Women in Technology: Gimena Vera
Gimena Vera was born in Montevideo, but when she was 3 years old her parents decided that they wanted to have a different quality of life and moved to Cologne. And Gimena followed in her footsteps! After studying Engineering in the capital and working in several technology-related companies, he had his first daughter and decided to return to Cologne where he started in the SEA (Software Evolution Area) area until he became SEA Manager. Today she is 34 years old, she has been working at Infocorp for seven years and every day she overcomes the challenges of being a mom and working, but she does it with more than enough, and for us she is proud!
Do you remember when you were attracted to technology?
Ever since I was a kid, I went to computer classes. Now it sounds ridiculous, it's like a father sending his son to learn how to use the TV, but at that time not everyone had a computer, there was no internet, so we did things like logo programming simple commands through commands.
So your parents were visionaries...
Yes, the thing is that I wasn't one of those girls who wanted to go to ballet, or music, or swimming, so they looked for what to do with me (laughs). And when I was 9 years old, the Kings brought me my first computer.
Do you remember what make and what model it was?
I don't remember, but I had DOS, I didn't have WINDOWS, nor was the monitor obviously in color.
What were you doing with that computer?
Well, there was the LOGO, there was the BANNER, which was what you made posters and then printed them. She was the queen of posters for Father's Day, Mother's Day, Children's Day, birthdays, etc. Then I started doing things with Office. And I think that starting in 2000 we put internet at home, but I could only use it after nine in the evening because it was cheaper.
Did you know right away that you wanted to study Engineering?
Yes. Although I was never excellent in mathematics, chemistry, or physics, I wanted to do Engineering, which obviously didn't even know what it was, I only knew that it had to do with computers. Also, to my surprise, after I started Computer Engineering, I realized that I didn't like programming so much, but everything that has to do with projects, the management area.
Let's talk about the student period. How many women were there in your class?
The first few years were difficult. You would enter the classroom at 7 in the morning, to reserve a place for 9. We were about 300 people and there were two or three women. In my study group, we were always all boys and I. As you progressed in your career and the courses stopped being so general, I began to meet a few more women. Luckily that has changed, but I am a 2004 generation and there the number of women was minimal.
Was that causing you any problems or discomfort?
At certain times, yes; mostly at the beginning. There was a lot of competitiveness, and the boys were very used to playing games. It is common for boys to have done some type of programming before starting college, so they tend to show that “I know more”. Even after you start to evolve in the race, you don't notice that much, and in reality there always ends up being a companionship because it's the way to get ahead of everyone, because it really is a very difficult race. I wouldn't tell you that I felt discriminated against, but I do say that every time a woman entered the library, they all turned to look, but that happens in other places where the majority of the population is male as well. Anyway, I always had a lot of male friends, and I'm used to always working in groups where the majority are men. Even in the Infocorp office in Cologne until two years ago, it was all boys and me. Now we are 28 people and we are 3 women. Although Infocorp is generally a company with a lot of women, including our CEO!
And what is it like to lead a team of men?
I never had any problems. Maybe we women tend to keep more things to ourselves and get offended. I don't know if that's the right word, but to annoy us or be more susceptible. But in general everything works well. And in fact it's not difficult for me to lead because we have a divine team. I went from being an Account Owner, which is actually already a place of leadership, to leading the entire office and I never really had problems. At first I had doubts and certain fears because it was the first time I had faced something like this and besides, the person who left office is excellent. But today I am happy and besides, the new office is beautiful, super modern, large, with lots of light and very stimulating.
How was your career at Infocorp?
I joined as a junior programmer, and I was there until Federica was born. I joined Infocorp and a few weeks later I found out that I was pregnant so I am always infinitely grateful for everything they supported me. I didn't know when I joined, and I know that projects are sometimes complicated by the times, but they took it divinely. After the maternity leave, we decided to come to Cologne and there I changed the project area to the SEA area.
It was within the same company, but for me it was like changing jobs, because I changed cities, changed offices, the team was totally different. They were 8 men who had been working together for years, so accepting the first woman was like”Phew, what an embarrassment”, we will no longer be able to talk about football, to say swear words. But then they realized that they could continue to do the same. And from there, I became a senior programmer and started being responsible for an account. In 2016 I started my first trips to visit clients and after that I was given the role of Account Owner. In 2017 I became Bianca's mom for the second time and at the end of 2018 I became SEA Manager.
Did you feel right from the start that you could make a career at Infocorp?
When I started projects in Montevideo, yes, without a doubt. When I came to Cologne, I didn't really understand the structure of SEA, but I also know that Infocorp is always reinventing itself. It's a place where you can undoubtedly grow and it also gives you the flexibility to find your place. Possibilities are opening up all the time not only in Montevideo but also in Cologne and Chile, and we also have a lot of interaction between the three offices, which is great because you learn a lot. There are also a lot of initiatives that are accommodated and people value that very much.
What do you like most about your job?
G: Dealing with people. Both internally and on the client side. Get to know different cultures, ways of seeing and doing things. I really like the management part, of talking, exchanging ideas and implementing initiatives.
How does work stress cope with you?
One is learning. In the beginning everything causes you fear and uncertainty. And without a doubt, there are moments of great stress, when, for example, things don't work, where the customer plays a lot there, because their reputation is at stake. Something very common that customers say when something doesn't work, is “what They're going to put on Facebook, they're going to put on Twitter”. We have had moments of great stress and a lot of pressure and the support that everyone at Infocorp gives you is great. At least it has never happened to me to be “challenged” for something that could eventually have been done better. Always What I Heard Was”we are going to solve it, we are going to learn from this and we are going to move forward” and it's kind of in that spirit that I also treat the guys who work with me.
What do you like about living in Cologne?
To be close to my family. I really missed living in Montevideo, he came to me every weekend. Although the reality is that I also miss Montevideo a lot now. But Cologne is a beautiful city, you have places to go out all year round, and summer is the best part because there are a lot of super beautiful beaches, I have one very close to my house and I enjoy the outdoors, the barbecue, the dogs.
Do you have any hobbies?
I really like to read, although now it's more complicated with young girls and remote work. But sometimes I read technical things, about leadership, novels, I like to read in general.
What's the last thing you Googled?
If the Word Reserved Names It was well written.
