“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its WOMEN.”
Michelle Obama
The theme of this year's International Women's Day is #BalanceforBetter, which is about ensuring gender equality and offering a platform to showcase and celebrate women's achievements. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we provide a snapshot into the journey of five OpsRamp women who have contributed immensely to the growth and maturity of the company in a fast-moving technology landscape.
From Circuit Boards to Artificial Intelligence
Jiayi Hoffman, Data Science Architect
Beginnings: “As a child growing up in Shanghai, I loved playing with my Erector set to create cars. I would assemble the engine and put all the metal pieces together to build a working car. In middle school, we had a school project to make a radio circuit board. I remember watching my classmates struggle while I had already figured it out.”
My first role: “I majored in Electrical Engineering at college as I enjoyed solving physical problems in my head and with my hands. I came to the US to pursue grad school and landed my first job as a software engineer at Remedy (now BMC Software). I worked in the server engineering team at Remedy, where the team was facing a major problem that was blocking a software release. Two weeks had passed and the senior engineers could not fix the issue. I decided to take the matter in my own hands and worked till 3 am one day to fix the problem so that the release could finally happen.”
What I do today: “I’ve come a long way from those early days. At OpsRamp, I define the product vision and strategy for our next generation service-centric AIOps platform that’s used by leading global enterprises. It’s fun, challenging, and powerful at the same time!”
A Passion for Learning and Adapting
Sunitha Penmetsa, Manager, Operations
Beginnings: “While I was pursuing my management degree, I decided to specialize in human resources based on the advice of a few alumni. I believe HR is a critical (and often overlooked) organizational function that involves hiring, motivating, and retaining people.”
My first role: “The initial phase of my career had its share of high highs to low lows but it also helped me build a wide range of new skills and experiences. I welcomed each opportunity with a grin on my face. I’ve worked in different roles and responsibilities including, office administration, recruitment, and core HR activities.”
What I do today: “Working with OpsRamp’s leadership team and our fantastic employees have helped me learn and grow at the same time. I am getting more opportunities to build new skills and capabilities which is also fun. On the personal front, my role as a mother has helped me nurture my inner strength. Seeing my beautiful daughters grow every day makes me feel happy and proud.”
Sales with Empathy and Creativity
Saritha Patric, Global Renewals & APAC Sales Development Manager
Beginnings: “Growing up in India, few people could afford their own computer. When I first encountered a computer in the fourth grade, it was a life-changing experience for me. I learned how to use applications like Paint, Word, and Excel and write simple programs that would amaze my friends.”
My first role: “When I started hunting for my first job, I was not looking for a career in technology sales. During my initial interview at Dell, the HR person pointed out that I had great communication skills, a positive attitude, and a desire to learn. I accepted a role at Dell as a commercial sales executive, which helped me gain customer empathy, present with confidence, and close deals with grit and perseverance. These sales skills have helped ground me, not only in my professional life but also in my personal life.”
What I do today: “At OpsRamp, I’ve found a perfect environment with the flexibility to showcase my skills. Every customer engagement is different and I get to exercise my creativity by solving different challenges, tailoring product use cases, and interacting with some amazing colleagues from different organizations. So all you beautiful women, if you are on the fence about exploring a sales career, please give it a try. It may just turn out wonderfully!”
Multi-dimensional Path to Human Resources
Sharmila Pilla, Manager, Human Resources
Beginnings: “The universe is a force of creation. I always had different interests and passions, including event management, casting, hospitality, backstage artist management, corporate events, and film awards. My instincts have always guided me: directing me to advance further in life.”
My first role: “After business school, I joined a staffing agency where I was recruiting candidates for leading global organizations. I had to reach out to at least a hundred prospective hires every day and place fifteen candidates every month across different clients. My job helped me interact better with people, improve my negotiation skills, and work better under stress.”
What I do today: “Recently, I became a happy mother with an adorable (and naughty) son. Undoubtedly, my son is the genie of my life...My journey with OpsRamp has offered unlimited learning, dozens of great memories, and boosted my confidence levels. It has also allowed me to elevate employee morale through creative in-house events and flash mob surprises. It’s been nearly five years at OpsRamp and I look forward to more exciting times here.”
From System Administration to Global Program Management
Susmitha Juvanapudi, Senior Manager, Program Management Office
Beginnings: “I decided to major in Computer Science during the peak of the Year 2000 millennium bug and the dot-com bubble. It was an exciting time to learn computer science and I dreamt of landing a high-paying technology job that would also let me travel the world.”
My first role: “I started my first job as a system administrator for Genpact, GE’s global technology services division. Within five years at Genpact, I was leading a team of infrastructure solution architects. I also worked in the UK for three years, handling datacenter migration projects (just when virtualization was picking up steam).”
What I do today: “I completed my MBA in Operations Management in 2015 and decided to put my hard-earned skills as a customer success manager at OpsRamp. Today, I head the program management office, handling audit and compliance (including SOC2 Type II and GDPR compliance) and account management for Japan. My advice to women is to never worry about the glass ceiling, demolish gender stereotypes, and always be willing to try new things.”
Next Steps:
- Read about 10 Inspiring Women Who Are Transforming The World of IT Ops/DevOps/SRE For The Better.
- We're hiring for amazing talent in different roles across the globe. Please reach out if you're interested in working at OpsRamp.
- Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for some great content.
