Marta joined PwC in 2010 and is a Director in our Digital Audit team. She shares what makes her proud to work in Digital Audit, why collaboration is so important in tech and how she manages her work/life balance. Here’s her story…
Tell us about your journey so far in tech?
My passion for technology started young and aged 11, I told my mum I was going to become an Electrical Engineer. I’m not sure I even knew at that stage what that would actually entail, but I went on to complete an Engineering degree and then a Masters in the US. Testament to just how vast the opportunities in tech are, my career since then has taken many forms, including working in software development, Quality Assurance (QA) and moving to Digital Audit. In 2010, I moved to the UK and started my journey at PwC in the Digital Audit team in London. The team focuses on auditing the different technologies supporting our audit of our client’s financial systems (auditing digital) and transforming our audits by replacing the more traditional methods of manual audit sampling with technology, automation and intelligent innovation (digital auditing).
Technology plays a fundamental role in driving the quality agenda and defining the future of our audit - it’s really exciting to be integral to this. There’s so much change happening with the audit agenda and the industry is going through significant reform. Whilst cliche, because of this, there’s really no such thing as a typical working day. That’s the fantastic thing about working at PwC - there’s so much variety and I’m always challenging myself. I’m passionate about technological transformation and love making this a reality for my clients - I’m currently working with one of the world’s largest banks leveraging the use of technology to change our audit current operating model and increase the quality, efficiency and insights we deliver.
For managing my busy role, I like to be organised and break down my areas of focus for the day or week. I find this to be more productive than attempting to tackle 100 tasks at once. I’m a big supporter of flexible working and spending time with my family is a priority for me. I always say that my 2 little ones have been the most important projects of my life. The introduction of The Deal and the empowered flexibility this brings allows me to spend quality time with my family and do other things that are important to me such as making time for exercise. It’s important for me to carve out time for this to recover from a working day so I can start the next day fresh.
What makes you proud to work in tech?
Working with an amazing group of talented individuals makes me proud everyday. It’s a fantastic and collaborative team to work in and I learn so much from everyone of all levels - from Associates through to Partners. I’d describe the team culture as inclusive - we want people to feel they’re at home in Digital Audit. I’m the Inclusion & Diversity leader in Digital Audit and I’m proud of what my team and I have achieved. I’ve learnt a lot personally through doing this role since 2020 and it’s allowed me the opportunity to broaden my perspective and demonstrate openness and vulnerability to my team by sharing my own story. The role has allowed me to express my leadership and my genuine care, so all the days that I’ve inspired someone or been a role model is a true highlight.
I’m passionate about supporting female talent - both encouraging more females into a career in technology and developing them once they’re here. My family was very supportive of my ambitions to work in technology, but I was often told throughout my education that I was pursuing a complex career. I often reflect on the inference in that statement and whilst it didn’t have an impact on me pursuing tech as a career, there were only 7% of women in my promotion year. It’s proven that diverse thinking leads to the best solutions and technologists at heart are problem solvers. Together, we’ll drive the technology of the future.
What advice would you give to anyone building a career in technology?
Be curious, keep learning and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Some of the most rewarding moments in my career have been things that scared me in the beginning.
Never be afraid to ask for help and ask as many questions as you can. In tech you’ll never be successful if you work alone as you’ll never have all of the answers. The beauty in tech is that it’s always evolving. Be collaborative, share ideas and there’s no such thing as a stupid question.
Keep an open mind and a growth mindset. View things that need a solution as an opportunity, not a challenge. There’s lots of uncertainty around technology, but this isn’t a negative thing, rather it’s really exciting!
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