Women In Tech @ Türkiye: Celebrating International Women's Day

Exploring the Tech Journey

By Rao Feipeng, Senior Product Manager of Huawei Pangu AI Model

During my 20-plus years with Huawei, I’ve had many different positions: in China, India, Singapore, and now Türkiye; in both managerial and non-managerial roles; in every domain from Software Testing, Development to HR and Quality Management, and I’m now in Product Management for Huawei’s Pangu AI model. I am lucky that my family agreed to travel the world with me. They’ve given me the courage to explore the unknown no matter what country or culture I'm in.

Give it a try

When I moved to India, there was an impressive number of women working as software developers, but as time went on, I saw less and less women climbing the career ladder. This was mainly because they had to take care of their families. I found myself very lucky.

My husband took care of my son as we moved around the world. I wasn’t alone as many around me were looking for their own solutions like this. We shouldn’t set boundaries for ourselves. You should always just try, because you never know. In some ways, the tech industry is uniquely open compared to traditional industry. For example, we are seeing the rise of many prominent female vloggers and freelancers and more and more work from home.

Despite this, more can definitely still be done.

The power of a manager that rejects gender norms

Some managers think that women are more emotional than men. They hesitate to assign challenging tasks with tight timeframes to women. This limits our opportunities to prove ourselves. But women are resilient, more so that society wants us to believe.

One of my proudest professional achievements was as part of a dying software project that I completely turned around. It had so many requirements to fulfill and was about to miss the delivery deadline. So, I stepped in, led the team part-time, and reset the team’s priorities. I was ruthless, cutting out all the unnecessary bells and whistles to drag us over the finish line. For me, a good manager must reject gender stereotypes and just be the best they can be. As a manager, I refuse to hold either my male or female subordinates back just because of stereotypes.

Keep growing, stay flexible

Once you work in an industry for 20 years, you can’t expect it to remain the same forever. The tech industry changes very fast. This actually kicked off a mid-life crisis for me – something that is quite common in tech. My openness and passion to new possibilities and my supportive family helped me out. I am grateful that Huawei has such a strong job rotation system and reskilling programs that are available to everyone, both men and women. They helped me explore new opportunities in different departments and even in different countries whenever I hit a bottleneck.

Now, I work in AI.

Less than 30% of people in this field are women. I think AI will be the foundation of everything in the future. For me, that’s the next exciting opportunity. I also hope more tech solutions will be curated for the elderly. I hope all women will have the chance to find their unique way to shine. 

Empowering Others and Making an Impact in the Tech Industry

By Nilüfer Karakurt: Senior Project Manager, Huawei Türkiye

As a female engineer and manager in the tech industry, I am deeply committed to empowering and inspiring other women to embrace their potential and pursue their dreams in this ever-evolving field. I believe that diversity of thought and experiences is crucial for driving innovation and achieving sustainable success.

I am honored to be a part of Huawei's diverse and inclusive workforce, where I am constantly encouraged to grow, learn, and contribute to the company's mission of advancing technology and connecting the world.

Looking back on my journey, I am grateful for the challenges and opportunities that have shaped me into the professional I am today. My journey has been filled with learning, growth, and accomplishments, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Moving forward, I aspire to continue making a meaningful impact in the tech industry, while inspiring and mentoring young women to pursue their own paths to success. I firmly believe that by fostering a culture of inclusivity and empowerment, we can unlock the limitless potential of women in shaping the future of technology.

Breaking Barriers: A Journey Through Marketing and Technology

By Seda Özden Erdal: Head of Marketing, Huawei Cloud Türkiye

During my high school education, my hobby was reading articles and magazines about marketing, which shaped my academic path. I focused on a marketing major at university and later studies for an MBA, and I believe that this gave me a distinctive perspective in today’s fast-paced world for designing successful strategic plans.

Throughout 16 years of professional experiences, I have covered the whole lifecycle in marketing. I have had the chance to work on various traditional and digital marketing projects for B2C and B2B customers in different regions of the world. Half of my career has been dedicated to promoting technology solutions and products encompassing AI, cloud, databases, analytics tools, server/storage, and marketing/sales tools.

In my professional journey, I have dealt with so many challenges, ranging from gender disparities to cultural barriers. I firmly believe that many of these issues stem from unconscious behaviors rather than deliberate actions. My most significant takeaway has been the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and embracing openness. Progress is achieved by continually setting new goals and persevering in the face of adversity.

Having spent a considerable portion of my career in the technology sector, I have witnessed a predominantly male-dominated environment, presenting unique challenges for women. In my view, it is imperative for modern female leaders to prioritize creating equal opportunities for the next generation of women entering the workforce.

My transition to Huawei has introduced me to a completely novel experience. Before, I had chance to work western and Turkish companies. I have been working at Huawei for about two years. I experienced how this agile technology company was harmonized with thousands of years of deep-rooted Chinese culture.

What an experience!

Working hard and daring to do something never done before! That is my motto to summarize my vision in my professional as well as personal life.

A Journey of Resilience, Growth, and Leadership in the Tech Industry

By Zehra Uz Dal, Engineering Manager

Embracing challenges and shaping dreams

My journey began at Bilkent University, where I learned not only academic knowledge but also the importance of self-learning. This perspective has guided me throughout my 12-year professional career.

Eager to combine my knowledge with industry experience, I embarked on my professional journey at Turk Telekom. This initial experience allowed me to delve into the telecommunications sector, master technical analysis, and adapt to the dynamics of the corporate world.

Driven by my passion for technology, I made a bold career shift towards software development. I joined Turkish Airlines, where I continued to pursue my dream with a focus on efficient development processes.

Working in a company that encourages technical leadership and team management simultaneously, and allows for individual career mapping based on competence, has enabled me to achieve my goals without sacrificing my passions.

Huawei's focus on individual competencies and personalized career development has been instrumental in my journey.

Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions expressed in this post by individual authors or contributors are their personal views and/or opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of Huawei Technologies.