Women in engineering at SumUp: What inspired you to become an engineer?
Written by Danielli Brunetti
According to McKinsey, women are still under-represented in their professions — only 34% of women hold entry-level engineering and product roles and just 26% hold first-level manager positions.
Gender diversity is at the core of our Diversity and Inclusion mission. We celebrate our gender representation parity, where 49% of SumUppers are women and 17% are women in engineering. Our ambition is to have 30% women on our executive level, where we currently stand at 24%.
It’s important for us that women have the space to thrive not only in the world of engineering but in any career pathway they may choose. At SumUp, we have global employee resource groups that promote women empowerment and gender equality, like Women in Engineering, Women’s Circle and SumUp por Elas. We aim to drive change through these networks, creating a space for conscious inclusion of diversity and gender, where women can openly share experiences, discuss issues without judgment, improve workplace equity, and help each other become their best selves.
To mark International Women in Engineering Day and celebrate the incredible women of SumUp and their fantastic work, members of our Women in Engineering community shared the stories behind their decision to become an engineer.
Lutfun Nahar - Backend Software Engineer in Berlin, Germany
"I was always interested in math, and then during my college years, I discovered programming and fell in love with it. My passion for math helped me develop problem-solving skills and made me go down this road. It feels awesome to be able to do what I love and get paid for that!"
Milena Sokolova - Senior QA Engineer in Sofia, Bulgaria
"I have fun when I'm solving logical puzzles or math problems. When I was at school, I enjoyed it so much that I started teaching my neighbours' kids math and helping them with their homework for free. For me, engineering was a natural choice - a career in a world full of logical problems that need to be solved. When I was 13, I found a book with all the engineering specialities, and I started browsing through the university classes/programs and educational plans. Soon it became my inspiration, and the decision to become an engineer was made."
Photo: Georgi Kazakov
Nivetha Sukumar - Senior Embedded Application Engineer in Berlin, Germany
"Although I was good at math and science, computer science was my favourite subject in my school days. I still remember when I used a computer in my school laboratory. I loved attending those classes and was curious about how computers worked and how they could solve problems. It instilled in me further to take computer science as my major in high school and electronics and communication engineering as my bachelor's. The concept of embedded systems fascinated me to see things live and move tiny motors through programming. Solving problems through engineering and technology is truly remarkable. I'm glad to experience it every day."
Priscila Manhães - Backend Software Engineer in São Paulo, Brazil
"Growing up, I was lucky enough to be empowered by parents who would always try to stimulate my curiosity and would not impose boundaries based on my gender. And this didn't change when I first developed my passion for computers and technology, which followed me from technical school to university and during my master's degree. The magical side of technology is how we assume it will only be logical and procedural, but it actually requires a lot of creativity, and it grows by embracing differences - solutions never seem to be the same, and mistakes are always a place for learning."
Isabela Comegna - Backend Software Engineer in Berlin, Germany
"Since I was a kid, I loved learning about how the things around me worked and how they are built. Besides that, I have always been interested in how society functions and things work. I soon realised that I wanted to do something with a purpose and be able to impact people and society with my work positively. A career in engineering seemed to be the best option, as I would be able to learn daily while helping to create the world around me. Being an Engineer is a daily learning, problem-solving and creation process - and I couldn't be happier with my choice."
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