Women of Wavestone for International Women's Day

Celebrating Women of Wavestone

To mark International Women’s Day, Wavestone is celebrating our successful women, by showcasing their ambition, advice and values in a series of profiles. We want to inspire other women (and men), celebrate the success of women in Wavestone and to encompass the official theme of #BalanceforBetter.

Ulrike Halmer, Principal Consultant

What three values do you stand by throughout your working life?

• Deliver value to the client; as I would like to receive in their place
• Integrity; to build engagement, trust, standing
• Collaboration; have fun, learn from and share with people from different backgrounds, cultures and gender

What advice would you give your younger self when starting your career?

• Be tenacious; when you try and show that you’re trying, unexpected opportunities arise and unexpected support is often given
• Keep a broad horizon: Continually seek to learn and ask questions – there are so many interesting things to learn and people to learn from and inspire you. It might take you into new directions that you might enjoy, based on new interests and opportunities.
• Balance being heard and listening: Make yourself heard to be recognised, but listen to what is being said (or not said) and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback

What is a personal ambition you would like to achieve as part of Wavestone?

• Create and deliver propositions for a modern business world
• Engage with business and industries focusing on sustainability and new technologies

What does the phrase #BalanceforBetter mean to you?

Celebrate my many working life experiences in which my colleagues and mentors (both, men and women) have made being a man or a woman a non-issue.

…This should be the norm

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 Rachna Farma, Head of Operations

What three values do you stand by throughout your working life?

Loyalty, Integrity, Hedonism

What advice would you give your younger self when starting your career?

Don’t get complacent and use your time to continually learn and grow. Consider all change as an opportunity to do something better; it’s a little cliché when you read – ‘when one door closes another opens’ – but it’s true! So be brave enough to walk through the new door even if it wasn’t part of your “plan”

What is a personal ambition you would like to achieve as part of Wavestone?

To be recognised as an expert in my field and if that gains me a place around the boardroom table then that’s a bonus!

What does the phrase #BalanceforBetter mean to you?

Creating an environment of equality where you see a balance of men and women at all levels in an organisation; without historic stereotypes where certain roles and levels are portrayed as being gender specific.  My hope is that #BalanceforBetter works towards removing the barriers and differences that still exist with pay and access to C suite positions and that it enables those that are capable and have a desire, to achieve those positions with the same amount of effort and skill as their colleagues.

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Bea Egido, Analyst

What three values do you stand by throughout your working life?

In this order: Passion, thoughtfulness and improvement; the three always underpinned by balance.

What advice would you give your younger self when starting your career?

Look at opportunities with an open mindset; as you meet a wider range of people, you find out that many roads can lead to one goal and that one same road can lead to many goals.

What is a personal ambition you would like to achieve as part of Wavestone?

My ambition across each area of my life is to discover a truth that not many people believe is a truth, through absorbing and reflecting, with the goal of sharing and delivering net positive change.

What does the phrase #BalanceforBetter mean to you?

It means to both seek balance for better and to be better for balance. The responsibility of striving for balance becomes an imperative in an organisational context.

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 Marlena Zakrzewska-Millard, Senior Account Manager

What three values do you stand by throughout your working life?

Transparency, Drive and Results

What advice would you give your younger self when starting your career?

Challenge the direction from the leadership more, question it and don’t just blindly accept it without understanding the overall strategy of the business. Try to be a part of the decision-making process and drive a change as early in your career as possible.

If you feel like you are a part of it, you bring more value and overall become more successful.

What is a personal ambition you would like to achieve as part of Wavestone?

I would like to play a role in ensuring Wavestone promotes diversity and looks after their employees in the best possible way.

What does the phrase #BalanceforBetter mean to you?

A very successful Executive once told me that if you are only surrounded by people like yourself, you have a problem, because you don’t have a diverse perspective on the key issues and your ability to make an informed decision is limited.

To me, #balanceforbetter means creating the environment which welcomes different points of views, brings them together and enabling a better outcome for all.

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 Tilly Sonoiki, Senior Consultant

 

What three values do you stand by throughout your working life?

Curiosity: The willingness to always ask questions, be interested in a problem and finding a solution and continuously learn from projects, clients and colleagues.

Integrity: I have always believed in full honesty and being trustworthy in my actions and speech, to the best of my ability.

Perseverance: Never giving up or giving in and being persistent in complex and difficult situations.

What advice would you give your younger self when starting your career?

To stop doubting, to believe in yourself and your abilities and to not be afraid to speak up. That you are much more credible and capable than what you give yourself credit for.

What is a personal ambition you would like to achieve as part of Wavestone?

To continue to be a part of Wavestone’s global growth strategy. To continue to develop in the Digital & Emerging Technologies space, take on additional responsibilities and contribute as much value as possible to the team. More importantly, to help the young women who have joined our business as analysts and consultants by sharing my experiences and guidance, where needed, as they progress within the company.

What does the phrase #BalanceforBetter mean to you?

A better and equal representation and recognition of women across all organisational levels.

I believe that a higher representation of women encourages better leadership and contributes to a stronger all-round performance.

Studies have shown that increasing diversity has a direct effect on the bottom line, companies with more diverse management teams tend to have a substantial higher revenue due to innovation. Therefore, #BalanceForBetter to me is an integral part of a successful revenue generating business that is trying to drive value.

Wavestone is committed to creating a positive impact for all our stakeholders.  Find out more about our Wavestone CSR 2021 Plan here