International Women’s Day 2020: women in tech leadership at SumUp
Aneta Petkova tells us about her life in programming and being a woman in leadership.
Throughout March, we’re celebrating the incredible women making an impact at SumUp. While we’re proud of the fact that over 50% of SumUppers are female, we’re committed to reducing the gender gap in our engineering, finance and leadership teams. With this in mind, we caught up with a few women currently thriving in these areas.
Next up is Aneta Petkova, Quality Assurance Lead at our Sofia office. After her short-lived dream of a career in special effects, she found her place in programming. “I saw the Matrix movies when I was a teenager and wanted to get into graphic design or movie effects, but then I realised I’m much better at maths than arts. I looked into programming and became an automation QA, so I’ve been a QA my whole career.”
Women make up 52% of Bulgaria’s scientists and engineers, making it one of only 4 EU member states with a female majority. This is something Aneta deeply values about her home country. “I consider myself very lucky. I never really felt discriminated against, as pretty much half the people on my Computer Sciences course were women.”
Even with Aneta’s positive experience as a woman in tech, there’s still one major issue that stands out to her. “The pay gap is still there. I think it’s one of the hardest things to address, because most people’s salaries are not public. You don’t know if your pay is fair, you can’t know! And I think women often feel uncomfortable negotiating, so even if you know your pay is less, it might be hard to do something about it. I think one of the best things a company can do is to have fixed salary bands for each position, so you don’t have to wonder if your pay is the same.”
In the early stages of her career, Aneta often felt unsure about speaking up in group discussions. “It was hard in the beginning. Whenever I was in a meeting, I would only speak if I was completely certain about what I was going to say.” But now that she’s in a leadership role, she actively encourages her female colleagues to share their thoughts. “When I spot someone who looks like they have something on their mind, but they’re not raising their hand, I’ll directly ask them what they think. And usually, they have really good ideas or opinions.”
When it comes to inspirational female figures, Aneta cites English novelist Agatha Christie’s ability to command respect in a male-dominated industry. “At the time she was writing, being a famous, influential woman was such a big deal. She wasn’t one of these people who got famous after they died, she was well-known when she was living and her opinion was respected throughout the literary world.”
Based on her own experiences applying for jobs, Aneta says it’s important for companies to make women visible if they want to attract female talent. “I think showcasing the women who have already had an impact is the best way to do it. If I’m looking for a job and I can see female faces, even in places like banners and advertisements, then I feel much better about applying.”
To ensure diversity and inclusivity when hiring for her team, Aneta uses a technique she learned at a leadership meetup in Sofia. “Before meeting a candidate, I don’t study the CV in detail. Instead, I wait until the interview and ask the person to tell their story. If you spend too much time focusing on the CV itself, you might start building biases in your head, consciously or unconsciously. But if you withhold any judgement until you meet the person, it helps to keep in mind that you’re making a decision about a human being, not just a piece of paper.”
Being part of a global team and navigating the challenges that come with that is something Aneta values the most about SumUp. “One of the best things I’ve learned is how to work with people from different cultures. Bulgaria doesn’t have a lot of expats, but SumUp has given me the opportunity to work with so many different people. I’ve always been curious about life in different places, so I’ve loved getting to know my colleagues in Brazil and having the opportunity to visit our office there.”
Aneta has a simple piece of advice for women thinking about pursuing a career in tech. “Just do it! Tech has so many aspects, it’s not just about coding. I’m not sure if it ever was, actually. But today, it’s so diverse. I’m pretty sure that anyone can find their place, as long as they look for it and they’re not forcing themselves into a certain role. It’s not about maths or being authoritative, there’s a place for everyone.”
For Aneta, celebrating International Women’s Day at SumUp acts as a reminder that change should remain ongoing. “Women are half of humanity and I think SumUp is doing a great job with diversity, but it’s important to keep doing it. It’s not just about doing one campaign or implementing one policy and assuming that everything is good. It’s about showing that you really care and working all year round to make things even better.”
