Women at Signavio
We’ve celebrated female colleagues on our blog before, from Scrum Master Adiya to Process Mining Expert Henny. Of course, we have many more inspiring women in tech at Signavio, and as we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, we’d like to pass the mic to them now.
The position of women in the workplace is an important, albeit precarious, one. Despite historical—and ongoing!—challenges, gender diversity has had a proven and significant impact on innovation. A wealth of statistical data shows gender diversity is not only important on a social level, but that gender diverse tech companies actually gain a real competitive advantage over their less diverse counterparts.
Signavio is growing fast and with it, we are becoming more diverse, particularly in terms of gender dynamics within the team. We are always striving to make the company a place were a variety of voices and talents feel heard. As we go forward we want our company to be a place where people of all genders can thrive.
Nadine Hosgel, Team Lead Contracts & Billing
How did you get into the tech industry and what drew you to the field?
As an accountant, you have the benefit of really being able to work in any industry. Before starting at Signavio, I had already been working in the SaaS Software field. I chose Signavio, and the tech industry, because there’s always so much happening, things are developing all the time and you don’t have the chance to stagnate. Sure, a pause might be nice here and there, but I’d get bored too quickly. I love challenges and the opportunity to be part of the development and innovation.
What is your strongest trait and what do you bring to your role that makes you unique?
Prior to Signavio, I worked for 10 years in an international SaaS software company as their Head of Accounting. I was able to gain experience with clients in this industry in a fast-growing international market, with all the nuances that this entails. This included optimizing new processes, automation, and the opening of new locations. I am excited about being a part of Signavio’s growth through my own work, and my team’s. Only through functioning processes, can we ensure that as a company we meet all the legal requirements of our customers without consequential risks. I am proud to be a part of this stability.
What are your plans for Women’s Day?
I’ll spend the day with my daughter. Being a single mother, that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like! In the evening, I’ll meet some friends and celebrate Women’s Day together with them.
Holly Parker, UX Designer SAP Signavio Process Intelligence
How did you get into the tech industry and what drew you to the field?
I started as a marketing manager for APAC at Signavio, having to do everything for my region remotely as the whole marketing team was based in Berlin at the time. I started to look at our marketing website with a more critical eye, looking for ways to improve it. I also researched, pitched, and piloted the first Signavio blogs after reading and becoming convinced about content marketing as a way to help me help my region grow. It was really exciting to see behavior changes on the site, and I loved seeing my ideas generate results for the marketing team.
The combination of learning about content marketing (which is really ‘UX design for content’) and looking for opportunities to get more value from the marketing work I was doing lead me to UX design, although I design for the product not the marketing team now. I found a UX course online, paid for it myself, and did the work evenings and weekends. It was hard, fortunately I had a fantastic mentor through my course who supported me along the way, and was generous enough to share his extensive knowledge of what the industry is like, and what works in the real world.
What are your hopes for the future diversity of the tech industry and how are you involved in that?
Gender equity and diversity more generally are very close to my heart, and I truly believe that greater diversity leads to better products (also, it is simply the right thing to do). When I hear about how the Apple health app didn't incorporate a period tracker into their product for years (because of course men don't need that), or the widely used example of male crash test dummies being used in test crashes and resulting in car designs which kill women, I think it is really important for women and other less-represented people to be involved in creating the world that we need. It is too dangerous to leave it up to one homogenous group of people.
I am involved with the newly refreshed Signavio Women's group. We are still in the process of figuring out what we are, what we stand for, and how it will work. I think it is fantastic that the Signavio leadership team are really actively supporting women at Signavio to get it going. More than anything I want women who are interested in tech to 'get it gurl', and not wait for anyone to give them permission to go for what they want. Tech needs you, and these problems aren’t going to solve themselves! I can say for product design that it is satisfying in a way no previous job has been.
What is your strongest trait and what do you bring to your role that makes you unique?
My strongest trait by far is perseverance. Some might call me 'aggressive' but I own it - and I prefer driven.
What are your plans for Women’s Day?
I will be at one of the Berlin Women's Day marches - Women’s Day as a public holiday is great, but there is still a lot to do.
Victoria Peschke, HR Recruiting - Working Student
How did you get into the tech industry and what drew you to the field?
It may sound weird but it all happened by coincidence! I'm fairly young and after I decided what I wanted to study at university I thought "that's it" and I'm done with decisions. I didn't really have a clue what I wanted to do later in my career!
When the opportunity to work at Signavio appeared I was absolutely interested as it was my first "Real Company" experience. To be honest I hadn’t expected how happy I’d be within a tech company, or that I'd end up in the tech field. But, I do, feel very comfortable here, and consider it as a (great) start for my whole career.
What are your hopes for the future diversity of the tech industry and how are you involved in that?
I hope that in the future the tech industry is able to include a greater variety of genders, and more female candidates applying and interested in jobs within the tech field.
From a recruiting perspective I can say that the general amount of applications is still very male-focused, in the same way as participants at tech conferences and other events are. I hope that in the future we'll be able to approach a higher number of women and increase the female part of the 'tech revolution'.
What are your plans for Women’s Day?
I will spend Women's Day very relaxed with my friends (male and female) having a brunch together in my new flat and then enjoying the day off while playing cards, talking and hopefully enjoying the sun outside!
France Potheau, Talent Acquisition Manager
Describe your role at Signavio
I am one of the latest additions to the recruitment team, as Talent Acquisition Manager for Signavio. I am working on the growth of the international offices with a focus on operational roles.
How did you get into the tech industry and what drew you to the field?
I moved to Berlin in 2015 to start working in startups. With Signavio, I'm getting my first introduction into the "tech world".
What are your hopes for the future diversity of the tech industry and how are you involved in that?
As part of the recruitment team, it is our mission to raise awareness on the importance of diversity at a very early stage of a recruitment process. Being in that field for the past three years, I've seen a true evolution regarding the intentions of the managers and what type of teams they want to grow.
What is your strongest trait and what do you bring to your role that makes you unique?
I enjoying working fast. That is why I strive to work in startups and fast path environment.
What are your plans for Women’s Day?
I am meeting with my girlfriends for brunch and prosecco and enjoy our day off together.
Vera Hillmann, People Lead (Engineering)
Describe your role at Signavio
People Lead (Engineering). In my role I am responsible for various product teams and their skills development as well as individual career progression within Signavio.
How did you get into the tech industry and what drew you to the field?
My background is not in what would be considered technical so I feel very lucky that I had the opportunity to discover this industry for myself. In my career I focused on Learning & Development and International Human Resource Management. I was working for consultancies and also as an in-house specialist.
I got into the Tech industry through my last role as a consultant working in London. I worked for a Tech Startup that was supporting organizations with digital transformations. I was responsible for the strategy and implementation of learning initiatives and up-skilling programs for IT teams. In that role I was also involved in agile product development. So I learned the ropes from great coaches and product teams.
What are your hopes for the future diversity of the tech industry and how are you involved in that?
I would love to make a change and have an impact to increase diversity in the tech industry. In my current role as People Lead I work closely with our in-house recruitment team to attract diverse talents. I also joined our Women at Signavio group to discuss relevant topics and questions for women working in the Tech industry.
What is your strongest trait and what do you bring to your role that makes you unique?
What I would like to offer is a different perspective when it comes to decision-making and defining our strategy. I believe that through my experience in working with different industries in various countries I can reflect on things and see them from different viewpoints. Acting with empathy and being mindful are also really important to me and try to relay that in my day-to-day work.
What are your plans for Women’s Day?
I will be moving flats! Since I am not from Berlin I will take the long weekend to gather my belongings and drive a van across Germany to set up my new flat in the capital.
Working at Signavio
Are you looking for a new challenge in the tech industry? We are currently expanding across all regions and teams, with new jobs posted on our jobs page all the time. Signavio offers an exciting and constantly evolving working environment, and is ranked as one of Berlin’s favorite employers. Find out more about working for Signavio at