In this ongoing series, we speak to our winners about life after winning a TechWomen100 Award.
Now in their fourth year, the TechWomen100 Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of women in tech – the emerging tech talent and role models for the future.
We spoke with Nina Ma, who won a TechWomen100 Award in 2019.
Nina is a Technology, Data & Analytics (TDA) Senior Associate at PwC based in Birmingham. She specialises in PMO for digital transformation programmes and is trained in advanced analytics. She is very active in the space of Diversity & Inclusion and is a Midlands’ People Network Coordinator. She is passionate about gender equality in the workplace, especially in the technology sector. She sits on the committee of the Gender Balance Network (GBN) and is a core member of Women in TDA.
How did you feel when it was announced that you’d won a TechWomen100 award?
I submitted my self-nomination without much expectation as I thought I would be too junior and inexperienced for the award so I was shocked when I found out I was shortlisted as the 10 other amazing finalists from PwC were all much more senior than me. Winning the award was an absolute honour. I was over the moon as I did not expect to get that far, and it really encouraged me to trust in my capability and empowered me to make more contributions to the Women in Tech community.
Please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the TechWomen100 award?
I shared my winning in our internal Currents communities as well as external social media platforms such as LinkedIn where I received overwhelming praises from colleagues and became somewhat well-known in my business unit because of this. Everyone was congratulating me on my achievement which has given me a lot of motivation and confidence. I had the chance to share my experience at the PwC National Tech Risk (now Technology, Data & Analytics) meeting last year in front of more than 500 staff and partners. I was featured on the monthly GBN newsletter to share my journey of winning the award. I was promoted from Associate to Senior Associate in July this year and since then I’ve been shortlisted for Digital Technology Leader Awards as Digital Hero of the Year which the winner will be announced next month. I’m also featured on HERoes Women Future Leaders Role Model List 2020. I have shared my career journey at several conferences including Generation Success City Careers Week as part of the Technology panel and Diverse Technology LIVE to speak about working as a woman in tech as well as social mobility events such as Aspire, Sutton Trust Hearing Experience and Insight Virtual Session, and Females of the Future, etc. I am also featured as part of the Work It campaign by the Careers & Enterprise Company to have career conversations with young people.
What advice would you give to someone else going through the award’s process?
My biggest advice would be to never be afraid to put yourself forward. To be honest, I was hesitant at first to self-nominate because part of me felt like it would be immodest or overbearing to do so but then I recalled what I learned from the #IAmRemarkable workshop by Google – there is nothing wrong with self-promotion. If anything, women and other disadvantaged groups should do it more so that our voices are heard, and our achievements are celebrated. Nobody knows all the work you’ve done better than you do so definitely get yourself recognised!
What tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
My biggest tip would be to go for opportunities even if you don’t necessarily think you are qualified enough because if you don’t ask, you don’t get. I would also encourage everyone to get involved in “extracurricular activities” outside your day-to-day job to support those around you and pave ways for the next generation. Whether it’s employee resource groups at work or community groups outside of work, I believe it is so important to give back and pay it forward using these platforms.
