Presenting to you some untold stories of women leaders in an uncertain and dynamic IT world. This episode features an interview with Sumana G M. She is the Global Director of Data Engineering at AB InBev. In this episode, Sumana talks about about her journey so far and what is the secret behind her successful career.
TIME STAMPS
2:03 – Tell us about your life when you had just passed out of college.
3:07 – what were your ups to downs as a newbie in the technology field
5:05 – Tell us about your Current role as the Global director of Data Engineering at “Anheuser-Busch In Bev” What do you enjoy the most about it?
7:53 – Have you faced any unconscious stereotypes being a woman in your journey so far?
11:31 – How is data technology different for fast moving Co Consumer goods industry (FMCG) when compared to other industries??
13:42 – what kind of data engineering techniques, technologies, or services have you applied in QA process? Has there been any relationship between “QA” processes and data technology?
15:20 – From the perspective of data technology, cloud Migration & data analytics, have you seen differences in perception when it comes to people of different culture & background?
17:18 – How important is work life balance? How do you go about it? Do you have tips for us?
19:34 – what is a secret quality of yourself that you are most proud of?
21:05 – What do you do to keep your team inspired and how do you handle situations of crisis? How do you handle the people factor?
QUOTES
“I always looked up to do work which influences, and gives back to society”
“Working with young people helps to blend with new cultures, evolving technologies and bring in fresh perspectives”
“Look for continuous learning and do not limit yourself to one profile”
“Always be proactive to convert your challenges into Opportunities”
“Working in various departments or working with diverse people, will contribute to your growth (both inwards & outwards) in long term”
“Look at the positives, believe in working hard and be pro-active , you will surely reach great heights”
“In the Technology field, we must continuously upskill, reskill & manage people factor to produce outstanding outputs”
“Be the change, you wish to see in the world” – M.K.GANDHI
“Never try to judge a person without getting into their shoes”
“What you give is what you get back”
We should never micromanage a team, instead we should have faith in them and their understanding of end vision.
“It is very fascinating to see the power of data in solving a problem or looking at things that’s blind to human eye”
“What held me sane and led to success in my career is that drive /passion to create an impact of my own”
“I grew up with a mindset that I’m strong individual and I wouldn’t see myself through the lens of gender”
“Global events like covid & Ukraine war have made the field of data technology more popular than it ever was”
“Data science & analytics techniques helped scientists & researchers to read through large scale data with velocity and generate insights to get through the vaccine faster “
“Biggest challenges are the ones that were created unconsciously in my head because I thought less of myself, which led to the fear of not speaking up & constant pressure to prove myself”
“My advice to everyone, especially women would be to stop fearing, stop self-doubting, work hard, but at the same be proud of what you have achieved so far”
“It’s ok to fail, but it’s not ok to not try-both in personal & professional life.”
