Isabel Costa Rodrigues
Isabel Costa-Rodrigues is a retired IT and production support specialist whose career spans over three decades in technology and financial services. After earning her MSc in Agriculture from the University of Agriculture in Portugal, Isabel moved to the United States, where she built a distinguished career supporting complex IT systems and ensuring operational excellence across multiple organizations. She held key roles at IBM, Carnegie Mellon University, and BNY Mellon, focusing on system administration, server management, and production support. Notably, she played a pivotal role in transforming a paper-based financial system in Portugal into a fully online system for the Department of Finance, a solution still in use today.
Throughout her career, Isabel demonstrated exceptional technical expertise, including UNIX and Solaris administration, VMWare virtualization, and network security. She consistently combined her deep technical skills with meticulous project management, leading initiatives such as the deployment of clustered Domino servers and overseeing system upgrades and backups. Isabel was also committed to mentoring colleagues and sharing her knowledge, contributing to the growth and efficiency of the teams she supported.
Beyond her professional achievements, Isabel takes pride in her journey from Portugal to the United States and emphasizes authenticity, perseverance, and dedication in all aspects of life. She cherishes collaborative work, quality assurance, and creating systems that ensure long-term reliability, leaving a lasting impact in every organization she served.
• University of Agriculture- M.Sc.
• IBM
• And BNY Mellon.
• BNY Mellon
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, consistency, and staying true to my values—especially integrity, family, and respectfully maintaining my own viewpoints.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to adapt, keep learning, and remain open to change—guidance that helped me transition from agriculture to programming and successfully navigate life as an immigrant in the United States.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise young women entering this field to stay adaptable, work hard, and always remain authentic, valuing their individuality and dedication as key strengths.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field is keeping up with rapidly evolving technology, while the greatest opportunity lies in the growing accessibility of programming careers, especially for women in STEM.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are family, honesty, and independence, guiding both my professional and personal life, along with a commitment to integrity and treating others with respect.