In today’s post @WomenInTech interviewed our co-founder and COO, Sukhi Jutla.
Sukhi is passionate about helping more women get into tech and MarketOrders also aims to
promote and champion more women in tech.
Read on for the full interview in which Sukhi shares her views on:
- the changes in the FinTech space over the last few years
- how we can inspire more women into FinTech careers
- the importance of equality
- inspiring words for female founders
Has the gender landscape changed in the FinTech environment from what you have seen over the last few years? If so, in what way?
When I started out in banking over a decade ago I was usually the only women in the meeting room. Or one of only a handful when attending related conferences. But today, with the explosion of FinTech becoming more mainstream and more and more people entering entrepreneurship, I see more women entering the FinTech space.
This is also because FinTech has expanded out of the constraints of banking and is now spilling into other areas of our day to day lives, such as blockchain being used in the creative industries by authors and musicians. FinTech is no longer constrained to the big banking giants. It has now become more accessible and is being used in different ways. And this is great becomes it encourages more women to consider working in this area.
What can we do to inspire more women into Fintech?
FinTech from the outside does seem like a male-dominated industry as people tend to think its all about computing and coding. But the essence of this industry is all about how to be more creative using people and technology. And it is these skills precisely; people skills and creativity, that i think women have plenty of expertise and strengths in.
To inspire more women into FinTech, we need to highlight the key skills and aptitudes it takes to succeed in this field and let women know that they don’t have to be coders or programmers to do well in FinTech.
We need to show that FinTech is all-encompassing and welcomes all skills and backgrounds. And more importantly, that it is an industry open to anyone as long as you are creative and curious and have a desire to use technology for good.
Showcasing and highlighting women’s efforts and success in the world of FinTech is also a good way to show other women that FinTech is a viable career path for them. It’s important that we champion and support each other!
What does equality mean to you?
Equality means being given opportunities and awarded credit based on what you bring to the table regardless of your gender or background.
What would you like to see change in regards to equality in FinTech?
There should be more focus on showcasing all the industries that FinTech is shaking up. It’s no longer just the domain of finance. For example, blockchain is shaking things up in traditional industries such as fishing, shipping and even gold jewellery.
The more we can share about how FinTech is changing our lives, the more we can raise awareness that FinTech is not just for the banking elite, but open for anyone who is curious and creative enough to want to see how technology can be used to disrupt their industry.
For example, my company, MarketOrders is looking into how blockchain can be used in the traditional gold jewellery industry. From payments to verifying the source of the gold, there is a lot of scope for change and creating better processes and systems.
What inspirational words would you offer to other women?
Identify the types of skills and work you enjoy doing and that brings out the best in you. Then find work that will use those unique abilities you have. I call this your ‘Unfair Advantage’ and talk about it in my book ‘Escape The Cubicle: Quit The Job You Hate, Create A Life You Love’.
For example, if you are great at organising and getting things done, then you can look into working for a FinTech startup that needs those types of skills.
FinTech is not only for coders and programmers. Every successful company needs a balance of skills and abilities and you need to see what you are good at and how you can best contribute. And the added bonus is when you do work you, love, you never have to work a day in your life!
FinTech is going to continue to be a growing part of our lives and there has never been a more exciting time to jump in and shape this exciting future. So I welcome you to join this growing industry and put your stamp on it!
Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao