Let's go starting. So first of all, thank you everyone for attending this talk. This topic, this could be quick, but it's amazing to be here.And thanks to Women Tech Network for inviting me to this global event. I'm always been on the other side as you, guys, but, at this moment, I'm I'm speaking here, and it's a pleasure for me. So I hope that you like it, you enjoy it, this topic, and the rest of them that could be, like, pretty amazing. So let me present myself. My name is Ariana Treba. I am quality technical director at Parcel Company. I have more than fifteen years of experience in QA, support testing, data governance, and now in AI, side.

And I have been working in global environments, led diverse teams, helped organizations building scalable and quality driven technology, solutions. But, beyond the titles and and all of the years of experience, I'm someone who enter the tech industry with curiosity and grit, and often being one of the few or the only woman in the room. And to start breaking the ice, I'd like to share with you a couple of moments during my career that shaped my path. So the first one happened twenty years ago. And I was I was still studying at university, and I was on the I I I was an IT engineer, so I was on on the hardware on setting up servers, you know, this kind of IT stuff. I really love that. So I applied for a job for a huge company, and there were, two other people that applied for that too. Men. Myself, woman. Okay?

Let's say, let's say that. Okay. So we just had to, from some challenges during two or three days. Okay? And every challenge had the scoring. So when we finalized all the challenges and we just met on the waiting room waiting for the resolution who was going to get the job and so on, so the other colleagues and and and myself were just talking and discussing, hey. How did you approach this challenge? Which scoring did you get? You know, this kind of of conversation. And I just realized that I got the highest score. And I was thinking, I'm going to, I'm going to get the job. This was what? It would be amazing. Well, surprisingly, we enter into the meeting room with the heads off of the company, and they say to me, I'm sorry, but you're not going to get the job. And I was a bit shocked because just a few minutes ago, I just realized that I've got the highest scoring, you know, from all the challenges.

And I say, but why? Why? Because I know that I've got the highest scoring. Why I'm not being selected from the raw position? They were just looking each other. It was just looking to the other two guys, and they're just saying, like, well, we don't think that you are, like, the best fit, for this position because there is a department full of men. You know? So now it's not the right place for you. So, wow, that was, like, amazing. And this was the first time of my life that my head just got, like, a click, and I thought, no. This this cannot happen. I I need to change something. I don't know what because I was, like, 20 years old. I mean, but I knew that I had to do something. So I left the IT world. So I started with the quality side because, let's be honest, I was really good finding bugs.

And I didn't see any kind of, opportunity at that moment, in the IT world. So I I kept working on the quality side from that moment on. And the second moment, that came into my head that also, like, got, like, this click is when when I was working as a senior experienced QA already, and it happened, like, eight years ago, more or less, leading also the compliance documentation for regulatory approval. And a QAEP position was open internally, so I applied for the role. I was super keen on I know. I know. I can do it. I mean, I just got a long path under the QA side, documentation, regulatory, so I know that I now can lead teams. So I applied for the role. And in the first meeting, they told me, you have experience leading men, so this should be a men's role. So, again, after that conversation, I knew that that high I had to go farther. So becoming somebody else looking for more challenges.

So I applied to a QA lead position in another company, pushing through my own boundaries, believing that I wanted to be more, and I wanted to avoid other people feeling the same way I did, being pushed back, stopped. You know? So I got the job, and I less than in in less than one month, I left the company that after four years didn't believe in me. And for the first time, I wasn't just a QA. I was a strategic voice at the table, and I kept raising my hand and my voice as a QA lead in any table. And that experience, that me pushing myself, told me how powerful it is when women lead with both technical skill and vision. And these moments that I have shared are not just memories, So they've prepared me for the wave of change that we see in the tech industry today.

And as roles evolve and innovation accelerates, I see clearly how crucial it is for women like us to be present, visible, and ready to lead. So my personal journey mirrors the broader transformation happening around us. And this is our moment not to just adapt to change, but to shape it. And, you know, the tech world today is evolving fast. AI, automation, cloud technologies, DevOps, data, everything is reshaping. So from how we build the systems, how we define the success. So for example, with AI and and machine learning becoming the central to product development or DevOps breaking down the walls between development and operations, the way we build and deliver software is changing fundamentally. And AI, for example, is no longer a futuristic concept.

It's here, and it's it's an automating way that it's automating everything from test generation to data insights, and it's shifting our focus from manual execution to an strategic oversight. So they are not just technical tools. So they raise also deep ethical questions. So who designs the algorithm? Who ensures fairness? You know? And this is why diverse teams and especially women are crucial here because our perspectives help make tech more inclusive and human focused. And in my area, under the QA and testing side, the shift to agile and AI driven testing is pushing us to rethink speed and quality, and I see this as an opportunity. Women in QA, for example, can step up as strategic leaders, guiding product quality, driving collaboration, and influencing decisions early in the process. Or DevOps, for example, the other hand, is forcing us to rethink silos, So continuous integration, delivery, and deployment demand collaboration across roles and disciplines, and it's no longer enough to be good at your part.

We need to understand the full system and how quality, speed, and reliability intersect. And these innovations create new challenges. But they also create space for new leadership. And today, leadership is not about authority. It's about adaptability, empathy, ambition. And women are unitedly positioned to lead in this environment. So not because we are better, but because we bring different strengths that are increasingly necessary, like collaboration, resilience, and user first mindset. And each new wave of innovation opens the door for redefining roles. And in that case, with AI and automation and machine learning changing how work is done, there's a need for new approaches to ethics and governance. And women's voices bring crucial perspective to decision about fairness, accessibility, and bias in technology.

So whether it's designing ethical AI system or advocating for transparent more transparent testing practices, women can lead initiatives that ensure innovation serves that serves everyone and not just a few. And, you know, what's most what's most exciting is that and also challenging is that these trends are reshaping our roles, as I said. So we are being asked to step up, to lead, to adapt, and to learn continuously. And it's not just because, about knowing the latest stack, but it's about understanding how to use it with responsibility, collaboration, and with a long term vision. But you could ask, like, how we navigate the new trends in tech and leadership as women. Right? Well, we navigate new trends by staying informed, embracing change, and showing up with confidence As AI, machine learning, DevOps, or automation reshape the industry, we bring essential perspectives grounded in collaboration, ethics, and user impact.

And we lead by learning continuously, challenging norms, and building inclusive spaces where innovation can drive. And we don't just adapt to change, we help shaping it. Our voices, our leadership, and our presence are key to creating a future that reflects to everyone. And, again, you could ask, but how we can empower women to let to lead in a changing tech world. Right? Well, as technology continues to evolve, it's also creating space for a new kind of leadership. Again, this is our moment. So women are not just contributors. We are innovators, decision makers, change drivers. We bring that skills. We bring vision, empathy, and the courage to challenge what doesn't serve everyone. So to every woman in tech, your voice matters. Your ideas belong in this room. Don't wait for permission. Take the lead. Mentor others.

Create the future you want to see. Because when women lead, the whole industry moves forward with more integrity, inclusion, and impact. And if I could really speak directly to every woman in tech today, I would say something like, again, you don't need permission to lead. You already bring the value. You already bring bring the voice, the skills, your insights. Your insights matter. We often wait. What happens most of the time is that we often wait to feel ready, right, to have the title, the experience, the full confidence. But leadership doesn't start with a role. It starts with action. Leading a project, mentoring someone, questioning a decision, improving a process, those are acts or of leadership. So the market will keep changing. Roles will evolve, will change. Titles will change. Technologies will come and go.

But what really stays is the impact that we make when we show up. So speaking up and bringing others along with us, it's the most important thing. So let's lift each other. So let's share our journeys. Let's create spaces where the next generation of women in tech feels seen, heard, empowered, and I would like you to feel that way. I would like you to feel empowered. Believe in yourself. Believe in your capabilities, in your skills, that you could do it. Don't wait until the best opportunity, the good opportunity. Maybe it it will don't it will come up. It will be you that will generate, that will create this space and this opportunity. So, again, we are not just navigating trends. So we are creating the future.

And I hope that this quick talk will help you to bring more about you to get farther and think about yourself, think about your skills, think about that you can do it, and I encourage you to do it because you can do it. And thank you again, everyone, to attending this quick talk. You have my name, my surname, so you can connect with me through LinkedIn. You can also, have some conversation through the chat. You can ask me any question that you would like. I will be so happy to answer you to, get you some support, provide you support, I'm mentoring you, whatever you need. So please feel free to contact me through here in the chat, through LinkedIn, whatever. Doesn't matter. I'm here to embrace you, empower you, and help you and support you. Thank you, everyone. Believe in yourself. So let's go starting. So first of all, thank you.