Every month we ask one individual in our network a few questions about their way into tech, their motivation and their lessons learned.
Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about where you’re from!
I am half Italian and half Spanish and I grew up in Italy, in the beautiful city of Rome.
What valuable advice did you get from your parents?
My father is a very strict man, old school hard working lawyer, but always (or at least in my memories) in good mood. He was often telling me that everyone deserves to be happy, to stay away from negative or poisoned environment and to have fun along the journey, otherwise it is not worth it.
My mum’s mantra is to be always kind and smile, good thing will then come back to you!
How did you become interested in tech?
To be very honest Tech picked me. after my master’s in Economics I was super keen to change the world and I wanted to work for the UN agencies or World Bank. Someone in Accenture was quite smart to sell me ERP implementation across UN agencies as a way to save the world.. that is how first started understanding the power of technology but I also quickly realized I am not passionate about ERP implementation projects..
I then joined a strategy consulting firm, Bain & Company, and a few years later eBay knocked at the door and got me in the fascinating world of e-commerce and marketplaces. Just lately I joined an insure tech company as COO.
What aspects of your work are you proudest of?
I love to coach people and I am very proud of seeing how people I coached and worked with evolve in their career and gain confidence to step up and do more or different things, especially women.
What drives you at work?
Solving complex problems, from clarifying what the problem or the opportunity based on data, down to come up with innovative solutions.
What has been your toughest challenge you faced while working in tech?
Convince a room full of men with much more tech experience that what I was proposing made sense…
What advice would you give other women in tech?
Don’t be afraid to speak up, be confident, have fun along the journey and remember to smile.