Heidi embarked on her journey with Wacom in 2010, initially holding the position as a Senior Global Product Manager. Demonstrating her commitment and expertise, she ascended to the position of Senior VP and Head of Wacom Ink division in 2018. In this leadership role, her primary focus lies in steering the development of software technologies in the domain of digital ink.
Can you share a brief overview of your professional journey in the tech industry?
Somehow, I decided already as young child at kindergarten age that I would like to do something with technology. Instead of playing, I often spend hours observing and trying to help my uncle repairing cars. When I was at school, my passion was always for mathematics and science. I’ve always enjoyed to surprise and challenge my teacher who was not really believing that girls can be good in math and science. Anecdote: He got totally convinced and has become one of my biggest supporters during my school time.
Upon entering university, I chose to study Electrical Engineering. Recognizing the significance of a holistic perspective, I pursued a second major in Economics and Business Administration.
My professional career started as System Engineer in IT industry. Shortly I confirmed my passion for products and innovation, so I transitioned to the role of a Product Manager that focuses on developing new innovative products that contribute to new business and new value proposition.
My career continues to focus more on driving technology and products innovations, new business, and strategic partnerships.
How do you navigate and overcome challenges as a woman in a leadership position?
I always make it a point to stay true to myself as a leader. I don't attempt to imitate a male leadership style, as I firmly believe that every leader possesses their own unique philosophy and approach. Learning from every team member, regardless of their position in the organization, is crucial to my leadership journey.
To overcome challenges, I rely on two fundamental principles that I consistently adhere to: first, having the courage to stand for what I believe in, and second, fostering respect and connection with diverse opinions. Understanding the purpose and intent behind others' perspectives is essential to creating a collaborative and inclusive environment.
How do you balance personal and professional aspirations while leading in the tech industry?
I am very fortunate that I am doing what I am passionate about. This alignment brings a sense of overall balance and fulfilment to my life. Equally important is spending quality time with friends and family.
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to pursue a career in the IT field?
I would advise them to be brave and confident in pursuing their chosen path. It's crucial to actively seek out supporters who can inspire their career journey and provide valuable feedback and advice along the way.
Aylin's Story
Aylin started her professional journey as an intern at Wacom's Customer Engagement team for a year. Presently located in Dusseldorf, Germany she is a Project manager within the global Marketing team of the company. She applies her marketing expertise to various topics like campaigns, events, and other global initiatives focused on improving customer experience.
Which personal strengths have proven most valuable in your role within Marketing team in the tech industry?
Effective communication is at the core of any successful project.
Building strong relationships within the team is also essential. Taking the time to know my co-workers, understanding their work supports our collaboration and enhances overall team dynamics and results.
Tech industry is fast-paced and dynamic, often presenting unexpected challenges. A pragmatic and solution-oriented mindset allows me to address issues efficiently, finding practical solutions that align with our goals.
Can you elaborate on the main daily challenges you encounter and how you navigate through them?
Working with teams across different countries and time zones presents some communication challenges. I try to be flexible in my communication approach, considering the specific needs of each team and project.
Navigating through different languages and understanding diverse cultural perspectives is crucial to fostering effective collaboration.
What aspires you to stay adaptive and innovative in the dynamic world of marketing?
The creative nature of Wacom's products is a constant source of inspiration. This allows me and the team to craft marketing messages that not only highlight the features of our products but also speak directly to the unique needs and desires of our customers and creative communities.
On the other hand, People and Languages were always my passion and I am happy that understanding both colleagues and clients is now the core of my role.
What advice do you have for women aiming to excel in tech-drivenmarketing roles?
In a rapidly evolving industry, curiosity is a powerful tool. Don't hesitate to ask questions, whether it's about new technologies or specific aspects of your role. Asking questions is not a sign of weakness; it’s a pathway to gaining deeper insights and evolving in your role. Remember, you only become smarter and more proficient by seeking knowledge.
I've been fortunate to be inspired by many female leaders within Wacom. If you find inspiring women in your workplace, connect with them. Learn from their experiences, seek mentorship, and build a network of support. Networking with other women in the industry will always provide valuable insights and opens doors to new opportunities.
Alessandra's Story
Alessandra joined Wacom team as working student two years ago. She was studying in Germany Data Science and joined project focused on Ontology and knowledge graph. Currently she is located in Milano and collaborate with international teams doing research in vector databases, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and large language models.
What sparked your interest in pursuing a career in software engineering?
With a limited background in computer science, launching my career as a software engineer stirred a mix of nervousness and excitement. I was enthusiastic about broadening my expertise in this field and explore beyond my usual scope, so I acknowledged the challenges ahead.
Nevertheless, I found supportive community at Wacom, where exceptionally skilled and understanding individuals support me in taking on my role as a software engineer with enthusiasm and confidence.
Reflecting on your journey in software engineering, what personal strengths have helped you overcome challenges and excel in your role?
I believe that my foundation in Mathematics and NLP has prepared me to overcome numerous challenges presented by emerging technologies. This robust theoretical grounding, as well as the ability to have a wide view on concepts, give me a different perspective on various issues. This is giving me ability to help my team with 'out of the box', maybe sometimes unconventional, solutions.
How do you balance your personal aspirations for skill development with the demands of the fast-paced tech industry?
While staying abreast of the latest innovations can be challenging, embracing new technologies ensures that I will keep the same excitement and passion I felt from the beginning of my career.
However, seeking support from mentors and colleagues, facing challenges as opportunities for growth, and celebrating our achievements help me navigate the ever-changing landscape of the tech industry while advancing my career.
Iskra's Story
Iskra has been a valuable member of Wacom since 2015. At present, she holds the position of Manager eCommerce and Marketing Sites, where she leads the team responsible for the software testing of Wacom websites across all locations. Her role ensures the functionality and reliability of Wacom's online platforms, contributing to the seamless digital experience for users worldwide.
Reflecting on your career, what personal strengths have contributed most to your success as a professional in tech company?
Certainly, adaptability and curiosity for new technologies and innovations have been instrumental in my success as a professional in the tech industry. The ability to adapt is crucial in today's dynamic environments, allowing me to navigate and thrive in the face of constant change. Moreover, my curiosity for new technologies has been a driving force, propelling me to explore and embrace emerging trends, providing a continuous source of learning and growth in my career.
Have you encountered any specific challenges related to work-life balance as a woman in tech, and how have you adressed them?
Balancing the responsibilities of being a parent and a successful leader can be quite challenging. It demands effective planning and prioritization to excel in both roles.
Succeeding in this balance often involves the willingness to make compromises when necessary and accept it.
Additionally, having the support of a partner is crucial. Shared responsibilities and understanding between partners are the necessary foundation for everyone trying to balance both roles.
Wacom, as a company and a team, plays a vital role in making this delicate balance achievable. The organization fosters a supportive environment that acknowledges the challenges faced by individuals managing both parental and professional responsibilities.
This supportive culture enables individuals to make meaningful contributions to the team and the company. Within the Wacom community, there is a recognition that success is not solely defined by professional achievements but also by personal fulfilment.
What advice would you give to young women considering a career in Quality Assurance?
Approach challenges with a positive mindset. Instead of focusing on barriers, view them as opportunities for growth. Face challenges with confidence, knowing that while it may be difficult and time consuming, you have the capability to overcome them.
Stay curious and be open to continuous learning. This will not only enhance your skills but also keep you competitive in the ever-changing landscape of technology.
Success in Tech field and Quality Assurance often requires self-discipline. Be organized, manage your time effectively, and stay focused on your goals. Establish a routine that allows you to tackle tasks systematically and efficiently.
Establishing boundaries is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It's essential to recognize when it's time to step back, take breaks, and prioritize self-care. Striking a balance between personal and professional life is not just important for immediate well-being but is a key factor in achieving long-term success and overall happiness.
Daniela's Story
What do you value most about working at Wacom?
One of the things I value the most about working at Wacom is definitely the work style mindset. Flexibility and trust are core values at Wacom and being part of an environment like this is for sure something I really value in a job. I feel the same way regarding our cultural diversity. I can come every day at work exactly as I am, and have the chance to work with wonderful people from different backgrounds that come together to work as a team, with different viewpoints and talents, that is the perfect recipe of creativity and innovation.
What are the most exciting projects for you?
In short, Content creation projects & co-marketing activities. As part of my job, I’m constantly creating content for our social media channels, and I usually do that in collaboration with different artists, brands and creators. Is in those projects where I have the chance to bring together different people and communities and is always so exciting to see the outcome of that mix.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Having the chance to connect with infinite number of artists & creators. Managing a community of 1M followers from all over the world is exciting as well as challenging. I had the chance to make Wacom’s social channels a platform for new and stablished artists to spark interesting conversations and promote genuine connections, merging the dynamic synergy between creativity and technology. As a social media manager, I get to bridge the gap between these worlds and showcase the incredible journey of turning creativity into digital reality.
What is one thing that you wish people knew about your job?
One thing that often goes unnoticed is the meticulous planning and adaptability required behind the scenes before pushing the ‘publish’ button. On the surface, sure, it's just creating and posting a nice image with a text. But it’s actually a lot of strategic thinking where you need to find the perfect balance of: algorithm and reach, time of posting, usage rights, different time zones and currencies, organic and paid optimization, brand consistency, etc.
Something about you (a fun fact) not many people know?
I’m based in Barcelona, Spain while I work remotely as part of the marketing team based in Germany. Fun fact is I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Not everybody knows I’m from Latin America!
Borislav's Story
What are the coolest projects the Android team has been working on?
I am proud to be the main Android developer on a project that was presented at the CES 2023 conference in Las Vegas, “the most influential tech event in the world”. Even though it wasn’t an easy task, I enjoyed every second working with the team to make it happen in time for the event. The project is quite interesting because it uses the blockchain technology in order to ensure a secure decentralized remote signing of documents.
What's unique about working for Wacom?
For me personally it’s the people. We spend a significant amount of time with the people we work with, so it is important for me to be surrounded by quality individuals I like working with and talk and laugh. In Wacom I found some of my closest friends.
What are the personal interests of our Android team members?
Cars baby :D Driving them, fixing them, making them better, or simply said… enjoying them. My current pride and joy is a Mazda Miata NB. Bought it three years ago with non working engine with the idea to learn how to fix it. Without having any previous knowledge on working on cars whatsoever it was an exciting challenge. Took me a little less than a year to make it run again and now, two years later it doesn’t skip a beat.
Dilyan's Story
What are the coolest projects the Android team has been working on?
I could say that the biggest challenge for me was to learn how to build a specific canvas that could be used by third party applications as a component. This taught me how to think more abstract and in the same time how to chase the best performance for a mobile device. The other cool project is the PoC that we made for the secure signing and the interaction with the blockchain. This proves how Wacom thinks for the future and tracks the new technologies in the world of the programming.
What's unique about working for Wacom?
Working in Wacom has many unique aspects. We as software developers, are part of the Wacom’s unique drawing technology, which is highly rated from our customers as one of the best technologies in the whole market. But behind the technology, there is the human factor, and working with such a professionals as the people in Wacom, is one of the best and unique feelings that could happen to me.
What are the personal interests of our Android team members?
We are pretty different as persons but in the same time with pretty similar interests. Things like automotive sports, reading adventure books, playing computer games, walking in the nature, playing football with friends are the ones that describes myself mostly.
Zhong's Story
What are the coolest projects the Android team has been working on?
I think the coolest projects we are working on is Wacom Notes. Because it is built in a more readable design. And using the latest Wacom tech. Compared to other android projects.
What's unique about working for Wacom?
Wacom is my first job after I graduated. I cannot say how it feels like compare to working in a different company. But people are friendly here. And I am working remotely from China. The group member gave me lots of help regardless of the time zone and distance. I really appreciate that.
What are the personal interests of our Android team members?
For me, I play video game for free time.
Vasil's Story
What are the coolest projects the Android team has been working on?
At Wacom, we specialize in developing creative apps that are powered by our proprietary digital ink technology - WILL3. While sometimes it's a complex and challenging job, there's nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing all the pieces come together to deliver an exceptional user experience.
What's unique about working for Wacom?
For me, the best thing about working at Wacom is the people. Despite having offices all around the world, there's a remarkable sense of closeness and collaboration among colleagues that makes it feel almost like a start-up. At Wacom, creativity is at the heart of everything we do, and it shows in the way we work together to solve complex challenges and bring innovative ideas to life. This focus on creativity not only makes for a stimulating work environment, but it also fosters a culture of learning and growth that encourages everyone to reach their full potential.
What are the personal interests of our Android team members?
Uhh, that's a difficult question. I love doing a lot of things and there are only so many hours in a day. Currently I spend most my free time either hiking with friends in Bulgaria's gorgeous forests and hills or playing all sort of Roleplaying games: DnD, LARP, PC games, you name it.
Ralitsa's Story
How did you get interested in your career?
From a very young age, I was interested in mathematics and solving various puzzles, perhaps thanks to my father, who always included me and my cousin in various discussions that developed logical thinking. He has a great engineering mind and we always try to beat him in all tasks even now.
What are you most proud of in your working path?
I started my professional career in a call center. I don't want to say that this job isn't good, but the routine of using the same scripts again and again was very unstimulating for my brain, so I decided that I want my job to be challenging, to develop my thinking and to enrich me. I am very proud to choose a career as a software developer because it improves you every day and gives you a wide range of professional opportunities, whether you decide to continue as a software architect or move into management positions
What important career challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
Every beginning is hard, whether you're starting as a junior developer or starting a new project with a different scope. It always takes time to trust your own abilities. I am happy that my colleagues are very supportive and in difficult times we deal with problems as a team.
What advice would you give your younger self or other women embarking on a career?
My advice is never to stop learning and develop yourself no matter in which field. There is no more profitable investment than investing in yourself.
Simona's Story
How did you get interested in your career?
Getting my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and having completed my Master's degree in Software Technologies, I was looking for an opportunity to work collaboratively with both tech and non-tech coworkers. As Product Managers act as intermediaries between development teams and business units, I was drawn to this role due to my natural curiosity and eagerness to participate in the entire product development process, from the idea to final implementation.
What are you most proud of in your working path?
I am most proud of the estore. This product was a vital for the company goals and after the launch, it became one of the important revenue streams. During the course of the project, there were doubts of its success. Part of the team were hesitant about the usability of the product and were not very keen on restructuring their work processes. However, with many coaching sessions and hard dev work, the successful implementation became a fact. The customers loved the product and internally was also a success. Releasing this product allowed us to improve our internal processes and to be more agile. Incorporating the different points of view was a valuable lesson learned from this experience in Wacom.
What important career challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
My position requires making hard and difficult decisions. That includes prioritization of tasks and product changes. I must consider my way of leading the projects very carefully, because what I do may affect the business overall. The first and most important when it comes to overcoming challenges is knowing your product very well. This is of paramount importance to evaluate properly the business environment and align with the company’s goals.
What advice would you give your younger self or other women embarking on a career?
The advice I would give the younger me and any newcomers into this profession is to not be afraid to try, as this is the only way to understand if a specific working field is the correct one for you. Another important thing is patience. It’s a cliché, but it’s true that all the good things come slowly. I embrace the motto of "working smart, not hard" which encourages finding efficient solutions to problems. In case you are working on a specific task for a lot of time, without coming even closer to the end, you have to step back and look at the big picture. Last, but not least good relations with your colleagues are a vital part to your success.
Ivanka's Story
How did you get interested in your career?
The first time when I heard about quality assurance as a profession was when I was in my second year at the university. We had an additional class for the stages of the software product's lifеcycle. One of the stages was checking the quality of the product and how this has positive effect of the experience of the end user with the specific product. Then my thoughts were that the person responsible for this stage is like a "guardian" of the product and user experience with it.
What are you most proud of in your working path?
As an Automation QA my job is to automate test scenarios that are heavy and/or take too much time to be manually executed, so I'm the proudest when my work is of real help to my team members and users are happy with the quality of the product.
What important career challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
Two things. One is communication with colleagues from different countries and with different cultures. Sometimes is very difficult to be on the same page with people with different understandings of hierarchy. For example, I had a situation in which a colleague refused to answer my questions because my level in the company was under his. The other thing is a new technology that first introduces and I did not have much time to research it, but this challenge was funny and interesting.
What advice would you give your younger self or other women embarking on a career?
Dream big! Believe in yourself and always welcome the challenges with a smile! Ask for help, it is normal not to know everything!
Zornitsa's Story
How did you get interested in your career?
After graduating from university, my work was closely related to tuning and testing hardware devices up to their upper limit, but not crossing the breaking line. At that time, a member of my family was working in the IT sector. So, I found out a little more about the work of the QA specialist. I was very interested in the fact that software systems give the freedom and challenge to reach the breaking point of the system, but also to cross that line and break the system. This allows for building robust and reliable software.
What are you most proud of in your working path?
When I look back, I see the working steps forward that I have taken. I realize that all steps are important, even the small ones, even the mistakes from which I learn. And one more important thing - to be persistent and not give up.
What important career challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
Perhaps the most important career challenges have been about challenging yourself or accepting the challenge found in the current or next work assignment. I also think that another very important challenge that I encounter is allocating time well and finding the balance between work and rest. About overcoming them - In my opinion, the way is to keep learning and also ask and get help from the great team you work with and from whom you can learn a lot of useful things.
What advice would you give your younger self or other women embarking on a career?
My advice is not to be afraid to let go of familiar, comfortable things and start learning and acquiring new knowledge and skills. Тo continue to dream and develop.
Ani's Story
How did you get interested in your career?
As a product manager is all about the need to solve a problem for users/customers. The role of a product manager allows me to use my creativity and curiosity how we can make a difference in what we are bringing to the company.
What are you most proud of in your working path?
As part of Wacom Product team, I’m proud of what we achieved for Inkspace/Montblanc Hub app. Although I have experience in SW products management and have created SW products in the past, my most recent project was my first time collaborating an entire team of not only from SW but also in HW. The experience taught me the importance of teamwork and the importance of learning and keeping the past wit the new technologies.
What important career challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
As Product managers sometimes we tent to assume that we need to drive creativity alone, but we need to keep in mind that the best ideas come from collaboration. Also, in my role I closely work with Customers, and it is difficult form one hand keep all the ideas in the realistic field and from the other hand to convince the internal team that this will make a difference. I need to balance and create an all-team members feel empowered and inspired to share their ideas by giving the chance to discuss new initiatives and celebrate idea-sharing.
What advice would you give your younger self or other women embarking on a career?
Starting out in the professional world is that it’s okay to not know it all, but don’t let that stop you from continually learning new things on your own or from others. Best thing to do is to talk to someone who does know more form the team. it is important also to trust you intuition. Never give up there is always a way to doo it. Have fun!
Design Team
What are the coolest projects the design team has been working on?
“I am excited to work on a project which could change the way creators prove their authenticity and protect their copyrights by providing incorruptible digital id. The project is fascinating since it involves innovative technologies and pushes their boundaries forward!” (Veronika).
“My latest project is demo application showing Wacom’s secure signature technology that was presented at the last CES (Consumer Electronics Show) - the most influential tech event in the world” (Yoana).
“Another wonderful project to work on is the Wacom Center. It was exciting to research our user experience and improve our interface to be more engaging and much easier to use. Same with our educational projects - working on finding the best possible solution and coming up with innovative concepts is the core of what makes these projects so motivating” (Jessica).
What's unique about working for Wacom?
“What I love about Wacom is the fact that you can feel the passion for art and technology in every aspect of the company. It is not just about making great products, but it's also about creating a friendly workplace where creativity can flourish. Working here will make you feel motivated to do your best and have fun while doing so!” (Veronika).
“The people and the projects. Perfect combination. Motivated, intelligent and good hearted people doing unique technologies together” (Yoana).
“We develop products that support creative people out there to follow their passion, which for me is the biggest inspiration and motivation. And this is what is unique about working for Wacom” (Jessica).
Guido's Story
What do you value most about working with Wacom?
If somebody would have told me that, one day, I would have a 20th anniversary at a company, I would have called him crazy…
However, here I am, now working for 20+ years at Wacom and this is majorly because I work in a company where you can find a true international and intercultural spirit, wonderful colleagues, and a great international team to work with – and you are developing products for a fantastic creative audience!
In my role a product marketing manager for creative products, I do work with so many talented people in the creative industry and this is another aspect which I really like - working with creative people in creative segments like Film, VFX, Games, Comics & Manga, Music and much more.
And, to be honest, I am proud if we at Wacom brought another creative tool to the markets, which is perceived as a milestone in the creative industry and our customers.
What are the most exciting projects for you?
Those are the product launches, no question!
We had quite a few over the last decades but two product launches I would never forget: the launch of Intuos 3 in 2004 – not only was this a product introducing new features to the creative audience. It was also the first Wacom product where we worked in a true global team with a start-up design agency outside Japan. The whole design and engineering process and the team with colleagues all over the globe worked so well - so the result was a ground-breaking product and I still know people working with the Intuos 3!
And the last recent one, the launch of the new Cintiq Pro 27 just some weeks ago.
Different teams, different product – but still having the tension and excitement to see a product grow over the months and that, again, a global and cross-cultural team is working hard to bring such a fantastic product the market. As the Intuos 3 was in 2004, the new Cintiq Pro 27 is another game changer in the creative industry, and I am very happy that I have worked on both. And yes, I am old… 😉
Something personal about you?
Now slowly reaching my mid-fifties and having a great family with my wife, an almost adult daughter and a dog, I am still trying to keep my mind young.
As Nietzsche said “In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play,” – I still enjoy playing around with new technologies, making our house even more smart as it already is and look into new exciting fields in the creative and technology segments. And never forget to have a good coffee!
Dobromir's Story
What do you value most about working at Wacom?
This might sound very trivial but actually the people at Wacom and the culture that we are having here. You can always rely on very productive open discussion between engineers, designers, QAs and PMs. This is valid as we want to develop something more than just an app and we are putting efforts to have not only technically productive solutions but something that speaks Wacom design language.
Another point is the opportunity to switch contexts, not only projects but also technology stack if someone dares to do it.
What are the most exciting projects for you?
The projects here were different, I could highlight the first Bamboo paper project - that reach one million downloads for a week after we have released it. Currently I enjoy working on Wacom Notes which gives me totally different perspective as now I am holding the role of Technical Lead and I am having broader view not only from technical but also from business side.
The partnering projects (hardware-software) with companies as Lenovo, Microsoft, other OEMs are also exciting. I like that we can be engaged and support the future planned launches much earlier than the customers.
Something personal about you?
Spending my day with my 2 years daughter that enjoy testing our products and solutions and painting next to me during the day. Keen on volunteering program, you can always join some of the environment protection initiatives where I am contributing.
Aylin's Story
How did you find your way to your current role?
Good question! It’s mostly the result of my Internship and Bachelors Thesis at Wacom in 2020. I had an amazing time at Wacom during my Bachelors. Nevertheless, I continued with my Masters in Barcelona, which has been a very important step for me. During my studies, I thought about what type of company do I identify with? What type of challenges am I looking for and what type of working environment do I need after a year abroad and a very international personal identity. So the answer was an easy one: Wacom. Now I am in an International and Strategic Marketing position which reflects my personal development.
What is your favourite thing about working at Wacom?
The mindset of my colleagues! And the unique mixture of technology and creativity of the products!
