International Women’s Day is an opportunity for us to globally celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day initially started as a way to progress women’s rights to vote, and it has since become a day to mark the achievements of women, as well as acknowledge what we can do as a society to further progress the role of women in society. At MuleSoft, we took this day as an opportunity to celebrate women who have inspired us.
Across the globe, each region celebrated Women’s Day. Buenos Aires held an International Women’s day breakfast, Sydney asked Muleys to share inspiring quotes and stories of women throughout the day, London participated in a 5K women’s run, and the EMEA team took the opportunity to recognize how various women have inspired and moulded Muleys to be the incredible persons they are.
It truly fills me with a sense of pride to see everyone discussing what International Women’s Day means to them. We asked Muleys across the globe about the women who continue to inspire them in their careers, here is what they had to say:
Alex Donovan, Account Development Representative, London
“Working at MuleSoft, particularly the Account Development team, I’ve never been surrounded by this many inspirational, empowered, and confident women. There are so many exceptional women at MuleSoft– whether in leadership and non-leadership roles – that act as great leaders. The level that these women are operating at in our AD team in both EMEA and globally, sets the bar for the company as a whole.”
Blake Leyva, Recruiter, Sydney
“After coming from a life of sports where all my coaches were men, I have been very lucky to have 4 out of my 6 managers in my career be women. They have all taught me the importance of empathy and kindness, while being relentless in your will to get things done. They all have influenced my career in a priceless way and I’ll always be thankful to have such close relationships with such strong women.”
Nilanga Fernando, Customer Success, London
“One of the best leaders I’ve ever worked with is a woman, and the CIO of a previous employer. She was an amazingly passionate, imaginative, and driven individual who earned the fiercest loyalties from her leadership team. She alone inspired dozens of women to get into the technology field, and she had a huge amount of influence on coaching and developing me personally.”
Ana Felisatti, Senior Software Engineer, Buenos Aires
“I’m truly inspired by my sister, she graduated university with honors and has continued to extend her studies, while working and raising two kids. I shouldn’t be so surprised considering the great role model my mom has been for both of us, but I’m still amazed by my sister’s energy and resiliency.”
Lucy Fenwick, Account Development Representative, London
“My great, great grandma was the first female driving instructor, Florence Wilson. During the war, Wilsons garage transformed its operations to become a training school to teach driving skills to the soldiers and officers that were soon heading to the front lines. During the fighting, drivers took messages and instructions from officer to officer; the first ambulances brought the wounded to field stations and riveted heavy armored cars were used to overcome the challenges of front-line terrain. I am proud to say Florence and my family, four generations back, played a small part in our country’s success in winning the war.”
Glen Berry, Account Executive, San Francisco
“My Dad worked long shifts so my Mom had to raise two boys herself. For most people, this would have been a full-time gig, but my Mom also managed to work during this period AND get a degree! Whenever I begin to struggle with my workload, I remember her incredible work ethic and it inspires me to try and be better… Recently, I made the move from the U.K. to the US, which devastated my Mom, as she has a fear of flying and was concerned she wouldn’t be able to see me. When I say a fear of flying, she would be physically ill at the sight of a plane. In the run-up to my move, my Mom decided to take classes in the mechanics of flying so she could rid herself of her fear. Six months after I moved my whole family came out to visit me; not only did my Mom fly, but she genuinely enjoyed the experience! She constantly challenges herself, exposing herself to difficult situations to ensure she is always growing. She is the most inspirational person I know.”
The above stories are truly inspiring I can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store for the incredible women I am lucky enough to work alongside and call my colleagues.
Happy International Women’s Day!
