Women will occupy 33% of Information and Communications Technology jobs globally in 2022 and at least 24% of them are leadership positions. Although tech is known to be a male dominated industry, Avertra is doing its due diligence to shift that narrative. With plans to bridge the gender gap and employ more women in the workforce, the company aims to empower women in positions that are typically male-dominated.
This article will highlight and provide a platform for four women in tech and within the company to share their experiences with Avertra.
What were your key achievements during your time at Avertra?
Dalia Abu Zeid (Chief of Staff, Jordan): Where do I begin? For starters, I oversaw the launch of the marketing team and recruited a wonderful team of women that empower and bring the best out of one another. I also gained more confidence as a professional dealing with C-Level executives. This led me to my first promotion where I am taking on more strategic roles and responsibilities.
Jyotsna Gupta (SAP Senior Technology Consultant, India): From being a member of the team to becoming a technical lead, it has been a wonderful journey of growth, and exploring new roles and responsibilities. I have advanced my knowledge by consecutive trainings and earned two certifications:
AWS Partner: Accreditation (Technical)
AWS Partner: Cloud Economics Accreditation
Mireille Bseirani (Director of Operations, USA): I am proud of the contributions I’ve made to help build, maintain, and enrich the company culture our leadership envisioned. I have been able to unify and globalize our Human Resources department, while continuously striving to streamline our processes without compromising personal connections with Avertra’s greatest assets, our employees.
Rahaf Alshannaq (Quality Assurance Lead, Jordan): Being recognized for my hard work as a team lead gives me the strength to gain the necessary knowledge and experience within the industry. I perform my tasks with utmost diligence and confidently overcome the challenges I face on a daily basis to deliver the highest level of work possible.
Do you feel like you face any hardships as a woman working in your industry?
Dalia Abu Zeid (Chief of Staff, Jordan): I’ve been fortunate enough to work under the leadership of strong and supportive women for almost my entire career. At the moment, I’m working with a great leader who is especially vocal about his support for women at Avertra.
When it comes to hardships, thankfully, I have never experienced any firsthand. However, I do believe it’s important to keep in mind that while I have not faced any problems, many women across different organizations and industries do face discrimination on a daily basis simply because of their gender.
Jyotsna Gupta (SAP Senior Technology Consultant, India): The foremost challenge is that most of the people in any given organization are men. With that being said, it may become difficult as our society still remains a male-dominant one. However, this creates an opportunity for women to stand out and create a long-lasting impression from the off. Also, women can often be perceived as more emotional and less decisive than men. Yet, women bring more diverse mental and emotional experiences to the workplace.
Mireille Bseirani (Director of Operations, USA): Thankfully, no. While it may appear to be a male-dominated industry, there are a tremendous amount of talented women in tech at the table, especially at Avertra. Our company culture has zero tolerance for gender bias and I am fortunate to work among professionals who embrace diversity and respect everyone’s contributions.
Rahaf Alshannaq (Quality Assurance Lead, Jordan): Avertra is an institution that empowers women in tech in leadership roles, which was a key factor that brought the leadership qualities within me to light. I am proud to have had the opportunity to water the seeds of the powerful woman that I am today. So personally, I never faced any challenges as a woman in a leadership role for Avertra.
How has Avertra empowered you as a woman?
Dalia Abu Zeid (Chief of Staff, Jordan): Avertra always encourages us to speak up, take the reins, and step outside of our comfort zones. It may be intimidating at first, but its a step towards personal and professional growth. Avertra aims to realize equity and reach more inclusion at the workplace with an end goal of reaching an equal ratio of men and women in tech.
Jyotsna Gupta (SAP Senior Technology Consultant, India): Avertra helped me with unique transformational ideas, and fresh new outlooks and perspectives at personal and professional grounds.
Mireille Bseirani (Director of Operations, USA): One of the most impactful ways Avertra has empowered me was through their continuous support and recognition of all my efforts. At the same time, I am constantly being challenged and encouraged to achieve my long-term goals.
Management is keenly aware that women from some cultures may not be comfortable with voicing themselves, or aggressively pursuing their goals. However, they encourage you to get you out of your comfort zone and enable you to achieve things you never thought were possible. I’m grateful for that.
Rahaf Alshannaq (Quality Assurance Lead, Jordan): Avertra creates a significant ripple effect that influences every single one of us. I feel confident enough to trust my own voice and express my ideas. This in return, helps me motivate my team better and provide them with the right direction and support for success.
Why do we need more women in leadership?
Dalia Abu Zeid (Chief of Staff, Jordan): Good question! I believe that women in tech can offer organizations an empathetic and creative perspective, as well as great leadership. Women in tech and leadership positions is also inspiring for young women who are just starting their careers and looking for mentorship that is more relatable to them.
From my own personal experience, it meant a great deal to be able to learn from my female leaders who made a great impact at their organizations. Gender diversity has also been proven to increase productivity, profitability, as well as boosting overall morale.
Jyotsna Gupta (SAP Senior Technology Consultant, India): While every leader’s style is unique, women are more likely to display qualities needed by modern leaders. Women bring skills, different perspectives, as well as structural and cultural diversity to drive effective solutions.
Mireille Bseirani (Director of Operations, USA): We need to break down preconceived ideas of who can be a leader and achieve a better balance overall. I’m not referring to diversity quotas, but rather redefining what a leader looks like and valuing innate qualities women bring to the table.
Some notable traits of the women in leadership roles at Avertra are mindfulness, empathy, effective communicators, and great multitaskers, all of which have a positive impact on their teams and business as a whole. These leaders are in a unique position to mentor and empower the next generation of leaders, irrespective of gender, while redefining what a leader is. More importantly, this necessary change of perception increases exponentially when employees engage with others and move on to the next journey in their career.
Rahaf Alshannaq (Quality Assurance Lead, Jordan): Women are able to wear many hats. They can balance careers, households, and parental tasks, which give them the ability to make wise decisions as leaders and boost teamwork across an environment that is less authoritative and more cooperative. This brings a team of family, and implements a new culture within the business.
The tech industry has undergone a major shift in terms of gender diversity. Women in tech should be fearless and seize the opportunity to create positive change in what used to be a male-dominated industry. Companies like Avertra are empowering women and encouraging its male employees to continue being supportive of their female coworkers. While women reshape the narrative at Avertra, the company continues to work towards its primary goal: employing an equal number of women and men at the company.
