Indy

Maria Rubio is Head of Ops at Indy, where she spearheads a team of data analysts. She values Indy’s company culture, and feels fortunate to be able to leverage skills that she learned in her previous roles at Criteo and Doctolib.Developing the logical mindset at CriteoInitially, I studied business and did various internships before realizing that what I liked the most was the data part, so I decided to get a master’s degree in engineering.&nbsp;I started working as a data analyst at Criteo in Barcelona. I really loved it and learned so much during the four years I was there. It was an amazing experience, where I acquired data skills and truly grasped the logical mindset needed to be a data analyst. I had the opportunity to recruit people for my own team, which was called Market Strategy &amp; Analytics. I had my first experience as a manager and loved it. I had the chance to be supported by the company (several coaching &amp; management trainings) and mostly had an amazing female manager that has been an inspiration for me ever since. Having role models like her has been key for me. &nbsp;Strategic thinking at DoctolibI wanted to work on a more operational level and start making business decisions. For these reasons, I applied for a job at Doctolib and was hired to develop the company’s go-to-market strategy for dentists. I really enjoyed the strategic &amp; operational nature of the job: defining the personas, what should we actually say to the dentists, how should sales reach them etc etc. I felt like I could really make a difference and have a direct impact. I learned a lot about business strategy and the e-health sector. &nbsp;A ‘crush’ on Indy I didn’t want to stay in Paris because I wanted a better quality of life, so we moved to Lyon. When I discovered Indy, I immediately had a crush on the company. It's quite hard to put a company’s culture into words, but to name a few, I really appreciate the kindness that I found at Indy, there is no politics here, I have a real feeling of “we are all in the same boat”. I also really appreciate the work life balance while remaining ambitious and with interesting projects. I think this balance between ambition &amp; personal balance is quite hard to find and I’m really glad I found it at Indy. I wanted to be somewhere where I could still see myself working after five or even ten years. &nbsp;For all of these reasons, I joined Indy as Head of Ops where, since November 2021, I’ve been managing a team of seven people. We conduct strategic analysis and report our findings to the three different revenue teams: marketing, sales and customer care. Our job is a combination between data analysis, business strategy and operational support. That means I can leverage the skills I acquired during my previous jobs, which is great. &nbsp;Personal management style I like to think that in my everyday life as a manager, I'm a good listener. It’s one of the pillars of my management style. I also really like to bond with my team — to sense when their moods are down, or to know what they did during the weekend. I don’t like to intrude in their personal lives, of course, but I think it’s very important for me to have a close connection with them.&nbsp;As a manager, the best thing you can achieve is that your team feels challenged and enjoys what they do every day. I take pride in them being successful. Gender imbalanceWhen I was studying computer science, the gender imbalance was super obvious because there were five girls and seventy guys in my year. I believe that if you want to reach some kind of equality in the tech industry, you need to start at the source. Afterwards, I’ve been lucky to work at companies where being a woman, or being Latin-American, never held me back. I also chose those companies for that reason; I didn’t want to have to pretend to be someone different at work.One issue I think companies across the board can improve is the “boy band effect” (even more impactful if in leadership teams). It’s quite common, and can be quite toxic, even if individually the men are very conscientious and respectful, something in the dynamic changes when they get together. This makes it hard to feel included in the group because you’re a woman, or you didn’t pursue the same studies. For Tech companies to have more women in decision-making roles such as C-level there is a real need to be inclusive and make the first effort.Women pursuing leadership roles3 actionable tips for women who want to build their personal brand, stand out and qualify for leadership roles in tech;&nbsp;<ul><li>Find a job that you enjoy, play on your strengths instead of trying to diminish your weaknesses</li><li>Be curious &amp; informed : listen to podcasts, check LinkedIn news, read books …</li><li>Don’t limit yourself &amp; don’t think you have a limit because you’re a woman, I feel it’s more handicapping than encouraging. There are a lot of companies where you honestly have all the possibilities, “sit at the table” like Sheryl Sandberg would say (I recommend you to read Lean In!)</li></ul>

"I wanted a company where I would feel at home"

Team 50inTech