#WomensMonth: Nicole Oliveira leverages the power of the cloud
Oliveira aligns strategic planning and goals, and consults clients on how to become more strategic with their solutions to get the best possible value out of them. In addition, she looks at innovative ways to leverage the power of the cloud for organisational growth.
We chat with Oliveira to find out what it takes to be in the software service industry...
Could you describe a typical day in your job?
With software services being the newest business unit to Alton Karabina, a typical day in my job at the moment involves a significant amount of time being spent on setting our direction and go-to-market for our software services business while seeing customers and solving their licensing challenges.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I actually wanted to be a marine biologist believe it or not. Which must be linked to my love of being at the beach. I certainly have landed up far from that in the big city behind a computer.
How did you get into the tech space?
I started out doing some contract work for someone I knew at a software vendor and my love for the IT industry was born from there. Fourteen years later and I would not change it. There is no better place to be as you are constantly challenged through the fast pace of change and get exposed to the amazing things that technology can do to change the world.
What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?Always believe you can do it. If you don’t have faith in yourself, no one else will.
What advice do you have for the future generation of women wanting to get into the tech space?
If you love being part of a fast-paced ever-changing industry, Do it! What an exciting space to be in.
Who or what is your biggest motivation?
My children are my biggest motivation. They are what gets me up every day and makes me want to make a difference and be my best self both at home and at work. I want to be a role model for them.
Are South African women getting enough of a chance to shine in the tech industry?
I think we have a way to go but we certainly are making great strides when it comes to this.
As a female business leader, what’s the least and most exciting aspect of your workday?
The most exciting part is seeing how what you do can help people or companies achieve their goals. The least exciting part is attending meetings for meetings’ sake. Nothing more frustrating than wasting time in meetings with no outcome.
Women are considered to be natural problem solvers. Why do you think this is perfect for the tech industry?
The nature of the tech industry is to help clients solve their business problems or needs using technology. Women tend to solve problems by gathering information and making adjustments where needed. In the tech industry where things are constantly changing, sometimes adjusting the path is not a bad idea and helps clients to be more agile.
Could you list a few, if any, specific challenges females face in this industry?
The tech industry was typically male-dominated, but I think over the last few years this has changed and is continuing to change. I also think the challenges for women cross over all industries – women having to prove themselves more than men, inequality in terms of positions and salaries, and women thinking that they have to “fit in” with the boys in order to succeed.
What is your advice for overcoming these challenges?
I think women are very resourceful and if you know what you want to do, then you must just go out and do it. There may be hurdles in the way, but hurdles are made for jumping over. Women bring a different dynamic to the workplace and instead of trying to fit in, we should show people how we stand out. Make sure as a woman you are visible to the leadership; you have opinions based on experience and you aren’t afraid to have your voice heard.
What trends do you predict in software services and/or licencing in the coming year?
There is going to be an ever-greater push towards the pay-as-you-use and cloud type models. Clients no longer want to be forced into paying for services they may not use.
Licensing models are so complex with the hybrid world that many of our clients live in and I don’t think this will ever go away, but it will certainly lessen as more clients move to the cloud.
