What inspires Priya Cutts — our VP, PMO — on joining KeepTruckin

Hi Priya, let’s start with “Why KeepTruckin?”

Having left Pakistan when I was 18 and then the subsequent decision to stay in the US meant I had resigned to the reality that I may never contribute back to my country in any economic way. When the opportunity with KeepTruckin arose, the biggest driver for my interest was the ability to have a positive impact in the Pakistani tech space.

Tell us a little bit about your professional journey in tech?

My journey started in Berkeley, CA around 16 years ago. I was hired by a small German start-up working in the music space. From there I found myself in the center of the FTP gaming space at Zynga in the early days of FarmVille. To give me a challenge, I joined Rally health and spent the last 7 years there.

What are some of the most common issues facing women who are successful professionals in the tech industry?

If you’re here, working in tech, you have made it. Based on the numbers alone and the fact that many women drop out of STEM fields within the first year of college, having made it to the point where you’re part of the industry is having made it.

I think the issues faced are pretty similar regardless of your role. It’s getting better but you’ll still see less qualified men get promoted.

Women tend not to negotiate on salary, or ask for a raise. So you see a gender pay disparity where women make less. For working mothers, it’s a whole other ball game. We’re starting to see the balance between family and work being normalized.

What can leaders in your industry do to ensure that more women find their way into tech jobs?

Hire more women. Make it a priority ( not just on paper) and actively seek more women in leadership roles. It’s important to have the perspective and voices of 50% of the population in rooms where important decisions are being made.

When interviewing it’s important to have women on the panel. When we’re recruiting, the interviewee needs to see someone that looks like them, someone that is relatable. And this is not just specific to women, we as leaders need to ensure we’re hiring and pursuing people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds and affiliations.

And finally, What message would you give to young girls who are interested in entering the tech industry?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and find a mentor early in your university career. Apply for the internship you don’t think you’ll get. Advocate for yourself relentlessly and don’t get intimidated by the louder voices in the room.

Want to hear more from Priya? Watch the video below:

Interested in joining the KeepTruckin team? Check out our careers page here