I am a respectful, positive, optimistic, open-minded, curious and dynamic person. Respect, freedom and authenticity are very important values to me.
I graduated as an engineer from Ecole Centrale de Lille, and I worked for about 10 years as a data scientist and then data science manager in the Tech industry.
When navigating different industries and different types of companies, I realise that being a woman in Tech is not easy. The same behaviours that elevate my colleagues are reproached to me – because the perception of certain behaviours is gendered but I have no proof. Is it really the case, or is it in my head? I read statistical studies and yet they only add doubts to my own suspicions. I have just a few or no female role models that could inspire me because there is only one woman in the whole leadership team. I was told that men are evaluated on their potential and women on their accomplishments – I find that weird but it makes me doubt once more. As a manager, I am almost always the only woman in the room: do I really belong here? Should I become like them to get promoted? How can I be myself if I have to transform myself into an archetype of (male) success?
I realise that there is still a long way to go in order to reach gender equality. In 2022, I decide to take the leap and develop services to promote this vision of the world: a vision where women and men, people who identify as such and non binary people have an equal chance at success; where companies really are inclusive and not just on paper.
My goal is therefore to increase the number of females in Tech and to help companies to be fully and unquestionably inclusive: where everyone has the same chances of success and professional well-being.
As a woman in Tech, I start to work part-time as a freelancer and launch in parallel my coaching and consulting activity. I trained to become a coach thanks to a training by ZenPro Coaching.
Since then, I accompany people on the topic of gender equality, diversity and inclusion, either in the Tech world or in industries with a majority of men.
I also wish to accompany companies to implement awareness initiatives and action plans in order to improve diversity and inclusion in the long-term.
Contact me!
contact[at]selmahadzic.com
