In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, we portray four women from NTT DATA Business Solutions Nordics – from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. We ask them about their experience of being women in the IT world. About what motivates them and what challenges them. And what led them to where they are now.
In this portrait, we meet Maria Cristofoli, Sales Director at NTT DATA Business Solutions in Norway.
..I didn’t grow up with IT and data. It was something we heard about it, but it was rare. My background was in economics with logistic as a special topics. Yet I was part of the starting point of using ERP within bigger companies in Norway working as a consultant.
..I started as a logistics coordinator, working for a manufacturing company in the automotive industry. We worked with IT and I was asked to be a super user for an automotive standard solution. When the company downscaled, my manager said: “You are so interested in IT and your topic within logistics. Have you heard about SAP?”. She said the automobile industry has started a transformation journey and their vendor was moving to SAP to cooperate with them. After a short while I had a position in a company working with SAP. That was in 97.
..she was competent. She was clear and was good at seeing people and giving possibilities. She was the one who gave me the option to become a super user. She advised me to work further on with IT, because she could see it was a natural interest for me. She saw me as a person, just as much as the skills. She saw what I loved in our work, and what could be my next path. And she took the time to talk and give advice.
.. when people began to understand how much the system could do, how it could help, and sort out the problems they dealt with on a daily basis without SAP and without a good IT solution. I have met people having the entire storage solution in their head – not in a system. Imagine being part of transforming from the head to the system. Since the late 90s, that was something we met quite often with the customers.
..but as soon they understood how much the system would help, they always changed over time. They understood that I understood the system, and they knew their operations. And together we made a good team to figure out the next step and the next way to work.
.. we are all different and have different competencies and skill sets. I want to get to know people and understand who they are. Then we can start to evolve. If we know each other, I can learn something, and I can teach them something. That’s often the way I work. I love to see people grow at work. To see people succeed with responsibility, learning, and growing. I think that’s a leader’s responsibility.
..he was gifted with extraordinary IT skills. But he was not that good at talking to people and selling himself. He was kind of introvert. We started to work on how to approach people. How to gain trust. And suddenly he started to achieve more projects. Now he’s the main architect in a larger company. The journey together with him is maybe the best I ever had, because he had such big turning points.
..regardless if it is a small implementation or a big one. They take a risk convincing their company this is going to make a change for us and makes us better. And when you are there, and the goal is achieved, and you start to see it working daily. Then you have reduced the risk for them. You have achieved something of value. Being a consultant almost all my life is all about this.
.. I’m a person that wants to have the most out of life as a person. See the world. Being a part of it and taking a role within the innovation in the world. A driver for me is how much can I do and push to find where the limit is.
.. and for the things we do believe or take for granted here. There has been someone working upfront for us. And that’s something I really appreciate. I’ve been into a male orientated industry all my life. So I’m thankful for that. As a woman, I don’t think I’ve met challenges here in Norway with sharing my thoughts and ideas. But also, I think a human smartness is very important for understanding other people. Having empathy. Reading other people. Understanding are we on the same track. Social intelligence is one of the main qualities. Maybe the most important part of being a consultant, a leader or a salesperson.
..and have a driver within yourself the most important thing. Wanting to achieve, to push your limits and trusting yourself. And you can do it because the limits are yourself. I like to think that the competencies are more important than being a male or woman. The limit is there so you can prove the limits are not right.
