At Pareto Intelligence, we are fortunate enough to have some truly amazing women cross all departments and positions. This year for Women’s History Month, we wanted to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the women of Pareto, who without a doubt play an integral role in our success.

We recently sat down with four female leaders to share their experiences on being women in tech. By shedding some light on their respective career paths, experiences, and successes, we hope to inspire others to make their mark in tech, too.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

Tracy Delgado, Director of Product, Operations, and Delivery Management: Celebration and recognition of all the wonderful things women have accomplished throughout history. I also like to reflect on what opportunities still lie in front of us.

Chrysa Pliakis, Project Manager, Healthcare Analytics & Risk Adjustment: Celebrating women’s accomplishments and how far they’ve come. I think it’s so important to showcase and appreciate how the actions of women in the past have paved the way for freedoms and opportunities we have today.

Marta Bobolewska, Senior Operations Manager:  It’s a time to look back at the women before us and their influence. Every woman has their own path, whether it’s being a mom, a professional in the corporate world, or being community focused. Each one is equally important, and the journey and life lessons bestowed on future generations is most significant.

What qualities make a great leader?

Great leaders get to know individuals on a personal level. That connection creates better teams, enables learning from one another, and empowers people to grow.

Marta: A leader creates a sense of belonging and excitement to innovate and build towards shared beliefs without jeopardizing personal identity. A leader is a mentor and a coach. They are open to being proven wrong, which is the ultimate goal: to empower colleagues to be self-driven thinkers and cultivate creativity.

Abby Tsui, Product Manager: Someone who is approachable with open interpersonal communication, dependable, and focuses on developing others. They should be cheerleaders of others, especially those just starting out in their careers. Great leaders get to know individuals on a personal level. That connection creates better teams, enables learning from one another, and empowers people to grow.

What is something you wish you would have known earlier in your career?

Tracy: Biases exist for reasons beyond control, so don’t waste energy being angry and instead focus on your personal goals.

Abby: Being aware of my weaknesses and sharing what they are with my team, because that means finding a teammate who can complement you. It’s ok to ask for help because you won’t have all the answers, especially early in your career.

Marta:  Always remember to be yourself and not conform to “identities” others paint you to be. One builds identity through life experience. No matter what you view yourself as, hold true and do not derail.

Why is it important that more women are represented in tech leadership roles?

We aren’t just supporting other women, but supporting well-being, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Tracy: I think that we bring different perspectives, and we represent at least half of the population, so we need to use our voices when sitting at “The Table”. I also think we can serve as mentors and use the opportunity to get more women into leadership roles so that they have an advocate on their side lending a helping hand.

Abby: Women are champions of social change. We drive the needle forward for more collaboration, communication, and different perspectives. We aren’t just supporting other women, but supporting well-being, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Chrysa: The percentage of women in tech is fairly low, and even less in leadership roles. I think it’s critical to highlight those accomplishments to serve as an example to others and show people what women are capable of.

What piece of advice would you give to women in tech?

Don’t tear each other down in a race to the top because there is room for many on the podium.

Tracy: Tell that little voice of doubt to keep quiet, be confident in yourself! Also, ask questions, make suggestions, give advice, speak your mind, and don’t apologize (unless you ACTUALLY did something wrong).

Abby: You will often find yourself being the odd one out in the room, but don’t let that discourage you from speaking up. Imposter syndrome is very real, but you are where you are for a reason and someone believed in you so continue to believe in yourself. We still have a lot of work to do, but the future is female!

Marta:  First, find a good mentor – you don’t have to navigate this space on your own. The power of knowledge is paramount, never stop learning and do what excites you. Speak up but be genuine, humble confidence is a key to success. Listen to hear, not to react. And most importantly, celebrate each other as fierce women leaders. Don’t tear each other down in a race to the top because there is room for many on the podium.

The work we do at Pareto has the opportunity to change lives and improve the health of our communities. If creating meaningful impact through industry-leading innovations inspires you, then Pareto may be the place for you. Visit our Careers page to learn more.