On this International Women’s Day, I decided to write a little something to call out the contributions of some of the women in my life… my life at GALE. But, before I focus on GALE, let me give a shout to my mother (whose birthday happens to be today), and my wife, who has been my pillar of support for the better part of my adult life.
Prior to GALE, I have had 3 female bosses (I have had other bosses as well, but, I am not going to talk about their contribution today!) — Joan Magnusson, Victoria Evans and Savita Singh — each with vastly different working styles and personalities. Each of these women shaped my thinking in a unique way. So, when I started the GALE Bangalore office, I was very clear that we should have a mix of women and men in the office and cherish that diversity.
On average, the technology space (and ad-tech in particular) sees a smaller female representation in the overall workforce. It would be an understatement to suggest that breaking the deeply rooted gender stereotype is not easy. Having worked with equally smart (and, perhaps smarter) female colleagues, I was committed to attempting a fix to this endemic issue.
I got this chance in 2015 when I was presented with the opportunity of building the GALE office in Bangalore. Armed with a resolve to build an office with a set of hard-working, curious and passionate people housed within a vibrant, all-inclusive culture, I set out to hire the best. Call it coincidence, but, our first few seeds — a technologist, a recruiter, a quality assurance professional and an office manager — were all outstanding women. What helped me was GALE’s core belief that “Everyone Matters”… a belief that I personally hold very close to my heart. It might sound cliché, but every person brings a unique value to the table based on that individual’s background and experience.
And, women, in general, bring a very unique perspective — trying to quantify that perspective would only build on the stereotype! So, it suffices to say that we foster a culture that celebrates our differences, which helps us deliver phenomenal value to our clients.
This International Women’s Day also happens to be GALE’s 5-year anniversary in India. I am proud of what we have achieved in these 5 incredible years. With a significant portion of our team in India being made up of women across functions — data science, experience design, technology, ad-tech, quality assurance and operations, I think we have been very successful in breaking the gender stereotype.
So, with folded hands (the Indian way of expressing gratitude and respect), I wish all the women at GALE a very happy International Women’s Day. Go Woman Power!
Sanjay Krishnamurthy
President, GALE India
