Assia Garbinato

I’m a computer engineer and I was the deputy director of the Data  & Information Management division at a large insurance company. It’s a wonderful multi-faceted profession. For those who like working with abstractions, it’s seventh heaven. It’s fun and fascinating. New approaches to working, like the agile method, show the importance of a feedback culture, as they help us to adapt more quickly by continuously adjusting to the needs of our team and the market. I think that, because of the way we’re raised to question ourselves, women are more receptive to that kind of process.

I like logical reasoning and looking at information systems as pieces of a puzzle. I like taking a complex problem, breaking it down into smaller problems and then working towards a solution. I appreciate the beautiful dynamics of people working on IT solutions.

My career path. It’s involved a lot of work and commitment, as well as an ability to think outside the box and summarize. A key person in my life is my husband – a major feminist – who has always believed in me more than I have myself.

A downside or obstacle ? I doubted myself for a long time. There are mainly men in my profession – few women find or even look for a place in this field. However, I think working in a man’s world helps us broaden our range of skills. There’s truly a complementarity and richness to stepping outside your comfort zone. I would advise female students to not be discouraged the first time they fail, to ignore that inner voice that can make them think they’re not on the right path and to protect themselves from disparaging remarks. Life is one long learning process for everyone.

I’m proud that I’ve had three children and never given up on my dream to be a good engineer, and that I built a centre of excellence for data from nothing. I’m also proud of my leadership : I like giving a purpose to what my teams do and working with people who are fulfilled.