This Female IT Leader Tells Us What Its Like To Work In Tech At LOréal

This Female IT Leader Tells Us What Its Like To Work In Tech At LOralWhats It Like To Work On Technology at LOral? (This Female IT Leader Gives Us The Inside Scoop)Mary Pauline has worked in tech for more than15 years. Shes worked in IT, managed developer teams, and now she serves as aDivision Systems Officer, overseeing tech strategy for the companys ConsumerProducts Division. And shes spent nearly half of her career in a distribution policy youmight not associate with tech LOral.We spoke to Mary Pauline to get an inside lookat what its like to work in tech for an innovative beauty company, the kindsof opportunities that exist for tech talent in the consumer products world, andhow LOral defies the stereotypes of tech culture for women.Tell us about yur current role. What does a Division Systems Officer do?I began my LOral career focused onsupporting the abverkauf function across LOral USA and today I oversee ourlargest divisions technology strategy and portfolio spanning across mark eting,sales, operations, and retail. Technology is contributing to the LOralgeschftlicher umgang in vast and exciting ways.And youve been with LOral for seven years. Where did you start out at the company?I was handling project management for a US ITteam that eventually became an Americas IT team. I led the creation andbuilding of a mobile sales aid application in use by our field sales teamsacross the various LOral divisions. I created internal portals for ourvarious teams including our previous internal LOral USA communications hub.And then I got this opportunity to take on a more strategic role, closer to thegeschftliches miteinander, which is really exciting for me, but in my early years I needed to bemore in the trenches to be able to do the role Im in now.Speaking of the early years, what kinds of opportunities do you see for entry-level folks in IT and technology at LOral?Technology project management is huge.Certainly, individuals that are studying tech but have that knack o r skill tobe able to translate it to the business community are essential. So, what weneed and what we value a lot are individuals that can do that type of role, andbecome the middle-person between technology and the business.We also have a variety of neat applications inuse at LOral. Salesforce is one of them. Were also a big Microsofttechnology shop. Digital has so many opportunities with the way e-commerce isgrowing and changing on such a frequent basis that any of those areas are greatpoints of entry for technology folks.Tell us about the company culture at LOral. How does it defy the stereotypes about the exclusivity of tech culture, especially for women?The company culture is extremely inclusive andwelcoming to all, especially in the tech space. As a good example, I was onmaternity leave for close to five months last year, and upon returning, I wasgiven a vorrcken to this position that Im in right now, because they knew Ihad the qualifications and that I would do a great job. And even though Iwasnt here and was caring for a newborn, I was still considered and thought offor opportunities, which in a lot of places wouldnt be the case.On the other hand, how does LOrals culture compare to the fast-paced nature of other tech companies?Its an extremely entrepreneurial company, soyou have the ability to work on so many different things at any given point intime. Leadership is very eager for individuals to jump right in and contribute.The business relationships that we have built are respected, and IT does have aseat at the table. I mean, the fact that I sit on the management committee forthe Consumer Products Division in an IT role is a huge testament to howtechnology is valued at the company.Weve made a commitment to make LOral thenumber one beauty tech company in the world, and we dont take something likethat lightly. Theres a lot of investment behind technology, and you can feelit in the pulse of the company. Its really exciting and keeps you on yourtoes. Th is is a company with a huge history behindit. But what everyones seen from us in terms of consumer products, all of thatinnovation, were now doing the same thing from a technology perspective. Itsa complete transformation of how LOral works. So right now is a reallyexciting time to hop on board.When tech and business talent are considering their options, why should they consider LOral?Its a very team-oriented culture. It doesntmatter what level of the organization youre in, everyone pitches in andparticipates to deliver and to get things done. Everyones always ready tohustle, you know? And there are so many different areas you can play a role in,because were a consumer products company, and that means there are so manyways we do business.The work is certainly demanding andchallenging, but its so exciting. The individual really sets their own pathand makes sure that theyre doing what they need to do to be successful. Thatmakes me want to bring my best self to work every day and reall y challengemyself. At the same time, there really is that mindset and that focus fromleadership on identifying talent and finding the best opportunities for theindividual.Any advice for women in particular hoping to enter the tech space?Keep up with your field, keep askingquestions, and build the confidence to hold people accountable and work acrossa variety of teams.The other thing Ill say is, when you execute,when you deliver, thats what earns respect. So you can have all the bestrelationships in the world, but if youre not delivering quality work orfollow-through, its not going to be respected if youre not getting thingsdone in a quality way, and delivering time and time again. Thats where therespect is going to come from.Whats your elevator pitch for a tech career at LOral?If you love the beauty industry and have apassion for products that embody beauty for all, LOral is a terrific placeto have your technology career. We are fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and admiredas the leader in the beauty tech space. We have the resources to be able toinvest and advance in technology across all aspects of our business and we pushourselves every day to do more and do better.Ready toput your tech talent to work at LOral? Check out open opportunities from LOral on WayUp right now