I grew up in Joinville, a city located in the south of Brazil, before graduating with a master’s in computing science and moving to Sao Paulo for work. I started my career in 1996 and I’ve been managing infrastructure, security, operations, and transformation projects since 2002.

In 2017, I’d worked as an IT manager for more than 15 years, and along the way had gained an MBA and a master’s degree in cloud. But I felt stuck. I wanted to keep using my IT skills and experience, but I needed a culture where I felt I truly belonged. Despite having great support from female (and male) leaders throughout my career, my sector was hugely male dominated.

Like many other women, I always felt I had to go the extra mile to prove a point and be recognized. It felt normal for me to invest in additional efforts just to be heard.

So, when one of my interviews opened with a conversation about inclusion and diversity, my ears pricked up. The more I talked to the interviewer from Avanade, the more I realized I had been ignoring how hard it was to be a woman in IT.

When I accepted Avanade’s job offer, that all changed.

I had a teenager and a toddler at the time, and 9-5 was a struggle. I couldn’t believe it when my manager said I could work flexibly. I was able to create a routine to fit our family needs. I had a relaxed morning with the kids, took Jaime to kindy and didn’t get to the office until 10am (also missing the terrible rush-hour traffic!). It was amazing.

I also loved the sense of belonging that came with being part of a talented and diverse team. I felt proud to be working with such brilliant people around me. Not just my team on the ground, but colleagues from different countries across the globe. Avanade was and is a very rich experience from both a technical and professional perspective.

From my first week, I was encouraged to learn, experience new things, and innovate every day. Whenever I talked to someone, I learnt something new – it was really cool. It was also exciting to get early access to the most innovative technologies and learn what my colleagues were delivering to clients across the globe. Plus, I could make use of Avanade’s wide array of training and development courses and certifications.

For two and a half years, I was based out of Avanade’s Sao Paulo location, until I heard something that made my heart race. Avanade was opening a new office in the Australian city of Adelaide. It had always been our family dream to live abroad. My daughter had just finished high school and wanted to study medicine overseas. So, I asked if we could go.

And that’s how I got to be the first employee in Avanade’s new Adelaide office!

Five years after I started working for Avanade, I’m loving life - both in Australia and at work. It’s wonderful to be able to be myself every day. I don’t have to change how I look or watch what I say. I don’t feel judged when I ask questions (and I ask a lot of questions!). I’m confident that my strengths are valued, and I can forge whatever career I want.

Avanade makes a powerful commitment to ensure I get where I want to go. I work with a career advisor who helps me develop a career plan and tracks my progress. Each year, I set new targets for capabilities, certifications, and knowledge. My advisor coaches me to achieve my goals and guides me through any challenges. I enjoy the discipline of understanding how to get where I want to go – and executing against it. And it works! Last year, I was promoted to director.

Most importantly, I feel energized about the value I can create for our clients. At Avanade, we’re all about making a genuine human impact. We do that by inspiring others and giving them space to contribute. We create the future for our clients by leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem to deliver amazing projects.

Our values are real – not just written on posters. Our impact is real. It feels good to be part of an organization that walks the talk.