tech community? Any tips for others seeking to build meaningful professional relationships?
I’m quite an introvert and feel extremely awkward when trying to network, especially because English is not my first language and I feel quite conscious about my accent. LinkedIn has been a great assistance, as well as working as a STEM Ambassador. I have also launched a weekly newsletter on LinkedIn about women working in STEM (STEM Demystified). This publication proved to be a great way to increase my network. Slowly I am feeling more comfortable and hopefully will attempt in-person networking events soon.
If you are an introvert like me, I would strongly recommend LinkedIn. Find groups of interest or professionals you admire and start interacting with posts. Networking can be extremely rewarding and gets easier once you actually try it.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in tech, and how did you overcome them?
Throughout my career I have faced many challenges, like sexual and psychological harassment, verbal abuse, as well as more subtle forms of discrimination. Often, I was not given opportunities to learn. For the past 5 years, things changed and being a working mum proved to be the greatest challenge, and I had to slow down my career progression as a consequence.
When working for the Oil & Gas industry, a very much male dominant environment, I don’t believe I overcame any challenges. I felt a lot of pressure to prove myself all the time and overworked until developing a work-related injury. This injury was life changing and I ended up with permanent nerve damage to both hands and was subsequently rendered unable to carry out my duties as a Navigator. At this point I realised I had to find ways to overcome challenges and hurdles along the way.
It’s been a long journey to recover from past traumas and the support from mentors and friends has been vital. I have now been able to change my mindset and believe more in my own capabilities. Not having to prove myself all the time has been a massive relief, and it means I can focus on more productive tasks.
How can companies and leaders foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in tech?
First, increase the number of female senior leaders. Representation matters and can change perspectives.
Implementing a real flexible working policy (including working fewer or different hours, working compressed hours, working from home and job shares) can be extremely beneficial specially for those who have caring responsibilities.
Educating all the employees on unconscious bias and how to overcome it. With unconscious bias training and other initiatives like gender diversity targets, the hiring and promotion processes can be more inclusive. Regarding gender diversity targets, I do think it’s important, but organisations should provide effective support, training and mentoring to ensure women can perform at their best and carve their way into senior roles more confidently.
What strategies have you used to set clear career goals and create a roadmap for your professional development?
Backcasting! Defining the future outcome first (for example: where do I want to be in 5 years?) and then move backwards, listing the steps needed to get there. Avoid finding blockages before setting your goals. Having a mentor is also very important and helps us to have better understanding about our own capabilities.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for women striving to succeed in the tech industry?
