Celebrating Women at Axway on International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of the women at Axway and around the world. The theme this year is how each of us can make change happen, have an impact to create a gender equal world, and all be #EachforEqual.

An equal world is an enabled world. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations, and celebrate women’s achievements.

We asked the women at Axway to share their stories and inspirations.

Being a woman in the corporate world for the past 14 years has not always been easy. I started as an individual contributor and quickly learned that if I wanted to be a leader, I needed to learn to be comfortable with being un-comfortable.

 

It isn’t our nature as women, to step up, speak up and drive changes. We are taught as young ladies to be compliant, easy-going and sweet. Once I learned how to engage with different audiences and ask the difficult questions, things started to change as far as my career path.

 

I learned that it is ok to be uncomfortable. Today, I truly enjoy driving efficient conversations, pushing change across areas of the business to better the experience for our customers and ultimately increase business performance for everyone. Managing a team of amazing employees is icing on the Axway cake.

 

Something I remind myself often is that leadership is not a position or title, it is action and example. Thank you to all the other women at Axway, we are all making a difference, let’s continue to be the example for future women leaders in tech. #IWD2020 #EachforEqual

– Courtney Jones, Senior Manager, Global Sales Operations

As a woman in technology workplace-2020, I am extremely grateful to the opportunities Axway provides to its employees. The way each one of us is truly our self, supporting and sharing our fellow Axwegians to create a network of successful professionals is truly remarkable. Thanks once again!

 

On the event celebration of International Women’s Day, I have penned a short poem #Each for Equal as below:

#Each for Equal! 

We are up, we are on the go,

We stop, and we are told we are being slow,

We are a pro,

But why we need to show?

Else who will know,

That we want to grow!!!

We need to be parts of a whole,

Re-build each other to restore,

Not tear down, but create,

One spirit, one soul!

Be in control,

Drive with your body, mind to reach the goal,

Take charge, you rename the game,

And #EachforEqual will acclaim!!!

– Aarti Patil, Principal Communication Manager

As women we must remind ourselves that we are good enough to occupy the spaces that are traditionally occupied by men.

I’ve spent my entire career in technology. I started as an engineer and worked my way into more business-oriented roles over time (sales, marketing, strategy, alliances). I picked up new skills and a plethora of experiences along the way. Academically, I have soared. My career has been stellar thus far with numerous achievements along the way.

 

However, in the male dominated world of tech, we women are at times overlooked or are expected to play second fiddle to less qualified men. I have seen this more times than I can count. We are rarely given the benefit of “failing up” like some of our male counterparts because in many cases we do not have a seat at the table or are not part of an executive’s homogenous inner circle. This must change.

 

It is absolutely critical that companies and organizations pay attention to diversity. The landscape of decision making is changing. While women have conventionally made most decisions in the home, we are now also making decisions in business, within the executive suite, and on company boards.

 

Our voices are valuable, our opinions are important, and we deserve to be heard.

 

I am inspired by the many women in tech who fight for a seat at the table every day. Many have brought their own chairs and have created their own space.

 

I am encouraged by those who never give up despite the unique challenges we face.

 

I am optimistic that as time goes on, we will see more women in positions of influence and power within our industry and within Axway.

 

Let’s continue to support and empower women in STEM. Let’s make sure that the next generation has strong and accomplished women to look up to. Let’s promote more than media hype on #InternationalWomensDay. Let’s not just talk about it. Let’s be about it.

 

We cannot be what we cannot see. Let’s be an example – a good one – when it comes to #EachforEqual.

– Nadina Talukdar, Senior Director, Product Line

I’ve had a blessed professional career.  I have always been in very male dominated roles, but oddly enough I did not see myself in that light. 

 

I was in the United States Marine Corps and was 1 of 50 women in my platoon while stationed on active duty.  The ratio of women to men in the Marine Corps is 100:7. In my civilian job, Supply Chain, another heavily male dominated profession (17:1), I have been able to succeed without much adversity that I’ve noticed. 

 

With hard work, education, experience and excellent managers who extended trust, opportunity and growth, I have been able to overcome any potential challenges that being a woman could bring. All our journeys are different, and I have been fortunate enough to not have experienced what others have, but know it is real, and it happens. 

 

I am grateful for the ladies (and men) before me who have paved the way and brough a more equal world for all to live in. I am equivalently as grateful for my manager now and others before my tenure at Axway. I am here to empower ladies and lead by example with my story.

– Kim Branch, Purchasing Manager – Global OEM & Cloud

My career in the Tech industry started when “dual-earner family” was becoming a catch phrase.  Over the years, I worked with many talented women. Unfortunately, one-by-one they left the technology sector.  A major reason was a difficulty of balancing 24/7 job demands and family obligations.  Having a strong, open-minded family helped me to persevere.  My husband and my parents-in-law took turns in providing childcare (when school and daycare were unavailable), thus allowing me to concentrate of my professional responsibilities.

 

This was my story, brought to you as a courtesy of a bygone era, when “being on call” meant driving to the computer center in the middle of the night. 

 

Today, due to amazing technological advances and changing attitudes toward gender-based family roles, I see the incredible opportunities for the young women entering technical fields. Here is the evidence:

On February 20th, 2019, Allyson Kapin published an article, called “50 Women-Led Startups That Are Crushing Tech”

On March 6th, 2020, LinkedIn reported that, since 2015, “hiring in 23 occupations has flipped to majority female”. Among them: UX Designers, Web Designers and Animation Specialists

To support families and working parents, Jill Koziol and Elizabeth Tenety, established a fully remote team of over 50 employees, called “Motherly”. Jill Koziol said: “I’ve learned many lessons on how to lunch a remote team. This is our future.”

 

Ladies, we live in amazing times!  It feels like we are only now beginning to scratch the surface of our true potential. I hope we can seize this moment.

– Lilia Paykin, Senior Software Project Manager

In 2000 while working at Dell, we filed 7 business methods patents with myself being the sole inventor on 5 of the seven filings.  The filing of the patents was important to Dell to protect Dell IP on their build to order system (think dell.com).   The Dell legal team was unique at this point and time as the directors and VPs of many of the verticals were female.    Due to the support of many female peers at Dell including the legal team, I was awarded Dell Inventor of the Year in 2001 (over all engineers and device patents filed by Dell in that year).

Women in Technology Category – Women Still Underrepresented in Tech 

– Theresa Gosko, Customer Success Manager

I am an IT professional and have worn different hats like Manager, Team Lead, Principal Engineer and so on during my 15+ years of IT industry experience.  I have worked in all three facets of product development – Development, Testing, and Support. I have managed and worked with cross-geo teams. I am passionate about setting up teams, processes and strategy.

 

Little known fact is that I have also been an Entrepreneur in the past, owned and co-operated a Retail store. I was the first franchisee for a 60-year-old Retail Store Chain in India. The business was set up from scratch including conducting survey, understanding the local market (Blue Ocean Strategy), financial planning, etc.

 

During my entrepreneurial venture, I handled multiple responsibilities including but not limited to Business Development, Operations, HR, Sales, Customer Support, and Delivery. This gave me the opportunity to learn the other side of work, as an employer. 80% to 90% of the employees were women. A Training and Ramp Up Plan was developed for the new employees, which also included handling customers, conducting internal meetings, creating orders, talking to the vendors, etc. There was also a fun time every week with employees playing their favorite outdoor games. Employees’ birthdays and local festivals were celebrated regularly. It was a fun filled learning and enriching experience!

 

On the personal front, I learned the Bharatanatyam (a classical Indian Dance form) and how to play Veena (an Indian musical instrument) when I was young and practice in my free time. I also enjoy traveling, listening to music, reading, and doing yoga.

– Kalpana Rangachari, Senior Customer Tech Support Engineer

“I AM ADAPTABLE.

 

When I interviewed at Axway, I was asked, “Describe yourself in three words”. Of all the questions that I was prepared for, this was not one of them. And yet, my spontaneous response was. “I am adaptable”. I was surprised at how quickly that answer came to me. 

 

In my earlier career, prior to Axway, my husband and I had the happy event of giving birth to my daughter. Mixed with this was the added complexity of being on a H1-visa with a green card in process. My employer at the time had a policy of only 8 weeks of maternity and if I took longer, I may lose my job and therefore my legal status in the USA. 

 

Not having a job was not an option for me. I could not take any risk. So, with an infant of 8 weeks, and a body that had not quite healed, I went back to work. Coding by day, sleepless by night, and perpetually exhausted, the balancing act between baby and career drained me both mentally and physically. I could not afford to slack off at work. I had to keep up the pace with my coworkers, so I could keep my job, my visa status and green card. I gathered every ounce of willpower and strength that I had, and told myself every single day, “This is a difficult phase in life. It is only temporary, and it will pass. Just hang in there”. And it did pass. 

 

As women, we often do not realize how strong we truly are.  Our resilience and ability to adjust is embedded in our subconscious, which allows us to face even the most trying of situations. 

 

Bravo to all the women and mothers in technology, I understand what you go through daily and you’re an inspiration to us all!”

– Rumeli Tandon, Director, Engineering Mgmt

Also, be sure to check out this video interview with Ruby Raley, VP, Healthcare Sales! At around the 9:50 minute mark, Ruby gives some great advice about being a woman, not just in tech, but in the workforce.

We are also reminded that we don’t have to wait for International Women’s Day to think about empowerment and equality. It takes the efforts and inclusion of everyone, everywhere, all the time.

You can learn more about this global movement at internationalwomensday.com and use the hashtags #IWD2020 and #EachforEqual on social media.

Thank you to all the women who shared their stories and everyone at Axway for making it the place to be for our employees. We are all #BetterTogether!