A Marketing Professional with experience in diverse industries and many success stories in her kitty. She has the ability to deliver 360 degree marketing campaigns leading to brand development, lead generation and revenue & growth. Currently working as Marketing Manager – Middle East, Jedox, Dushala Agarwal is the Women & Technology this week. Speaking to Associate Editor, channel360MEA, she shared her journey in the so-called male dominated industry.
A Libra ruled by number #2, has donned many hats in the past. She has taken care of responsibilities such as regional brand marketing strategy, budgeting and planning, public relations, event management, digital marketing, social media marketing and channel marketing. Music is able to give her a break from the cut throat corporate life. She loves Dance-Pop which rejuvenates her soul.
Early days
She completed her Masters in Business Administration with majors in Marketing. The tech industry came to her as an opportunity about 6 years ago, with Ingram Micro. “Having an educational background in business marketing pushed me to explore the path of tech marketing where I journeyed through various roles within the field.” She currently works with Jedox, an international leader in EPM (enterprise performance management) solutions as a field marketer. Here she specialised in blending the essence of the company’s global culture and campaigns into a local marketing strategy that is optimised for the nuances of the region.
Present scenario of Women in the world of technology
She feels that over the years things have changed. “It is encouraging to see an upward trend in women joining the tech industry – although in terms of overall headcount, they are still underrepresented, ” she added. She shared that the reluctance was due to the persisting, albeit often unconscious gender biased mindset that certain roles can only be performed by males. So the best way is to level the playing field. One way is that more women in leadership positions to mentor and encourage other women to make their way into the industry and lead by example.
Gender biasness
I am fortunate enough to have never been discouraged from being successful or treated any differently because of my gender. It is the responsibility of both men and women to work together and break down gender barriers and biases by focusing on the greater good – to succeed as a team and for women to not lose their identities in the process and continue being confident without feeling the need to prove something all the time.
Will from home/hybrid work help women
“Absolutely!” she nodded. Remote working is a real progression, especially for women as it helps in overcoming operational constraints and rather allows focus to be shifted to what matters – the outcomes. It is no secret that women wear different hats in their personal and professional lives and with more companies, especially in the IT space, offering the flexibility of hybrid work it is not only bringing more opportunities for women, but also encourage some to not downsize their careers.
