April Technology Grit: Never Stop Learning or Reinventing Yourself
Sarika Gupta is a passionate engineer with more than two decades of experience in the field of Technology. She was a complete techie in the first twelve years of her career and transformed into a leader as Director of Engineering at Harman International.
On being asked about the highlights or achievements of her career, she shared, “I started my career as an engineer with Hughes Group. I quickly moved up the ladder because of my perseverance and can-do attitude.”
“I managed multiple mid-large sized programs in my career in some of the latest and exciting technologies including Unified Communication, Wireless, IoT and AI. I joined Harman as a part of its initial team in Gurgaon. It was a huge step down from my previous job. But the prospect of creating something new and innovative inspired me and I took the plunge.”
“It was always exciting as well as challenging to set up the product framework within a services company and took quite a bit of innovative thinking, system alignment, and experience. But, within a year I had two new product launches under my belt. Today I manage customers and teams across the globe as Business Unit Head – TnI and Retail.”
When we asked about the challenges she faced as a woman in technology, she shared, “I have had my share of challenges and frustrations, but luckily none of them was big enough to take me down in the professional sphere. I was extremely lucky to be around people who only judged me by my work and capability to deliver. Though there were instances when people attributed my success to diversity or showed a lack of confidence in me to deliver but as long as it didn’t come from the people I work with, it didn’t bother me. And if it did, I never shied away from giving them a piece of my mind.”
“Another challenge was balancing work and family, specifically my son. But, thanks to my husband and son, it was more than manageable. One of the best compliments came from my son when he shared that he wants to become like me. It is all about balancing the priorities as per the situation in hand.”
Her advice to other women is, “Always be a student, never stop learning and reinventing yourself. Always have the inquisitiveness and hunger for knowledge. It will keep you motivated to invest time in reading and learning new concepts. I have always aspired to lead by example and be mindful of information and ideas around me, which can make me a better leader and I advise all women to be like that.”
Bio: Sarika Gupta is an Engineering leader having 21 years of experience in Technology, who considers integrity and commitment as the key pillars of success.
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