TechWomen100: What happened next for Sara Hidayatullah

Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Sara Hidayatullah studied economics at the University of California, Berkeley, before taking a job with Applied Predictive Technologies (now owned by Mastercard) that brought her to London.

Within Mastercard, Sara is an expert at optimising business innovation and experimentation for customers using the Test & Learn software. Sara leads teams of analytics consultants and data engineers to deliver short-term analytics projects and long-term software-as-a-service engagements to 20+ clients across multiple industries throughout Europe.

In her spare time, Sara partnered with Mastercard’s philanthropic hub, the Center for Inclusive Growth, to think about how the Center can use Mastercard’s assets to drive social impact. Through this partnership, Sara has led multiple pro bono projects with charities and developed tools for public sector decision making, like the Inclusive Growth Score, a measurement for objectively assessing communities and their needs, a particularly prescient tool as the UK implements their Levelling Up agenda to prioritise neighbourhoods in need of investment.

Starting this fall, Sara will be pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy at Georgetown University (in Washington, DC) where she has been chosen as a McCourt Scholar, and will receive a full merit scholarship based on her leadership potential and background in social impact.

How did you feel when it was announced that you’d won a TechWomen100 award?

I was elated! I felt very proud of myself and grateful to my wonderful manager who nominated me and encouraged me to apply. I felt especially proud to be nominated amongst such amazing and inspiring women in technology from all different backgrounds!

Please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the TechWomen100 award?

Winning the award inspired me to formally pursue my passion for social impact and apply for a Masters in Public Policy. I am excited to share that I will be starting a two-year MPP program at Georgetown University (in Washington, DC) this fall as a McCourt Scholar with a full merit scholarship.

The award encouraged me to apply for the scholarship and was called out as a big plus on my application!

What advice would you give to someone else going through the award’s process?

My advice would be to create a cohesive story and stick to it. As ambitious women, most of us are juggling many different activities (e.g. volunteering, leading organisations, blogging, courses) in addition to our day job that may not always have a common theme. Find the common thread and stitch together your experiences to create a strong personal story that effectively shows who you are to the judges!

What tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers? 

My advice would be to figure out how you can use your skills/expertise outside of your day job. For e.g. if you’re a consultant, can you work on projects outside of your team to get more exposure to the company? Can you use the same skills to help charities further their mission? This will enhance your network and increase your exposure to new opportunities. Oftentimes we stay on the same career path because we haven’t tried anything different – this is your chance to do that in the safest way possible!

My other advice is to just go for it (easier said than done!). I hear so many women including myself saying no to exciting, new opportunities because they are outside of our comfort zone or aren’t “safe”. Over the years, I have found that the most fulfilling opportunities were the ones that seemed scariest.

Always repeat to yourself: someone’s going to do it, why shouldn’t it be you?