Women’s Week at VAIVA – Interview with Kelly

To mark International Women’s Day 2024, we are introducing some of our female colleagues in person.

Hello Kelly, you are Product Lead at VAIVA. What are the tasks behind your role and how did you come to VAIVA?

My area of responsibility as Product Lead encompasses so many facets! I am primarily responsible for the planning, strategic direction and implementation of software products. I also work with an interdisciplinary team to define which roles will be needed in the future, which tools, which processes and framework conditions will ensure that innovations can be successfully brought to product-market fit. It’s not just about presenting outstanding technical solutions, but about solving real problems. So I am the linchpin of a major change in which all departments are involved. Our mission is to solve problems that others ignore. I joined VAIVA because I am driven by the vision of Vision Zero. What could be better in our industry than saving lives with technology?

Women are still underrepresented in the tech sector. What fascinates you about this field and why do you think more women need to get excited about it?

There is often an image that the tech sector is something very factual, purely logical and not very creative. This is a completely false perception. The STEM sector is always about curiosity, testing boundaries, creating things – it’s about beauty. That only works with people. And the best solution can only be found if as many different perspectives as possible are taken into account. If 50% of the world’s population, i.e. women, cannot be represented at the table, then the solution will suffer. I am creative every day, I love my job and I don’t sit in the dark basement at my PC, I see the world. Many more women should allow themselves to do that.

You are still very new to VAIVA. But what makes the working environment at VAIVA special for you already?

I received a really warm welcome. I am currently in a phase of analyzing the current situation. I involve a lot of people from several departments and sometimes ask uncomfortable questions. All my colleagues are very open-minded and highly motivated to play an active part in the process. After just a few weeks, it already feels like a team that is looking in one direction. I’m really looking forward to everything that’s to come!