Her Story
About Uzma
I've been working in healthcare, data, and technology for about 16-17 years. My career started a little bit late because before I went into IT, I was working as a personal banker. I actually went to school for IT after having my children. What inspired me to go into IT was just having the desire to solve problems - not wanting to do anything manual that took so long to do, and wanting to answer questions easily. I wanted to make things easier, to automate things that were manual, and just to provide solutions. Now I serve as Senior Director of Data Strategy and Data Operations for NavVis, which is a consulting company that provides advisory and consultancy for several different healthcare companies. In my current role, I direct a team and also direct new AI projects. Right now, what's keeping me busy is basically running an entire AI infrastructure and learning as I go. The technology part of it, wanting to make things easier and provide solutions, that's what drives me in this work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Uzma
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would probably attribute my success to my dad's influence. My dad never treated me like I was a girl. The only time I realized I was actually a female was when I started going to high school and college, and especially when I entered the field of IT back in the early 2000s. I was one of the very few women in IT, and I had to deal with a lot of egos. But as a kid, my dad basically taught me how to just get under the car at the age of 10, 11, 12. I never felt like I was a girl, girl, right? I would hang out with him all the time, and he would just tell me to do things or ask me about things, and really, my opinion really mattered. He made me feel included and treated me as equal, which gave me the confidence to succeed in a male-dominated field.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would just say to focus on a field within IT and find your niche, and just keep developing and not stop educating yourself. Be a lifelong learner and really don't be afraid to look at all of the avenues within IT to find the best one for you.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the most important value to me. Once you say something, you're gonna just do it. Don't turn around and do the opposite of what you said you're gonna do. It's about accountability - if you make a promise, make sure that you're not putting too much on your plate so you're able to fulfill that promise. At the end of the day, it's basically gonna be your family that's around, not your boss or whatever. So family comes first for me. I still find time for family - that's one of my main things to do.
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