Giving trust to gain impact: What I've learned as a woman in tech

International Women's Day often invites us to look back at milestones. This year's theme, "Give to Gain," has made me look more closely at the quieter decisions that shape a career. Those moments where someone gives you trust, or when you decide to give it away yourself.

I am the Group Product Manager for data integrations at Adverity, a marketing data platform company. My role centers around building the backend technology that supports our marketing connectors, along with managing a team of product managers and technical business analysts within my cluster of around 40 people.

My day-to-day tasks range from operations like weekly releases, backlog prioritisation, and co-ordinating with enterprise customers on their release timelines, as well as strategic tasks like quarterly planning and deciding which integrations to build next and why. I am also responsible for developing and managing the talent within the organisation, including supporting individuals looking to transition into product management roles.

Finding my own path

My journey into the technology sector wasn't straightforward. I enjoyed my university degree in geography, but I wasn't directed towards a clear career path until after completing it. I began working as a consultant through small agencies and then progressed into larger consulting organisations such as Deloitte & Accenture. I learned rapidly, though I generally felt that I wasn't "owning" much of what I was delivering.

Prior to attending university, I had participated in an "Excellence in Cities" program in Birmingham. One component of the program included a mini-apprenticeship in mechanical engineering with the University of Birmingham. I worked on various projects with local companies, including Cadbury. While I may have been paid in chocolate, I was, however, introduced to engineering as something tangible and creative.

The woman who ran the program had a significant and lasting impact on me. Her objective was to encourage more girls to participate in engineering projects, and she told us that even if we did not become engineers, a career in technology would help open doors for us. Her initial encouragement provided me with the confidence to eventually pursue a career in technical environments.

After consulting, I entered into IT start-ups and relocated to Switzerland. Because the companies were typically smaller, I was able to assume additional responsibilities. With my early engineering exposure and client-facing experience, I was drawn to product management, and within that role, I appreciated having the opportunity to sit in the middle of technology and business, identifying areas of need in the marketplace, and helping to define the solution.

Then, during the pandemic, I completed a remote MSc in digital marketing at King's College London. I had seen multiple products fail to scale because the go-to-market strategy was weak, and I wanted to gain a better understanding of that aspect. Completing the program changed how I think about growth and impact.

What good mentorship looks like

I have experienced both meaningful and superficial mentorship.

One formal mentoring program in my career that paired senior-level employees with junior-level employees was designed to promote support. However, in reality, advancement was more dependent on having the right connections and being involved in visible projects than on those official relationships. It felt performative.

The mentorship that really shaped me came from a colleague and friend named Cheryl in an IT disaster recovery team I worked in. We worked together on a physical security review for a major bank. It was chaos. The stakeholders were under pressure and the requirements were changing constantly. She would tell me, "It's messy now, but in a few weeks, it won't be." She taught me how to break down complex and overwhelming issues into more manageable pieces. And most importantly, she taught me how to interact with people from vastly different backgrounds, how to find common ground, and how to read the room - skills that have helped me time and time again within my career.

To me, that is mentorship. It is about emotional intelligence, learning how to effectively cope with challenging situations, and gaining confidence quietly.

The signals we miss

There are many subtle cultural signals that influence who advances in their careers.

I have observed young women who often feel compelled to wait until they know everything before they contribute to a conversation, and I've observed others who seem to have no problem expressing opinions that may not be entirely formed. The reality is that visibility follows how outspoken you are. The dynamics of these two factors can significantly affect the recognition one gets.

Interestingly, I have often found that technical teams tend to be more open to discussions. Developers are typically cognizant of the limitations of their knowledge and are generally willing to listen. Whereas in more business-focused environments, I have sometimes seen confidence presented without the same depth of understanding.

Learning to speak-up, even when you don't have all the answers, is a skill. It doesn't necessarily mean speaking just for the sake of it, but rather trusting that your perspective has value and having the confidence to back it. 

Giving to gain

For me, "Give to Gain" represents collaboration and autonomy.

The best teams I have ever worked with have been ones where the combined effort has produced results that individually no single person could have accomplished. As a manager, I attempt to give away as much control as possible. My team knows our quarterly objectives. Beyond that, I give them the flexibility to determine how to meet those objectives. For example, I support flexible work arrangements - if your role is laptop-based, the value of your contribution is not defined by simply being present in a building.

When you give trust and credit to the correct parties publicly, you create confidence in your team members. I make a conscious decision to publicly highlight good ideas coming from specific individuals. Additionally, I have experimented with structured idea-sharing models, such as 'innovation tournaments', where people can submit ideas anonymously without the fear of judgment.

In the next 5-years, I believe the technology sector will make significant advancements if we increase the number of women in leadership positions who have genuine authority to shape how organisations operate. That would mean more prominent female leaders in the major technology companies, alongside more diverse representation in AI development, so that emotional intelligence and broader perspectives influence the powerful systems we are building.

Flexibility must continue to be a fundamental aspect of that future. For many women, particularly those with families, traditional office hours are a barrier. Technology provides us with the tools to work differently, and we should use those tools to our advantage.

Giving trust. Giving space. Giving credit. In my experience, these are the actions that add up to better products, stronger teams, and stronger careers.