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Women in Leadership
Name: Alana Pinto
Role: Global IT Corporate Applications Business Analyst
Company: Dufry - Global Travel Retailer (The world duty free stores you see in Airports etc)
A bit about you: I am the mother of two daughters aged 21 and 4. I grew up in London and stayed there until I was 30, lived in Hertfordshire for 3 years, Munich Germany for 6 years, (back to London) and recently moved to Basel, Switzerland.
What is it like working in your company? I have just started to work for Dufry. There had been a long process to go through from being introduced to them up to my relocation for which they have supported me all the way.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? I knew that data, information and technology were going to play a big part in all our lives. So decided to study Information Systems with Business as a degree. I knew I did not enjoy the coding and more technical aspects of the course but understanding the business and analysing how to create solutions to improve what they do was really interesting to me. So I explored it further with work.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? My CV will show that I developed in and around IT from studies to work. After my degree I volunteered in an IT support role so I could start to adapt into the field.
The most important thing I realise is that every experience you have counts. Each role builds you as a person and subsequently your skill set.
When I was 18, I started a retail job as a sales assistant and did that for nearly 8 years. That experience provided me with the skills to engage with people, empathise with all of the different characters who walked into a store and understand meeting goals to a high standard.
Since then I have been working in IT in a variety of roles and at different levels during which time I have been able to develop a more directed technology focused skill set.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? My role involves working on projects. Every project is different, working alongside different people with different objectives every time. I can develop my core skills as a business analyst which are mostly the same but the variety in projects keeps it interesting. It is also a skill set you can take into any industry easily.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career? A big part of being a business analyst is about communication and engagement. When I moved to Germany it was a big challenge being unable to speak or understand German. At the time it felt like a setback but it made me realise how determined I was to continue my career as a business analyst.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry? I definitely felt that lack of women in the early days of my career. In my first management role in IT, I would regularly attend meetings where I was the only woman.
There were several men I looked up to, and I was fortunate enough that they were strong, successful and respectful but I think having female role models in the area you would like to have a career in can provide a different perspective on how to approach it.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path? There are many skills that enable a business analyst and many resources available. Take the time to learn. Every now and then I will read a book or article or talk with another business analyst, and it will enhance what I do. Each project gives you the practise needed, but feeding in new things you have learnt always helps.
