Stibo Systems honors Women in Master Data Management and the great work by many in the industry to achieve gender balance and equity. This blog series brings you several interviews with some of the remarkable women in our industry. We hope the stories of these women will inspire you to chase your passion for master data and its related fields.
Oxana Vashchina is a PIM Application Manager at Zehnder Group – a leading provider of indoor climate solutions. After graduating from Moscow State Linguistic University with a degree in Computer Linguistics, Oxana worked as an interpreter until she joined SAP. Here she took on various data migration and data process roles in Belgium and Switzerland and gradually moved towards the Master Data Governance field. Today she is based in Gränichen, Switzerland, where Zehnder Group is headquartered. Here she is involved in migrating existing data systems and preparing the upscale of Zehnder Group’s master data management solution delivered by Stibo Systems.
Why did you pick a career in master data?
I never really picked it or went specifically after a career in the field. The field sort of chose me, and I’m happy it did.
What do you like most about your job?
My favorite part is when we end up with concrete, tangible business results based on the work I’ve been part of. Master data is more powerful than many think – and it’s not vague; you either master it or you don’t. Another aspect of the job I like is that no day is like the other. There are always new possibilities and challenges.
What do you see as the biggest barriers for more women in the master data field?
I don’t see any barriers, actually. Just a general fear of working with data – and that fear appears to be gender neutral.
What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in master data?
Go for it! It’s a great field to work in - for men and women.
Does your organization work to promote gender equality? If so, how?
I wouldn’t say it promotes it, but it lives it.
Share a fun fact about yourself
I always have a clown’s nose in my bag. It’s a reminder not to take myself too seriously.
