Empowering IT Teams
Based on an episode with Cristina Rufeisen 🇧🇷
Welcome to Latinx in Power, a podcast aiming to help to demystify tech, the way we do that is by interviewing Latinx and Caribbean leaders all over the world to hear their perspective and insights.
We talked with Cristina Rufeisen, a senior Director IT Program Management at Electronic Arts. Cristina is an accomplished IT leader with experience in the high-tech, digital media, and life sciences industries leading global teams to develop, deploy and support business solutions.
Cristina is also passionate about Diversity & Inclusion as she serves as co-chair of the Hispanic/Latinx Employee Resource Group at Electronic Arts, and is a member at Latinas in Tech and Brasileiras do Vale (BRAVE) community.
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What does it mean to be a Latina for you?
I believe it means to be Brazilian, it means representing a little bit of Brazil on all things. I like to be an ambassador for Brazil, the culture, embodying the combination of working hard with being passionate. And also being warm and caring, so that combo there is what it means to me to be Latinx. I do wear my Brazilian badge of honor. When you get to know me, in the first three minutes you’re going to know I’m a proud Brazilian.
This dimension of being Latina really started emerging a little bit more after I moved to the US. Growing up in Brazil, as you know, everybody is Latinx but sometimes we don’t identify ourselves as Latinas/Latinos/Latinxs.
You studied Computer Science. How was the process of choosing your bachelor degree?
I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, I knew what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to lock myself into one particular area because I felt that I wouldn’t have a lot of flexibility to operate in different fields if I did that. I was really looking for something that would enable me to change areas and jobs.
I felt strongly towards Computer Science because every area needs technology, every area needs technology solutions. My thinking was, if I chose something like that, I would be able to retain a lot of flexibility to move and try different things in my career. Back then, I didn’t own a computer and personal computers weren’t something that you would find everywhere and not many people in my circle actually did have a Computer Science degree.
I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t know much of what a Software Engineering profession was. In fact, I had not even written any line of code before coming to the university. In Brazil we have to declare our major before we get admitted into the university so I took a little bit of a gamble there. I didn’t know what to expect, I learned to code in my first programming class right in college.
Luckily it turned out okay, I loved what I learned in the university, I loved using algorithms and logic and I found myself being able to do a little bit of quiet work while programming and doing my thing which was great. I would be in my zone but also able to do the part of the business analyst and talk to people to understand how we could use technology to solve problems. I loved doing that too, so it turned out that was a good choice after all.
When folks are getting into technology now, they have so much more opportunity to experiment. The kids already come into programming by playing the video games, developing web pages and different apps. They have a lot more opportunity to get started right here, but back then it was a little harder to find personal computers and to get your feet wet.
How’s has your experience moving to the US from Brazil and living in the bay area for so many years been for you?
When I started, this opportunity came because I was working at Hewlett Packard in Brazil. I had done my internship in my last year of university there and then I was hired. It was about my third year in the job, I had a working relationship with the team here in the US, because they supported our systems in Brazil.
I signaled to my boss, who was a great manager, that I wanted to have more of an international experience , I wanted to try it out and be exposed to more opportunities outside of Brazil. Then there was an opportunity to come to the team that I was working very closely with already in the US. My husband was very supportive, so he decided to quit his job and come with me which was great. He didn’t have a work permit to start with, so I was the only one working. My husband went back to school.
We didn’t have any kids at the time. If I look back and think of it, people usually take a preview trip, they come to where they’re going to live to check out the territory. We didn’t do that, we chose the date, bought one-way tickets and moved to the US. So we came in and I remember landing here, and then driving through El Camino Real.
We had temporary housing with the help of the company. I clearly remember thinking, wow, we’re here now, where are we going to be in a month from now? Then, a month later I was thinking: hey, here we are, things are settling in and I’m starting my job, where are we going to be six months from now? And then, the next thing you know it’s the six months mark.
Eduardo, my husband, changed his career. Hehad a degree in Economics and then a Master’s in Advertising and when he came over here, he actually changed his career to film, motion picture and television. So he went back to studying, creating a portfolio while I was working.
My commitment with the company was for two years. And then here I am after 20 years…! I remember doing those checkpoints from time to time. We did it in the one year mark and maybe a couple of years after. If somebody told you from the get-go that you would be making a commitment for many years it’s really difficult to picture it. Which is why I think it’s important to keep those checkpoints at a shorter intervals because if you try to project things too much in the future, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen.
You have to be open and keep an open mind to see what your expectations are and what you had planned to happen because so many things change along the way. It’s important to adapt so you can be positioned to take advantage of what good things may come your way that you didn’t expect.
Tell me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear these phrases:
Your superpower
Maybe something along the lines of collaboration, adaptability, and flexibility. I really enjoy the challenge of being thrown in a new environment and have to figure out how to best mobilize to get the job done, which may require a different approach depending on the group you’re in and the task at hand. Being able to adapt quickly and making the most out of the situation, I’d say that’s probably one strengths..
A book
I really enjoyed the book Becoming by Michelle Obama. It’s such an inspiring story, learning about her roots, her career, her struggles, how she always kept thinking, putting things in perspective. Even when she was in a position of power, she always kept herself grounded, I think this is so refreshing and comforting. When you see the public image that you have from somebody match what comes out from the inner self. It was really nice seeing that the persona that she has, and even when she’s being so open in her book, that it matches. It creates this powerful and enriching experience for us, it’s warming to the heart seeing such a great journey . I think it’s very inspiring. It was really nice to hear from her mom (Marian Shields Robinson) too, she’s a character. She goes on about her thing, unaffected, it’s awesome. She initially didn’t want to come to live with them in the White House and when there were all those big trips coming up she’s like ‘I don’t think I’m going’. Finally she would end up going, for the granddaughters.
Program Management
I started my career as a Software Engineer and eventually found my way toward project and program management. I think that logical thinking, the coordination kind of thing, that’s my sweet spot, I love to do that. My motto as a project/program manager really is no surprises. So I think that’s what comes to mind for me. Some folks that are starting in this area may think that the best projects are the projects which go on without a hitch and everything looks beautiful. That’s not the reality, it’s almost impossible to have a project that goes on without having a change or something that comes up that you’re not expecting.
When I think about program management, I think of no surprises. What do you do when something comes up, are you adjusting your plan? Are you flagging that to your team? Maybe the project is getting into the red zone, but some people are afraid of flagging that and because they think it may reflect badly on them as Program Managers.
Actually, I believe the opposite is true. When you flag an issue and you try to tap into the resources that you have to fix the situation, you give visibility to folks that may be within your reach to ask for their help. Maybe you’ll have sponsors that are willing to come in and help make sure that the date is not changing or that they can put in more resources or the quality of the product is not compromised. All of those things are only possible if you’re really keeping your eyes open and you’re calling your project status as it is. I think that’s what makes a good project and program manager and that shows how you really reacted when faced with change that was inevitable.
Being prepared and aware so that you can take advantage of all the resources that may be available to you l and keeping your eyes on the end game. Change is going to happen, try to make sure everybody’s informed.
A hobby
I love cooking and adventures in the kitchen. I really love doing that. I am from Brazil, as you know, we have different heritages as part of our composition. My family is half Italian, so I love a good pasta, lasagna, anything with cheese, I’m down for it. In fact, I would dare to say that Italian food from São Paulo is better than the pizza from Italy. I’m sure I’m going to get in trouble for saying that.. I love cooking different variations of the other side of my family like Lebanese food. My mom cooks really well. I like to try some of those things out in the kitchen.
You work in a field that has been mainly dominated by men for many years. How’s your experience as an IT leader have been? In your opinion, what’s to have a “place” in tech?
Like many other women with a technical background, I have seen myself in a position where I was one of the few, sometimes the only female person in the room or in the meeting, or on the project. One thing that was helpful, and I would highly encourage other women to do is to build your network within your company and also outside. Connect with other women that might be out there and also with allies that are going to help you amplify your voice.
There are so many amazing resources that are out there. One resource that I think is especially valuable is the annual Grace Hopper conference, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings of women in computing. It’s been going on since 1994 and grows each year, and it has several tracks, workshops and presentations and there are fantastic keynote speakers and women sharing their stories. I have participated for a couple of years and have learned so much. The first year I attended was 2016, in Houston. That year, I was blown away when I walked into this arena that was filled with lots of women, 15,000 women, such a powerful energy.
The first session I attended was the keynote speaker, the CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty. She was very inspirational, she told us everything about Watson and what was going on at the time, but the one bit that I recall very well was her sharing a story about how she didn’t feel ready to get into the next level of leadership, and this is the CEO of IBM! She was having those sorts of questions, she said that at one point in her career, she was already pretty senior, her boss was leaving, and he selected her to take his place. Ginni didn’t feel ready, she said she was interested but needed one more year. She wrestled with that decision for a while, it was not until her husband asked her ‘Do you think that any of your male counterparts would be responding this way? Would they have all sorts of questions like you’re having? ‘.That’s when she finally decided to do it.
For me that was really telling, and like that session, there were so many others that were eye opening, and inspiring sessions. Grace Hopper really gave an awareness of many things that were happening around me, and with me but I could not fully articulate before. I participated in some impactful workshops around personal branding, finding your voice, being your authentic self, mentorship and sponsorship, and imposter syndrome. I walked away with concrete tools and resources to move into action. It was such a great experience and I got to connect with so many other women from all walks of life and all different parts of the country and jobs. There were some men there too, some brave men — not as many within the 15,000 sea of women — but it was great to see them, they are very important allies in this journey.
Participating in conferences and in sessions like those really helped me to identify things that I was not even tuned into before, and now I have some things on my toolbox to handle. . There are several others not only conferences but organizations and resources around women in tech. If we talk specifically about Latina women, there are some groups that are doing great work out there like:
- Latinas in Tech: A non-profit organization with the mission to connect, support and empower Latina women working in tech.
- Latinas in Computing: Community created by and for the Latinas in Computing with a mission of promoting their representation and success in computing-related fields.
- Latinity: The Latin America Women in Technology Conference brought to you by Latinas in Computing.
- Girls Who Code: Aims to support and increase the number of women in computer science by equipping young women with the necessary computing skills.
- Dev/Mission: Dev/Mission to provide STEM opportunities for untapped 16–24 year San Francisco Bay Area youth by teaching programming, hardware, and critical career skills.
- Techqueria: Techqueria is a nonprofit that serves the largest community of Latinxs professionals with the resources and support that they need to thrive and become leaders in the tech industry.
- Latinitas: Provides media and technology programs for girls 9–18 years old throughout Texas, California and beyond.
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Empowers families and provides scholarships and support services to as many exceptional students as possible.
You can network in those groups and also give back and volunteer with them. There are many opportunities out there to build your toolkit, and the resources that you can use to navigate being a woman in tech.
What are you most proud of?
That is a hard question to answer, how can somebody answer that? Professionally speaking we all have our special moments, the ones that we feel that are important, and contributors for growing our careers. Rather than looking at anything specific like that, I would point out more to a traitt, something that carries through my professional journey — along the lines of tenacity, resilience, and self reliance. I think that would be a theme that I would feel proud of more so than a particular accomplishment.
There are ups and downs, but having the resilience to get through whatever the challenge is ahead, I think it’s a great asset to have, no matter how small the step..Every time we show up and we do what we have to do, with determination, with grace, we put a checkmark on the win column.
And on a personal level, I think the thing that I’m most proud of are my kids. This is the most important job, and it’s not an easy one, especially as they grow up. You have to be pretty consistent, stay in line, and make sure that you’re modeling the right behaviors.
When did you find your voice?
In our culture, I think also this is true for women in general, we don’t feel super comfortable advocating for ourselves. We don’t want to come across as if we are bragging or promoting ourselves. We typically think that if we do a great job and get great results, the work will speak for itself and right things will happen as far as your career, promotions, but we know that that’s not always the case.
On the other hand, we do a great job advocating for others. If you have a co-worker, somebody that you’re working with , an employee, somebody who you think is doing really a great job, we are very passionate, we want to make sure that they get the recognition they deserve. So I use a little trick that is to think of me as if I were somebody else. If I had a coworker that accomplished this or that, how would I show up for them? What if I remove myself from the situation and think of myself as another person? I try to keep it objective that way.
I also use this when I’m feeling that I’m being too harsh on myself.. If I missed something, or something that could have gone better, then I step outside of my box a little bit to do a reality check and say, what if instead of me, this was somebody else, would I be this harsh? hat helps,to be a little bit more objective when we think about ourselves.
I also encourage everybody to ask for what they want/need. People cannot read your mind. If you have an idea, for example, you want to take more responsibility, or you want to participate in a challenging project, make that known. Check with your manager, signal that even if there may not be an opportunity right now, if you keep talking about it, if you signal that that’s what you’d like to do. Folks will know what you want, and next time when an opportunity comes by, they will have that in mind.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
I’d say, “don’t take things so seriously, it will all work out, relax”. The other thing is prioritize , to know how to prioritize the things that are really important, especially as you progress through your career, from time to time, check in. Are you spending time on the right things? I recall one exercise that I learned at one of the Grace Hopper sessions that I participated in — it was a lady that was talking about an exercise that I thought was helpful. From time to time, take a piece of paper, and on the left column write in order of importance everything that is important to you. Write everything that you think is important and then on the right column, write how much time you spend on the things that you listed. What is the biggest time sinker that you have? How do you compare those two columns, the things that you care about, and the things that you’re spending your time on? Are they aligned? Are there adjustments that you need to make? It’s such a simple exercise but it can be so powerful, because you’re going to be looking at it and saying, wow, I’m spending all this time in something that’s at the bottom of my list. I really liked this reality check where you are aligning your time with your priorities. That’s another thing, useful advice, that I wish I had in the beginning of my career.
Something else I would think of, is expand your network. Find your crowd, internal and external groups, and also organizations. Be aware of the resources that are available to you. Now more than ever is so easy to go out there and find many different organizations that you can associate yourself with. There’s a bunch of opportunities to join forces with other groups. Join an Employee Resource Group (ERG), if folks have that opportunity on their own companies, that will help a lot. There’s huge value in networking and finding opportunities to expand your reach beyond just the functional area and the folks that you work with on a day to day basis ..
How’s your experience working in a company who leads the gaming industry?
Electronic Arts is a fantastic place I have to say. When we look at EA, it’s a large company l, but if I look at where I came from, that was HP, EA was not as large in comparison, which for me that was perfect.
When I first joined EA, I loved the fact that it was large enough to have the supporting structure and the resources, but not as large that it felt like everything was already ‘baked in’. I believe this is really true to this day, there are so many opportunities to shape the work that we do. I think no matter the area that you are in, even my own job has evolved in ways that I would not have even imagined. I have a very active voice in shaping that up with the support of my management team and my leadership team, so there’s flexibility and openness.
That’s why it’s really important that you see yourself in the culture of the company and the environment that you are working at , you really need to feel a sense of belonging, then you can bring your whole self to work , to be your authentic self. I’m fortunate because I have a fantastic leadership team that supports growth and trying different things.
EA as a whole, all levels employees and leadership, have been very committed to a culture of inclusion and ever growing, . After all, we build better games when all the players see themselves represented and reflected in our products. It’s been an amazing ride, very happy to be there.
I hope you enjoyed the podcast. We will have more interviews with amazing Latinx leaders every first Tuesday of the month. Check out our website Latinx in Power to hear more. Don’t forget to share comments and feedback, always with kindness. See you soon.
Additional Reading Mentioned in the Interview
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