Sheenam Ohrie, Managing Director, Broadridge India, has three decades of experience across product engineering, global delivery, and product management. A known name in India’s FinTech sector, Sheenam talks to Avtar Insights about her foray into STEM as a young girl, and leading a company committed to increasing the footprints of women through directed efforts.
Globally across domains, there is a lack of role models for women. What motivated you when you entered STEM when the role models were fewer?
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the number of women in STEM was indeed limited. Representation of female students and professionals in STEM-related fields has improved drastically since then. However, there is no doubt, that a gap persists. This divide continues to impact organizations and industries across the globe. A World Economic Forum report highlights that less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women. Data indicates that a meagre 3% of female students opt for information and communication technology courses worldwide.
I do believe it was my parents who encouraged me to take up STEM. My love for Mathematics and Physics, along with the encouragement from my parents, enabled me to focus more on STEM studies. Our institutions and teachers never made a distinction between genders, when it came to expectations from either gender in the class. Ensuring there was neutrality helped remove biases, and I strongly feel that was a boost for young minds like me in schools and colleges.
But I must share a quick story here. I remember there was a single computer lab in the lane next to my house, and in the second year of my Engineering, my mom asked if I would go to learn “computers” there. That was my introduction to Basic and then Pascal. That’s how the love story began!
As a woman role model, what is the one aspect you would like to inspire and influence the most for women? And why?
May I request two:
- Be mindful and aware of your own biases. Women generally have a lot of biases about their gender and themselves. Convert the voice that says – “Can I do it?” to “Yes – I CAN DO IT.” Attempt everything with positivity and strength. Go out and find your voice. Have the gumption to express your ideas and opinions with confidence. Back them with data and logic. Debate unemotionally. Be bold, courageous, and practical. Own your career, be clear of the path to self-happiness, and move forward towards your own defined North Star.
- Be aware of the biases around you. Some of them would be apparent, some would be subtle. If you think there is a bias around you, talk about it with the concerned people. Bring it up, make others conscious of the bias, and in most cases, it can be tackled.
I have learnt from my journey that by fostering a culture of mentorship, one can share their experiences and learn. When I encounter a situation that leaves me confused, I reach out to my mentors – debate, and seek advice. Sometimes, mentors are very close to you – at home, in your friends’ circle, at the desk next to yours. And when I am mentoring another lady, I find I become stronger through every interaction. Because it shows me that together, we can make a difference, together we can be better. I would urge you to find a circle of mentors who can help you and I would also urge you to find a circle of mentees you could help.
You have been striving to further diversity in STEM. What has changed since the time you set out into the field?
Honestly, a lot. And I am so grateful for that. There is a long way to go, but we have also made some significant progress, which gives me the confidence that we are on the right track.
If you look at all major organizations, particularly corporates, across the globe, there has been a mindful shift in the approach to creating a diverse workplace. We have moved from Diversity being a fashion statement to now thinking about Equity and Equitability. We have more men allies around us who genuinely want their women peers and associates to succeed and become better. Organizations at large are investing in policies, working guidelines, and culture to promote inclusion across diverse talents.
I can say confidently that at Broadridge we have been focused and stringent towards tackling biased behavior, starting with hiring the right talent to framing policies that address the needs of working mothers and women, who are joining the workforce after a break.
Supporting women in STEM also means implementing initiatives at the grassroots level. There is no shortage of technical talent in India, but what most women in this field lack is opportunities to experience corporate life and learn soft skills that are equally important in today’s day and age. To address this challenge, we recently launched the Workplace Integration Nurturing Good Students Program (WINGS) at Broadridge. The goal of this initiative is to empower young girls from rural India by providing them with hands-on experience and real-time industry exposure.
What do you think the collective effort should be today?
Educate girls. Invest in ensuring that the girl child in every household is allowed to learn, complete her graduation, and be financially independent. We have to commit to doing this as responsible corporates and individuals too. Be role models to young girls, provide the right mentorship to young girls, and encourage more women to move towards the field of STEM. In addition to this, encourage women to boldly express their views and ideas, create room for more and more women in boardrooms and leadership positions, and motivate them to be in roles that are considered ‘not for women’.
There is – and should be – nothing that is off the bounds for women in any professional field.
During Women’s History Month, Broadridge has focussed a lot on the inspiring stories of women in Tech. What’s the impact of these initiatives?
Having meaningful conversations is the first step to undertaking initiatives that can create a real impact for women in STEM. At Broadridge, all our programs and initiatives during Women’s History Month were aimed at igniting this passion in everyone’s heart and mind to think beyond the usual. And when you shine the spotlight, people can surprise you in unimagined ways. We were positively surprised to see many of our young associates coming forward to share their stories and proactively participate in cross-function programs for our associate networks.
These initiatives also go a long way in building and nurturing an atmosphere of acknowledgment and recognition. In highlighting and celebrating the stories of our women leaders in tech, we were essentially leaving a career roadmap for young associates to follow and learn from. But more importantly, we believe these stories would help create and celebrate women, who can truly serve as role models to those who are in search of some encouragement!
We do this as a structured intervention throughout the year. Ensuring that our women feel safe and secure, that they have the tools to upskill and learn, and that our policies are upgraded to ensure a better environment for them, is critical to our success.
