Early years and where you came from?
I was born in Lisbon and as I grow up, I had a pretty normal childhood. I have always liked sports and as a kid, I wanted to be a Physical Education teacher. Later, I started to be interested in law and politics, so I am graduated in Law from the University of Lisbon and took an MBA at Portuguese Catholic University. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in Gender Studies at the University of Lisbon. I have a professional career of over 25 years, most of which within the scope of the Information Society and development of digital projects in the private and public sectors.
How were you introduced to the world of the Portuguese tech industry?
I have worked for the Regional Government of the Azores in 1998 and I was part of the team that implemented The Azores: Digital Region project. During that time, I was also a member of the Mission for the Information Society in Portugal and the Task Force for 2000Bug. Since then, my life started to be always connected to technology
Walk me through your work and what you are doing now in the tech industry.
I am President of DNS.PT Association, the entity responsible for the management, maintenance, and registration of domains under the TLD (Top Level domain) .pt, top level domain on the Internet corresponding to Portugal.
I am also the Coordinator of Gender Digital Inclusion for the National Digital Competencies Initiative e.2030, Portugal INCoDe.2030, and Portugal’s Action Plan for Digital Transition. Member of the Strategic Council of ACEPI — The Digital Economy Association and member of the Executive Committee of MUDA — Movement for Active Digital Use.
What part of what you do, you love the most?
What motivates me the most in my job is being able to help improve people’s lives by digital inclusion. Also, I hope .PT, as an innovator and trust top-level domain, will be the choice of all Portuguese companies, projects, and citizens.
How do you think that your background and knowledge impact the way you approach your work in the Portuguese tech industry?
I think that my background and knowledge provide me a fundamental humanistic view of technology.
What advice do you have for young women that want to get into tech and don’t know where to start?
My advice goes to all young women in secondary and high school to overcome the stereotypes that prevent them from studying in these areas. ICT jobs are for all despite various barriers, such as stereotypes and male-dominated workplaces. Don’t give up, because ICT is a sector with a low proportion of female workers because a great number of women abandons their ICT career. Never give up!
Walk me through a day in your life as a Portuguese women in tech.
I wake up before 7 am and start my day with an outdoor run and after breakfast, I am ready to start the day.
I work both at the office and at home, remotely and in person. I usually have a lot of meetings and calls but mainly I work as a team. I work with many different people and entities from Portugal but also around the world, so I can say that my job is always challenging. By the end of the day, I always try to take some time for my family and friends
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
To learn every day. There is also a quote by Albert Einstein that inspires me: “the mind that opens up to a new idea will never return to its original size”
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
I hope I can live without any of them, but those I really use in my current daily life are e-mail, WhatsApp, Skype, MBway, Uber and Nikerun.
Anything else you would like to share? :)
Yes! www.dns.pt; portugaldigital.gov.pt; incode2030.gov.pt; lusnic.org; engenheirasporumdia.pt
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