Women In Tech at IMGS

Pragruthi Morali

Women in tech at IMGS – Pragruthi Murali

Women in Tech at IMGS - Pragruthi Murali

To celebrate Women In Tech at IMGS and their invaluable contribution to the business, we will be turning the spotlight on key female members of our tech team over the coming weeks. 

This week’s Women in Tech at IMGS spotlight interview is with Pragruthi Murali, Application Engineer, IMGS.

Pragruthi Murali, Application Engineer, IMGS

I’m an enthusiastic computer science engineer with an MS in Software Design and Development . I’ve been working with IMGS for the last 3 years as an Application Engineer.  My work revolves around development, implementation, data engineering and dba tasks.  I work with customers to provide technical support for geospatial applications which include Geomedia, M.App, G-tech managed service and I’m currently working on adding FME to my list!

Pragruthi Morali

Pragruthi what first got you interested in Tech?

As a kid I had a fascination with a PC game ‘Ages of Empire’. It still fascinates me today how clever the in-game AI was and how much tech has evolved since then.

In middle school once of my subject choices was computer science, which introduced me to the world of tech at a very early stage.

 

Can you tell us a little about your role and what a typical day is like for you?

Recently no two days have been the same. I have been fortunate to get exposed to various aspects and stages of projects from design  development, implementation and support to drafting estimates.  I love the problem-solving aspect of my job: resolving bugs, developing new product ideas and experimenting with new features, which all help to keep me engaged and busy.

 

What obstacles do Women in Tech face?

Irish statistics show that less than 25% of women work in STEM skilled roles.  This gives an impression that tech might not be a great choice for women, which is absolutely not the case.  As Ireland is now widely viewed as a leading technology hub, more needs to be done at school level to educate girls about the the vast array of opportunities that are available in the STEM World.

 

What advice would you give to a woman thinking of pursuing a career in technology? 

If you are passionate about technology, then go for it as there are a myriad of opportunities for women in this field. It’s a hugely rewarding career with plenty of scope for career development.

 

What are your thoughts on the next transformation in the tech industry?

Post-pandemic there may be an online learning revolution for students, which increases the demand for LMS (Learning Management System). I previously used Moodle cloud for one of my thesis on LMS and would highly recommend it.

Also with bitcoin and blockchain becoming popular terms it might be good to see quantum computer and quantum key becoming a reality outside of the lab.

 

Are there are particular women in tech that have inspired you?

It was inspirational to see how Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, led the social media giant from a $56 million loss in 2008 to an astounding $18.5 billion profit in 2019.  I was given Sheryl Sandberg’s book ‘ Lean In’ as a graduation present, which is a great guide for job hunting and finding your way early in your career.

A quote to live your life by: ” If your offered a seat on a rocket ship , Don’t ask what seat!  Just get on “- Sheryl Sandberg.

 

When travel restrictions are eventually lifted what destination would you most like to visit?

I would love to visit Greece, in particular the beautiful island of Santorini with it’s picture post card scenery . I also  can’t wait to try their famous classic baklava!

Women in tech at IMGS - Aoibhinn Stuart, Delivery Director

Women in tech at IMGS – Aoibhinn Stuart

Women in Tech at IMGS - Aoibhinn Stuart, Delivery Director.

To celebrate Women In Tech at IMGS and their invaluable contribution to the business, we will be turning the spotlight on key female members of our tech team over the coming weeks.  This week’s Women in Tech spotlight interview is with Aoibhinn Stuart, Delivery Director, IMGS. 

Aoibhinn has over 15 years project delivery experience across a wide variety of industries, including Banking, Payments, Insurance and Utilities.  She is passionate about customer service and the importance of building strong collaborative business relationships. She is ISEB, ITIL and Scrum.Org accredited with a strong understanding of complex IT systems and processes.  Aoibhinn specialises in project management, process improvement and quality assurance to improve system stability, functionality and efficiency.

Women in tech at IMGS - Aoibhinn Stuart, Delivery Director

Aoibhinn Stuart: A Career in Tech

Aoibhinn what first got you interested in Tech?

It’s hard not to have an interest when everyone in your family is involved in tech in some way!  I remember desperately trying to get a hold of my brothers Atari and Commodore 64 when I was young and later in school we were introduced to the concept of coding, which really interested me.  I always had a love of engineering and tech and so it just felt like the right route for me.  It certainly helped to have been encouraged from a young age and exposed to the world of tech, long before I began working in this field.

Can you tell us a little about your role and what a typical day is like for you?

My official title is Delivery Director but in reality I am part-time PM, part-time tech lead, sometimes strategist and all day problem solver! 

My mornings consist of catching up on e-mails, chasing my children around to get dressed and doing the school run.  Most mornings we have a stand up to catch up with everyone virtually and go through the tasks of the day.  Usually this is followed by some project calls with customers and in the afternoons I will either have a new project plan, estimation or a marketing strategy to review. 

Since the pandemic, I have made a huge effort to regularly link in with each member of our team individually for a ‘virtual coffee’. It is really important to reach out and ensure we look after one another as these times are very isolating and as leaders we must lead by example.  That means making time for people and checking in with them on a personal level.  It’s too easy to lose sight of the human element of business when you are caught up in the deadlines and tasks of everyday life. 

Come the evenings.  It’s homework followed by dinner then a walk and usually a movie.

I do a final e-mail catch up before bed and check my calendar so I am prepared for the next day.

What obstacles do Women in Tech face?

Themselves.  When I speak to women in other industries or younger women deciding on a career choice, I often hear that they don’t like coding – therefore they wouldn’t like tech.  This common misconception drives many women away from our industry. Tech has such a vast array of jobs that I am still amazed at some of the roles people enjoy!  Coding is a small part of what we do.  There are business analyst roles, project management, solution architects, data driven solutioning, the list is endless.  If I could share my experience of tech it would be that women are great leaders, enablers, multi-taskers, mentors and yes, coders! There is room for everyone!

What advice would you give to a woman thinking of pursuing a career in technology?

Go for it!  It really is a fantastic industry to be  part of.  It’s never boring, things change so quickly that you are kept on your toes. Do your homework, look at all aspects and decide which interests you the most.  Is it infrastructure, data, application, web development?  Speak to others in those areas to get a feel for what their role entails.  Encourage each other.  There is an expression I love ‘real queens fix each others crowns’ and that would be my mantra for women in all industries.

What are most proud of in your career so far?

The biggest success for me is that I have managed to juggle a career with bringing up a family.  It is not easy to manage the pressures of young children and a busy job but somehow I have just about managed to keep all the balls in the air!  Joining IMGS has been a real career highlight for me, we have such a fantastic team and I love my job and who I work with.  I don’t think you can wish for more than that in any role.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Pre COVID, travelling would have been my big love.  I am really looking forward to getting back to visiting new countries and seeing new cultures.  Nowadays we do a lot of walking, cycling and movies!

When travel restrictions are eventually lifted, what destination would you most like to visit?

A bar.