Criteo

Agnès Masson-Sibut transitioned from academia into tech. As Engineering Program Manager at Criteo, she describes herself as an enabler of good ideas.&nbsp;Learning every step of the wayI always liked science and mathematics, so it felt natural to go to engineering school. Computer science wasn’t my first choice, but I really wanted to work in the medical field and computer assisted surgery was a booming field at the time. I studied image processing in France and Canada, and ended up pursuing a PhD in a company that facilitated computer assisted orthopedic surgery. Then I stayed on as a developer for four years.&nbsp; People say the world is made up of either thinkers or doers. Even though I think it’s not that binary, I am definitely more of a thinker. I love asking questions and helping people find the right answers. And I’ve always wanted to help people be the best version of themselves. That’s probably why I evolved from being a developer, to a manager, to my current job as engineering product manager, which I believe is really the right job for me. Each step of my journey taught me something new. At school, I learnt the basics. During my PhD, I learnt to ask questions and find answers all by myself. As a developer I learnt how to implement these answers. Finally, as a manager, I learnt how to support people and guide them through their careers.&nbsp; What it takes to be an EPMEngineering product managers (or EPMs) are often described as enablers. Our work mostly consists in ensuring that everything is in place for us to implement the best solutions to meet our business objectives. I’ve been at Criteo for a year and a half now, and currently work with three different teams, mostly on product catalogs and recommendation engines.As EPM, I feel completely free to suggest improvements to our process, our speed of delivery, and anything else. This is what motivates me the most. At the same time, it’s also what is most challenging: being present where you are not expected, at the right moment, and with the right suggestions.Diversity means valuing new ideas&nbsp;Diversity allows new ideas, perspectives and opportunities to flourish. It pushes everyone to think further. I wasn’t specifically looking for that when I joined Criteo, but I can safely say that it’s the most inclusive company I’ve worked for so far. At Criteo, we have a lot of great initiatives to promote women visibility. We’re aware that even the smallest detail can encourage people who feel left out to speak up. We also work in international teams, where we not only value new ideas but also give people the means to put them in place.&nbsp;&nbsp;The advice I would give women in tech is the following: figure out what you want to do, and then go for it. Don’t let your imposter syndrome prevent you from doing great things. The tech industry is really large, so be curious and really try to search for your place within it. And if you don’t find it, create it, because this world is limitless.Deep inside, you know what is best for you. Be open minded, speak up, follow your intuition. If something isn’t right, talk about it. And if you think the situation is hopeless, find somewhere else to grow, because your skills are valuable and you don’t want them to go to waste. Last but not least, be open minded because in this industry everything evolves at lightning speed.

“Figure out what you want, then go for it”

Agnès Masson-Sibut