Each month, the Anita Borg Institute profiles Senior Technical Women. We have selected 7 questions and asked each of these amazing women to share their answers.
1. How did you decide to pursue a career in technology?
Once I programmed on my first computer, a Commodore Vic 20, I was hooked. It was a hobby for me to create software with the sole purpose of entertaining myself and friends. I didn’t know it was a genuine profession until a high school guidance counselor told me that I could earn a living writing software. So, I majored in Computer Science and landed a job as a software engineer at IBM to pay for college.
2. Based on your own experience, what skill(s) or characteristic(s) do you think are most important for technical women to succeed?
Begin with the End in Mind. This comes from a book by Steven Covey. He basically says you should have some sort of goal you’re gunning toward, then visualize it and decompose it back to the elements you need to achieve it. For me, I wanted to run a business so I figured out all the things one would have to understand before they were put in charge of one. Then, I worked for
seven years to amass enough working knowledge of all the business areas that were relevant for that goal, and stayed away from
areas that weren’t helpful.
3.What was the greatest challenge that you overcame in your career?
For me, it was having the confidence to expand into a non-technical career path. I was very comfortable with my engineering roles and when I decided to go into management I knew it would be a steep learning curve to understand all the other functions such as marketing, finance, etc., so I went back to school to earn an MBA to improve my chances of success.
4. How do you deal with work/life balance?
The first thing I would say is that it helps to LOVE what you do for a living. That said, it’s also good to have time off and outside interests. I am active in the community serving on the board of the Support Network for Women, which is all about reducing domestic violence in Santa Clara County. I also enjoy learning about micro financing by loaning money to small businesses through www.kiva.org. My husband and I also decided to get into agriculture by trying our hand at growing cabernet grapes with the intent of making bottles of wine one day.
5. What advice would you give to women in high tech who want to advance on the management track specifically?
You are the CEO of your own Career. No one will care more about your career than you. If you want to achieve a certain goal, then you need to meet people who are ahead of you in their careers and talk to them about their experiences. Figure out what resonates with you and then do what it takes to get the necessary skills, knowledge, etc.
6. How do you stay current in your technical field?
I have a lot of passion around continuous learning…both within the technical field and beyond. I love to talk with others about what they are experts in. I’m also an avid reader of books, magazines and blogs, and I occasionally enroll in university classes. My most recent class was an ‘Ecosystem of Design’ course that was offered through Stanford University’s continuing education program.
7. In your opinion, what (if any) are the remaining barriers faced by women in technology?
I’ve been in this field for more than 20 years and I’ve seen huge acceptance of women in technology roles. I think it’s important that we continue to support one another and share the learnings and success we’ve had. And, I would again stress that we own our own career – keep your eye on the prize and you’ll figure out a way to get it.
Biography
Nora Denzel is senior vice president and general manager for Intuit’s Employee Management Solutions division, which provides easy-to-use payroll and other management services for more than 1 million small businesses. With more than 20 years experience in the software industry, Denzel is responsible for creating and delivering the division’s strategy, development and sales efforts.
Before joining Intuit, Denzel was senior vice president of Hewlett-Packard’s global software business, where she led the division to double-digit growth and profitability. Previously, Denzel served as senior vice president of product operations at Legato Systems Inc., now a division of EMC. She began her career as an engineer at IBM and advanced quickly to executive positions during her 13-year tenure with the company.
She serves on the board of directors for Overland Storage Inc. and the Anita Borg Institute, which provides resources and programs to help industry, academia, and government recruit, retain, and develop women leaders in high-tech fields.
Denzel earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science from the State University of New York and a master’s in business administration from Santa Clara University.