To celebrate the International Women’s Day, we are excited to continue sharing the stories, insights, and advice of our amazing Amerge women who are making a significant impact in the Amazon industry landscape. Last year we started this interview series, and we’re thrilled to bring you the second edition. Join us in celebrating the strength, wisdom, perseverance, and experience of all the inspiring women of Amerge. Let’s dive in! 🌊
Q: As a Managing Director, how do you foster an environment that encourages women to voice their opinions, contribute ideas, and take on leadership responsibilities within your team?
🚀Anna Atkin, Managing Director – US: “I will always create a network of women within any company I work at. The best way for us to support each other is to set a cadence in which we connect regularly and create a safe space to talk through challenges, celebrate wins and push each other to pursue our career goals. I make sure to stay consistent with the women I work with, book times to chat in advance so it does not fall to the side, and stay invested in each other.”
Q: As a female leader, have you faced any challenges in the workplace related to gender bias, and how have you overcome them?
🚀Caterina Faba, DSP Team Lead: “During my professional career journey, I have faced and also witnessed gender-related challenges that affect women’s paths and growth in business, such as stereotyping, lack of support, and unconscious biases, not only related to gender but also to nationality, and during those times I noticed how the associated colleagues were not doing much about it.
As time has passed, I landed this new job at Amerge in which I’ve been able to find a better path for me to have the opportunity to be a team lead and even though, globally, we are used to seeing fewer women representation in the highest decision-making leadership positions, we can overcome those challenges by education, awareness, inclusion initiatives, access to the same opportunities, and recognizing the achievements of female leaders in order to promote the idea of equality by implementing a better workplace culture.”
Q: In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges that women, particularly those in leadership roles, face in the Amazon industry, and what steps can be taken to address and overcome these challenges?
🚀Kelsey Corley, Client Relationship Associate: “Many of the challenges women – especially those in leadership may face, are consistent across industries. Some of those are as follows:
- Gender Bias & Lack of Respect: In a predominantly male-dominated industry, overcoming preconceived notions about women’s leadership abilities and establishing respect is crucial across all working relationships. Encouraging a shift in mindset and recognizing diverse leadership styles can help address this.
- Work-Life Balance: The demanding nature of the industry can make it challenging to strike a balance maintaining both personal and professional responsibilities. Implementing flexible work arrangements and promoting a culture that values work-life balance can make a huge difference.
- Underrepresentation & Imposter Syndrome: Women are often underrepresented in leadership positions and can therefore suffer from Imposter Syndrome. In an especially male-dominated industry, proactive efforts in recruiting, mentorship, and leadership development programs can contribute to a more diverse leadership team and increase female confidence.
- Equal Pay and Recognition: Achieving equal pay remains a concern across many industries. Regularly reviewing compensation structures, promoting transparency, and acknowledging and rewarding achievements regardless of gender can help bridge the gap.
- Lack of Role Models: The absence of prominent & visible female role models can impact aspirations. Showcasing successful women in leadership roles and providing mentorship can inspire and guide the next generation of female leaders.”
Q: As an Account Executive, how do you ensure that your team is providing excellent service to customers, and what metrics do you use to measure success?
🚀Laura Abadias, Account Executive: “We work as a team and we follow different strategies to provide excellent service to our clients like establishing together clear goals and expectations, we encourage our clients to give us feedback and to collaborate in the best way possible, also everyday we are learning new things so we have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide excellent customer service and therefore we can consistently provide excellent customer services and achieve success in customer relationship management.”
Q: As a woman in a Client Strategy Lead position, do you believe there are specific skills or qualities that women often bring to the table that contribute to success in the Amazon industry landscape?
🚀Rachel Dickman, Client Strategy Lead: “I’ve noticed some skills that are total game-changers in this role, which are often prevalent among successful female leaders. Here are a few:
- Building strong client relationships: This is the golden rule for Client Leads. Luckily, building trust and rapport with people comes naturally to many women. We’re often good communicators and know how to connect on a deeper level, which is key for keeping clients happy.
- Dive Deep: Amazon’s all about data, and Client Leads need to be able to make sense of it all. The good news is many women are strong analysts – we can crunch the numbers and use the insights to suggest the best solutions for clients.
- Championing my clients: Client Leads are basically client cheerleaders, making sure they get the best possible service. Many women are natural advocates, we can fight for what our clients need and ensure they’re heard.
- Resilience and Problem-Solving: The Client Lead life can be tough, but women are resilient! We often demonstrate strong problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate challenges, which is crucial for navigating the ups and downs of this role.
- Teamwork makes the dream work: Collaboration is key, and Client Leads need to be team players. Many women bring a collaborative spirit to the table and know how to build consensus, which helps create a winning team environment.”
Q: As an experienced Account Manager, what advice would you give young women starting their careers in the Amazon industry?
🚀Lina Leonenko, Account Manager: “Personally, I would advise being eager to learn new things, to be curious, and never afraid to raise questions. Even though the Amazon world sometimes can be challenging and overwhelming, it is always good to set up your own milestones, and to follow your own “North Star” – so focus on the things that you can actually influence. And probably be flexible, so you can adapt to changes quickly – as they usually say, “It’s always day one at Amazon”. Lastly, don’t forget to have fun, as you will for sure meet great people along your journey.”
Q: As a Hiring & Talent Manager, how do you ensure that your team is building a diverse and inclusive workforce, and what strategies have you found to be effective?
🚀Andrea Jursova, Hiring & Talent Manager: “As a Hiring & Talent Manager, I prioritize building a diverse and inclusive workforce by promoting our core values and fostering daily connections with team members. I actively seek feedback through surveys, address unconscious biases through training and team activities, and ensure a personalized approach in hiring and onboarding. Flexible work arrangements, employee referral programs, and diverse benefits further contribute to creating an inclusive environment.”
Q: How do you balance short-term goals and long-term strategy in your role, and what strategies have you found to be effective in achieving both?
🚀Natalia Stefancikova, Marketing Lead: “While it is a common stereotype that women are better at multitasking, research suggests that both men and women have similar abilities in this area. As a Marketing Lead, I prioritise and manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, regardless of gender. To balance short-term goals and long-term strategy, I rely on effective time management and organisation skills, delegation when appropriate, and clear communication within my team. By focusing on these strategies, I am able to achieve both short and long-term goals, while also ensuring that my team and I are able to work efficiently and effectively.”
Q: What do you think are some of the key challenges facing women in leadership positions today, and what can companies do to support women in these roles?
🚀Valentina Marino, Senior Account Manager: “In the last decades, there have been many improvements in our society, and we often see women in leadership positions. For instance, in many EU countries, women are Prime Ministers, or we can see that many big companies have many women in leadership positions. At the same time, there are still some challenges that women face in leadership today:
- The first one is gender bias and stereotyping
There’s the stereotype that women are usually more emotional and less rational than men but there’s no scientific evidence which can prove this argument. Women and men are simply humans and each of them have different personality traits, based on the environment where they grew up, their life experiences, their personal stories. None of their personality traits should be reconnected to the gender. However, this is often used as an excuse to avoid assigning a leadership role to women because “they might be too irrational/emotional.“
- Second point is the gender pay gap.
“According to EUROSTAT, in 2021, women’s gross hourly earnings were on average 12.7 % below those of men in the EU. In countries like Slovakia, where I live, according to EUROSTAT, the gender pay gap can reach up to 18% between men and women. This means that a woman, with the same qualifications and skills as a man, doing the same job, gets paid 18% less than a man. In my opinion, companies should consider reviewing their salary policies and make sure that men and women covering the same position are equally paid.”
Q: How do you stay motivated and inspired in your work, particularly during challenging times or when faced with obstacles?
🚀Miroslava Kollarova, Search Account Manager: “I believe it is really important who you surround yourself with, what content and goals you follow and what you want to learn. I am always trying to surround myself with talented and inspiring people who love to challenge themselves, and I am lucky I found many of them in Amerge. I value the teamwork and cooperation we have as a team, where you feel supported and help each other in any challenging situation. During difficult times I like to look at challenges and obstacles from different perspectives of how this can help me grow and learn something new, and how I can help others as well.”
Q: What do you think are some of the most important skills or qualities for success in a customer-facing role, and how do you develop and maintain those skills?
🚀Barbara Nioi, Search Account Manager: “There are several essential skills and qualities than can help succeed in a customer-facing role, however I think these are the top three:
- Communication skills: being able to communicate in clear and concise way;
- Product knowledge: having a high level of product knowledge will make customers put trust in you;
- Patience: working with customers requires a lot of patience, you will have to listen to customers’ requests and try to accommodate those as best as you can.
To develop and maintain these skills I always seek help from mentors or people with more experience on the field. Getting feedback is also another great way to improve, you can ask feedback directly from customers or colleagues to try to develop your skills.”
In the end, let us express gratitude to all the amazing Amerge women!
Your wisdom, and successes are a source of inspiration for us all. Do you want to join our experienced team? Check out our current job openings.