Empowering women in technology

Meet Neha, a tech lead in the NatWest Digital X team. Find out about her interesting career journey as a woman in technology and how she’s blazing a trail for others.

Breaking away from the norm

Neha has over 14 years of professional experience across banking, insurance, investments, and energy sectors. Having done her university studies in Biotechnology, she discovered that she was more interested in computers, especially software. When asked how her career went towards software engineering, she said, “I’ve always been fascinated by how technology has been solving real world problems and making lives of people easier.”

A career with purpose

Neha’s been with NatWest for two and half years now. “I started my journey at NatWest by leading a development team. I now lead the Intraday Liquidity Management platform,” says Neha. Committed to driving innovation here, she’s also leading the Tableau Center of Excellence, and has recently established a generative AI working group, mentoring future leaders. In addition, she leads the Balance Sheet Modernization (BSM) forum comprising of application and technical leads as members. “There’s endless possibilities here at NatWest, there are around sixteen male and three female colleagues in the forum and I’m the one leading it!” says Neha with pride.

She talks about the positive work ethics here and recounts an incident in a previous organisation after she came back from her maternity break, “I was not given a project to work on, because they thought that as a new mother my focus would be divided between my child and my work. That’s not the culture here, I’ve had many opportunities to work on important projects here and take out time for family as well. My past experience makes me conscious of how I treat people, especially new mothers in my team, ensuring I create an environment where they are able to maintain a healthy work life balance.”

She goes on with passion, “Our Treasury COO Helen Williams started a mentorship programme within Treasury where she was mentoring people, and this culture is embedded deep within NatWest. In no other organisation have I seen leaders so approachable and incredibly supportive. That’s the kind of evolved leadership and mentorship I’m talking about, and I’ve experienced this only at NatWest in my 14 years of professional life. I’ll like to stick to NatWest for a much longer time, because I feel at home here, I feel heard.”

Blessed to be in the digital age

“The best way to learn new things is learning through whatever we do every day, and I am a firm believer that we have to learn by practice,” advises Neha when asked how she keeps herself updated. “Within the BSM platform, we have forums like learning Tuesdays, where subject matter experts deliver one hour training sessions for everyone. They talk about industry trends and the various tech skills which are required to keep up with the trends. I keep myself updated by following a mix of online and offline resources by engaging with the communities and talking about online platforms. I love platforms like Stack Overflow and GitHub that give a lot of information on coding technology and are ideal for technical discussions and sharing. LinkedIn is great for networking and staying on top of the industry trends,” she shares.

Loving and living life everyday

When asked about her interests apart from technology, she says, “My interests span a range of activities that keep me engaged and fulfilled. I love working out and taking care of wellness and nutrition of my family, which is of utmost importance to me. I’m an early riser, I wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning every day, no matter what the season is, I work out in the morning and that clears up my mind and keeps me energised through the day.”

Travelling is another passion she talks about, “I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to a lot of countries and a lot of beautiful places within India. It gives me the experiences of new cultures and landscapes. I gain a broader perspective of life and other people. I’m deeply committed to inclusion and am a member of Treasury’s DE&I initiatives as well.”

Looking up and upwards

When asked if she has any role model or someone she looks up to, she shares, “Our platform lead, Divye Trehan is someone I look up to. He’s incredibly approachable, and a lot of his focus is on development or giving opportunities to women in tech. I’m deeply inspired by his leadership style. When this platform started, and before I came in, there were only 10% women in this platform. Now we have 45% women working here. In my personal life, I would say my role model is undoubtedly my mother. She has lived her life with credible values, and she has always strived to bring out the best in her children, while never forgetting her own personality. She’s always taught me to compete with only myself, and be the best version of myself, always,” she says with affection.

Find your lighthouse

Given her own experience as a woman in technology, she has these final words for women compatriots, “I think having a mentor is important. When you have a mentor who has been in a similar space, they’ve already navigated the challenges that you’re facing right now, especially female mentors, they’ve already come across balancing their careers with their families, facing the challenges in a male dominated tech industry, so find a lighthouse to guide you through your journey.”