"The most important skill to have as a product owner is good communication!"

Originally from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Gladys Montalban moved to mainland France in 2012 to pursue her studies in Physics & Embedded Systems at Polytech Orléans.

Still in search of new adventures, she decided to live and work in Taiwan, and then Iceland, before settling down in France.

Now, at the age of 28, Gladys is a Product Owner at Ubitransport.

Have you faced any challenges along your career? How did you overcome them?

Yes, I have faced challenges throughout my career.

When I was in Taiwan, I was the first woman hired by the fibre optics laboratory where I worked.

There were about 10 colleagues who really couldn’t wrap their heads around what I was doing there. Also, the fact that I am 178cm tall and a foreigner didn’t help either! 

I really had to prove to everyone that I knew all the technical parts, and that even though I didn't speak fluent Chinese, I understood what they were saying to me. 

I had to work hard to show them that I was more than capable of leading the team. 

Similarly, my first work experience in France was a bit challenging seeing that I was the first woman to work at the company. Everyone thought that I worked in accounting or marketing. That was quite an unforgettable experience!

There have also been times where I was the youngest person on the team. So, I would have to make sure that everyone understood that despite my age, I actually knew how to manage a team.

What was it about Ubitransport that attracted you to the company?

After almost four years of working as a developer at the same company, I started thinking about what else I wanted to achieve in my career. It was during this time that I came across a team lead job posting at Ubitransport.

I applied and interviewed for the role, but didn’t get it. However, the team actually called me back and offered me another position which they thought would better suit me and my career goals.

Ubitransport definitely has a human aspect that I hadn’t seen at other companies. So, it was very easy for me to accept the job offer.

What is it like working at Ubitransport?

It depends on the day! 

Sometimes, it’s very calm. Other days, it can be very fast paced. 

I usually start my day off by meeting with my team (of developers and a scrum master). We talk freely about whatever it is that they are working on. 

There are also times where I have to analyse some functional aspects or prepare for a customer meeting or work on different projects. 

Furthermore, I am responsible for testing the functionalities of our products to make sure that they work.

And, lastly, I share the customer/project team’s needs with the engineering team.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I enjoy most about my job is the fact that I get to interact with people working across different departments (such as sales, marketing, engineering, and training) throughout the day.

What hard and/or soft skills do you think are required to be successful in your role as a product owner?

The most important skill is good communication since you constantly have to talk with customers, project managers and developers.

You really have to be precise and know how to adapt your speech based on who is in front of you. 

You also need to be confident in your decision making. As a product owner, I sometimes have to make tough decisions, which not everyone is necessarily thrilled about.

This is why I really have to believe in what I’m saying when sharing my decision with everyone.

Are there any goals that you're looking forward to achieving at Ubitransport?

I lead a pretty young team of six people. So, I’m really looking forward to seeing them grow and improving their skills to the point where they are fully capable of leading themselves.

What career advice would you like to give to young Caribbean women and girls who are interested in working in tech?

Don't be afraid to leave your island and see the world! 

You really shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. Also, there’s nothing wrong with standing up for yourself and talking louder than everyone else in the room.

Moreover, you will not necessarily be the best at everything you do, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying new things. 

In terms of tech advice, it’s important to keep abreast on the advancements taking place in the industry. 

And, finally, it doesn’t hurt to learn how to code!