Tech Inspired

In our latest podcast episode, we had a fascinating conversation with Solveig, a dynamic software engineer and AI enthusiast based in Switzerland. We delved into her unexpected journey into tech, the challenges she faced, and her experiences working in both big corporations and startups. Ever wondered how to break into tech without a traditional background? Solveig's advice is simple: don't be discouraged by job requirements. Apply anyway, even if you feel underqualified. You might be underestimating yourself! We also discussed the future of AI and its impact on the job market. Worried about AI taking over your job? Solveig's perspective might change your mind. Embrace curiosity, she says. Start experimenting with AI tools, like GPT, and see the possibilities for yourself. And remember, failure is just a stepping stone to learning and growth. Do you want to know more about Solveig's inspiring journey and her insights into the tech world? Tune in to our latest episode and get ready to be motivated! Are you ready to embark on your tech adventure?

Lerne Simona kennen, Chief Operation Officer bei Textshuttle in Zürich, ein schweizerischer Unternehmen für maschinelle Sprachübersetzung. Obwohl Simona bereits in der Schule und zu Hause bei den Eltern die ersten Erfahrungen mit Computern sammeln konnte, fehlte ihr doch der direkte Bezug zur Technologie. Dies führte dazu, dass sie sich bei der ersten Berufswahl für eine wirtschaftliche Richtung entschieden. So begann sie ihre Karriere mit einer kaufmännischen Ausbildung. Nach ein paar Jahren im Beruf, fand Simona neue Interessen und entwickelte sich Richtung Marketing. Sie besuchte die Höhere Fachschule wo sie einen Abschluss in Marketing und Kommunikation. Doch Marketing wurde ihr doch zu einseitig so entschied sie sich, einen Bachelor Abschluss in Digital Business & AI Management machen. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt hatte sie bereits einige Jahre bei Textshuttle gearbeitet, eine Stelle die ihr dank Zufall und einem guten Netzwerk angeboten wurde. Zu dem Zeitpunkt war Textshuttle ein kleines Unternehmen mit 3 Angestellten. Und obwohl sie noch etwas blauäugig die Stelle angetreten ist, war ihr bewusst, das dies eine einmalige Chance ist etwas neues zu sehen und in einen neuen Bereich einzutauchen.Wie sich Simona dieser Herausforderung gestellt hat und wie sie die Rolle des COO meistert kannst du dir jetzt in dieser Folge von Tech Inspired anhören. Vernetzt dich mit Simona auf LinkedIn.

Meet Kristin Umbrach, Head of Development at Swiss IC Security Group, a cybersecurity company. Kristin started her career in a very non-technical way. Although she wanted to become a marine biologist, she soon figured out that this is not the place for her. So she started studying Business Administration. She was always eager to work in an environment and with people who are ambitious so that she can bring her drive and passion to the table. After her studies, she found the perfect place at an investment bank, where she worked in the area of mergers & acquisitions. During her first job, she realized that technology plays a vital role in her work to improve processes and become more efficient. This led her to her next job, away from an advisory role into the corporate world of construction. The lack of talent in this industry was driving her and her team to find ways to optimize. And of course, technology plays a great role in this. Her next step, into the role she has now, was then initiated by a head hunter. He saw the potential,skills and expertise she had to bring the necessary added value to this job. Today she enjoys working with different companies, helping them in their transformation processes and translating the company's strategy from management to the employees and embedding it in the everyday lives of the employee. Kristin is a perfect example of being able to change a career into tech. Listen to this episode and learn more about her career and how she moved into tech. Connect with Kristin on LinkedIn.

Meet Megha, CEO and co-founder of Metabloqs, as she shares her insights on the transformative power of generative tech, AI, and the web. Discover how anyone, regardless of their industry or role, can thrive in this space with curiosity, passion, and a willingness to learn. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on whether Metaverse interactions can replace real-life connections.

Meet Susann Pätschke, an aerospace engineer who found her passion for all things space at a young age. As a Ground Station Modem Engineer with CGI for ESA/ESOC, Susann shares her experience working in the technical aspects of the aerospace and satellite market, and the role it plays in our daily lives. Listen to the episode to explore her journey, future developments in the space industry, and more. Tune in now!

Sandra Zimmerli, Cloud Engineer at novaCapta, shares her inspiring journey into the world of tech. From a young age, Sandra was fascinated by computers and coding quickly became her hobby. Despite not having any role models in the industry, Sandra pursued her passion for IT and is now a successful Cloud Engineer. In this episode, she discusses the impact of AI, the future of cloud technology, and encourages listeners to pursue their passions in the tech industry. Tune in to this podcast to be inspired by Sandra's story.

Meet Stephanie Lambert, Head of Global Sales Operations at Wingtra. Despite having no background in tech, Stephanie has found her way into the industry through her passion for disaster relief and her willingness to explore the unknown. Stephanie shares her journey from being a typical ballet-dancing girl to becoming a Head of Global Sales Operations and a member of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Corps. She gives valuable advice on how to enter the drone industry and stresses the importance of being open, talking to a lot of people, and trying things you don't know. She also talks about the future of drones and how they can benefit people. If you're curious about how Stephanie's journey unfolded and want to learn more about the future of drones and the industry, listen to this episode now. Stephanie's inspiring story and valuable insights are sure to leave you motivated to explore the unknown and step outside of your comfort zone.

Meet Khanh, Security Advisor at Splunk. Her interest in numbers led her to study economics and finance. After completing her studies, she landed a job at Microsoft as a business manager, but she soon realized that she wanted more – to explore the sales aspect of the tech industry and talk to customers about the technology and how to use it effectively. However, switching from a numbers-focused role to sales was not easy. She had to educate herself and find someone who believed in her to get her first job in sales. Khanh's passion for Microsoft technologies, users, and challenges helped her overcome the difficulties and achieve her goal. She worked in different departments at Microsoft and gained a deep understanding of the products, which made it easier for her to connect with them and sell them effectively. Khanh's journey in the tech industry taught her the importance of having a mentor, creating a network, and listening to the people around you. She also shares her insights on what security advisors do, the future of cybersecurity, and why creativity is crucial in IT. Want to learn more about the most important skills that helped her to build her career? Listen to the new episode now.

Lerne Marina Petrovic, Data Reporting Specialist bei ewz, kennen. Marina lernte früh in ihrem Leben zwei Bereiche kennen, die auch sie später prägten: die Physik und das Banking. Obwohl sie bereits im Gymnasium mit Computern in Kontakt kam und die ersten IT Erfahrungen sammelte, entschied sie sich trotzdem für ein Physik Studium. Den Schritt in die Finanzwelt wagte sie dann nach dem Studium. Sie hatte sich schon fast für ein PhD in Physik entschieden, als sie merkte, dass ihr dies einach nicht genug Freude bereitet. Sie entschied sich für ein Post Graduate Program im Bereich Financial Modeling zu machen. Dabei wurde ihr die Banken Welt näher gebrachte. Aber auch da fand sie nicht die Erfüllung. Während sie sich überlegte, wohin sie möchte, fand sie erste kleiner Aufträge für Daten Analyse über eine online Projekt Platform. Alsbald entschied sie sich in die Schweiz zu ziehen und suchte dann wieder eine Festanstellung. Sie begann ihr Netzwerk aufzubauen und kam bald in Kontakt mit einer Personalvermittlungsfirma, die ihr ein Angebot machten. Eine ideale Gelegenheit für Marina ihr Netzwerk in der Schweiz zu erweitern und mehr über die verschiedenen Branchen kennenzulernen. Dank dem kam sie auch zu ihrem heutigen Job bei der ewz. Marina hatte einige verschiedenen Jobs bevor sie das gefunden hat, was sie heute inspiriert und motiviert. Und dazu hat ihr auch ihre wichtigste Fähigkeit verholfen. Wenn du mehr über Marina erfahren möchtest, und welche Fähigkeit ihr auf dem Weg in die Tech Branche geholfen hat, hör dir jetzt diese Episode an (in Deutsch). Vernetze dich jetzt mit Marina auf LinkedIn. Mehr zu Inspiring Girls findest du hier

Meet Cornelia, an executive at Eidgenössische Elektrizitätskommission ElCom and the founder of energy-on! Her journey into technology began in her early childhood. She was a curious child, so she decided to experiment - to put a nail in the socket and see what happened. It was so interesting to know why and how we've electricity in the socket. She never stopped thinking about it, and that was the reason she started studying electrical engineering But studying at the university didn't go so smoothly for her. At her first lecture, she was the only girl among the 800 boys in the lecture hall. And one of the professors even told her that it was better not to waste her time there because she wouldn't make it t anyway. It’s better to go home and learn how to cook at home. Engineering was just a men's world, but Cornelia was a really strong girl and wanted to prove to everyone that it shouldn't be that way. That women are no less capable than men and that they can do anything they want to. That profession doesn’t have a gender. Want to learn more about Cornelia and her journey into engineering? How did she decide not to listen to other people who didn't believe in her just because she's a woman? And how did she make it despite all these obstacles? Listen to the new episode now. Connect with Cornelia on LinkedIn.

Meet Alessia, Tech Artist in Meta. She works in a team focused on Mixed Reality, combining the real world with the virtual one. She is very close to the tech team, but at the same time, creativity is a very important part of her work. She was lucky enough to be exposed to computers from a young age. When she was a child, her father worked for IBM and her mother studied art. So she was always connected to technology and art. Thanks to her father, she had her first computer at a very young age when it was not common. She loved to take her comic book and copy the pictures pixel by pixel onto her computer. When Toy Story came out in theaters, she realized she wanted to work in 3D. After high school, she studied media design. While studying, she realized that video games were also a good job option, and she shifted her interests from the film industry to the video game industry. She applied to Ubisoft and was hired as a 3D modeler. What does "artist" mean nowadays? Is it possible to make art in the technical field? How many opportunities are there for artists today? What does the day of the technical artist look like? Listen to the podcast to know all the answers to these questions. Connect with Alessia on LinkedIn. Read more about future jobs in the Metaverse.

Meet Reshma, Group Senior Vice President & Chief Transformation Officer at The Adecco Group. She is originally from India, but has spent 22 years living in 13 countries on 3 different continents. And all these years she has worked in the tech industry. She is a mother who successfully combines her professional life with childcare. Reshma is an engineer by training, but tech was never her childhood dream. She grew up in a very patriarchal society where education was highly valued. Therefore, her parents encouraged her to get a good education. In her childhood, she had no role models in the tech field, but she was always very good at math. So she decided to continue her education and career in STEM. And if you wanted to be financially independent, you had no option to have a degree in literature. And one career that could give her financial independence was in tech. Her first job was in a large engineering company in India, and she was one of the first women to work in the male-dominated field of STEM. Want to learn more about Reshma? Listen to the episode to find out why the tech industry is not just about doing technical things, but rather about using technology for the greater good, and why an engineering degree is not the most important thing if you want to get into tech. Connect with Reshma on Linkedin.

Meet Elcin, the Defense Attack Capability Lead at UBS, Chair for Finance and Banking working group, and lecturer at Swiss Cyber Institute. She is one of the few women working and leading in cyber security. However, it was not always obvious that this would become her passion. After her studies in industrial engineering, she got the opportunity to work in cyber security and has not left since. Elcin had various jobs over the past 16 years, e.g. as an ethical hacker. She gained technical as well as strategic experience in her field. As a teenager, she discovered already creativity is relevant in the STEM fields. For example, as an ethical hacker, you must be creative and think outside the box to stay one step ahead of hackers. Elcin shares some tips to get started in cyber security. One of her tips is to find the intersection between the role expectations and your skill set. And then you should talk to experts in the roles you are interested in. And she is also a big fan of hackathons for learning and networking opportunities. Listen to this episode to learn about Elcin’s take on the future of cyber security and how the threat landscape is changing due to the pandemic and artificial intelligence to name just two keywords. Lastly, Elcin shares her top three role models that motivate her with their visions, personalities and actions. Connect with Elcin on LinkedIn

Meet Akira Brand, Developer Relations Professional in Bright Security. She had several drastic changes in her career path – started as an opera singer, switched to e-commerce, and is now in software engineer. Before tech, she used to work professionally full-time in the classical music scene. It seems that these are totally different and not connected professions, but the way of approaching work turned out to be very similar. Akira had inspiring role models from childhood – her parents. Her dad was a geophysicist and her mother was a mathematician. Engineering and mathematical-minded people surrounded her all her life and it was very influential. Her mom also played with her logic games and puzzles. Surprisingly, it really helped her with entrance exams to Coding Bootcamp later – problems were almost the same. At the same time, Akira always was into singing. She was a shy child and singing was the only comfortable way to express herself and escape from reality. In the world of music, she felt at home. STEM was interesting for her, but music always was more important.  That’s why she decided to take her Bachelor’s degree in music, and simultaneously she took a few engineering and maths courses. After being in the music industry for so long, she was depressed – you always need to be at rehearsals, and you always need to learn something new. You don’t see your family and friends, you just need to work. Her former partner wanted to help and pushed her to look into the software engineering area. At this time she couldn't even think about it seriously – she didn't believe in tech and didn't trust computers. But she decided to give it a chance. Turns out, she wasn't very enthusiastic about it, it was just okay. But one day she was looking at the code and for the first time she could visualize it, everything made absolute sense to her. From this moment she realized that it was something that she need to proceed with. If you want to know about her full transition from opera singer to software engineer and the similarities between these areas – listen to the podcast now! Connect with Akira on LinkedIn.

Meet Nisha Lehmann, Senior Customer Success Manager at Merkle. Nisha has been working in Tech for 15 years. Her career choice was an accident because she never had an aspiration for the IT area. She studied journalism and had a dream of becoming a writer. But when she finished her education and tried to find a job — she wasn't successful. After that, she accidentally found a job as a technical writer that was totally different from journalism. There she obtained her first skills in coding and programming. She never thought about herself as a technical person, she was always more creative. But subsequently, she understood that everybody can be technical if he decides to do it. Everybody has creative and technical skills, and it's just a decision on which one to focus. With her master's she decided to proceed with information systems, and after that finding a job was much easier. She found a new job — in IT consulting, where she had been working for nearly 7 years. There she helped to bridge the gap between technical resources and business requirements and analysis. The Tech sphere gave her the possibility to try a lot of different things in a short time, to experiment, and the opportunity to find out what she really wants and needs. In turn, consulting was a great opportunity to learn a lot in a modest amount of time, but it was also challenging. Her motto is to be patient and not to be afraid to fail. Want to listen to more career advice from Nisha? Listen to the podcast and discover how to drastically change your career. Connect with Nisha on LinkedIn and find out more about Confidential Conversation here. Merkle is also one of the sponsors of the #wetechtogether conference 2022 on the 30th of September and the 1st of October in Zurich.

​Meet Rosemary Lockhorst, Founder and CEO of  StoryByte Studio, which specialized in digital storytelling, using the latest technologies in gamification and entertainment. Rosemary, or Rosy as she introduces herself, was already interested in tech at a very early age. However, even though she had a computer at the age of 9, she decided later to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. Working in an Irish hotel, her younger brother visited her. He pointed out, how much more she could make going into the tech industry. And that was the start of her career in tech. So Rosy changed into software engineering! As easy as it might sound at first, it took her a while to build up her career. However, Rosy never shied away from saying yes to opportunities that were offered to her. Soon she took over a Project Manager role and with the help of friends and family, she was able to thrive in this role. Her career took her to different companies and areas in tech. Until one day she realized that she was hitting sort of a glass ceiling. It was time to take a break and step out of tech completely. Rosy went to the US to attend classes on screenwriting. While being in the US she run into a former colleague, who got interested in what she was doing now; storytelling. Her colleague was looking for an opportunity to digitalize a book she wrote. And just like that, Rosy got another opportunity to start her own entrepreneurial journey! If you want to know, how she built her company and why Al Gore gave her the best career advice, listen to this podcast now! Connect with Rosy on LinkedIn. Rosy will be attending the #wetechtogether conference 2022 as a Knowledge Session speaker - find more info here!

​Meet Anna Maria, who is a Senior Director in IT Strategy and Innovation at Sunrise.  As a child she followed her curiosity to take things apart and put them back together. Inspired by her father and by her mathematics and physics teacher, she fell in love with technology. Consequently, she graduated as one of three women with an engineering degree and worked for the first couple years in construction. Anyway, at the end of the 1990s telecommunication was on the rise and captured Anna Maria’s interest. She started from the bottom as an industry (career) changer and continuously used her curiosity to explore the different options. Thus, she worked in different industries and countries; the jobs varied from hands-on to more strategical positions. Now, Anna Maria shares her career learnings from the last three decades with us. She mentions repeatedly that it is important to keep moving to stay on top of innovation. Listen to this episode to get the full insight from Anna Maria’s impressive career and her take on the future of telecommunication companies, digitalization, and new work. Finally, Anna Maria gushes about her favourite female role model. This woman is literally reaching for the stars yet outspoken about injustices and relatable in her life choices. Listen till the end, you might be inspired too. Connect with Anna Maria on LinkedIn. More about the #wetechtogether conference on 30th of September and 1st of October at Technopark in Zurich.

Meet Sibel, Head of Data at Frontify and a global citizen. Sibel lived most of her life outside Turkey, where she has been born and raised. Today she is responsible for all the data analytics tasks at Frontify. She joined a small and young team and built up a team of six today including data analysts and engineers. Sibel started her career in economics with the goal to be a professor, teacher or researcher in her professional life. Little did she know that an economic crisis gave her the opportunity to switch to tech. She moved to Boston to search for a job when a tech start-up gave her the chance to switch to tech. With her background in statistics from her studies, she was up for the challenge and got the chance to change her career into tech. She learned to program in R on the job and soon the contract became a permanent role. The startup was acquired by PayPal and she leveraged her knowledge even further to become part of the data world. However, being married to a Swiss citizen, they soon longed to go back to Europe and luckily she landed a new job with eBay in Switzerland. Sibel believes, the traditional way of getting a job by applying for an open position is going to remain. However, to be successful, this requires a mindset shift on both sides, the hiring company and the candidate. Applying for jobs enabled her to work for Ava Women and now Frontify. There are many ways into tech, and Sibel’s story is just another inspiring and empowering story for women in tech. Roles can be created nowadays and passion can open doors in unexpected ways. Are you looking to switch from academia to an industry job? Then listen to Sibel and her advice on how to switch careers. Connect with Sibel on LinkedIn.

Meet Karina Stump, who is the Leader Category Management Supermarket at Digitec Galaxus. Previously, she worked for almost a decade in the luxury and fashion industry. There she had various roles from finance to marketing to management. In many of these jobs she had touch points with the tech world. Be it building a cv platform at university or leading a new pricing system at a well-known jewellery company. Despite limited contact with technology when growing up, her practical interest and curiosity in new tools and systems helped her get hands-on with new technologies. Again and again, Karina was able to create safe environments to try out and make experiences to learn about the structure and logic behind systems. She mentions that she is generally not the expert in discussions with IT people. However, she can challenge them because she understands the basics of a technology or system and advancing the discussion with this knowledge. Did you know that Digitec Galaxus offers over 3.5 million products in their online shop? Karina shares some bits about the need for automation, the use of artificial intelligence and marketing. What fascinates her the most about her job is the scale of the whole environment and the agile company culture at a tech company. Additionally, Karina talks in this episode about the future of e-commerce. There might even be the passing mention of the metaverse. On top, she shares why curiosity is her most important skill. Connect with Karina on LinkedIn Learn more about Digitec Galaxus in their company profile.

Meet Maryia Kayser, Head of Software Development at Nexxiot, an IoT company. She studied Physics and Mathematics, then Economics and currently she is working in Software Development. Maryia became a Web Developer by fixing one thing on a website and continued coding the whole website. By chance she got into the Tech industry, but she does not want to change a bit of her journey so far. Maryia’s diverse background helped her navigate the different management and tech related challenges in her jobs. Her hard work paid off in a way that she was presented with opportunities at the right moment in time. Listen to this episode to learn more about her way into Tech and the values she looks for in her team and daily work. This includes recommendations how to figure out, if your new interest is also your passion, and how to approach people and thus grow your network. What Maryia likes about her job is the constant problem solving. Sometimes there is not the one right solution to issues but it is a process of optimisation. Luckily, she works for an IoT company that produces tracking devices to optimise supply chains. Thus, daily problem solving is part of the job. Further, their products are contributing to a more sustainable cargo business by reducing inefficient transports. If problem-solving and sustainability are your  passions too, do not wait and get in touch with Mariya. Connect with Maryia on LinkedIn