Yasmin Sidat | Senior Product Lead & Ethnicity Network Lead | Auto Trader UK

 

I love building tech products & spaces that make our lives better and it all began with my love for designing websites in my spare time as a teen. I studied BA Marketing Management and followed a career in Digital Marketing for digital agencies in Manchester, working on SEO/PPC projects. I also completed a Computing MSc, which helped me become more rounded in my tech skills and it contributed in my path to Product Management, which I thoroughly enjoy and it allows me to exercise a variety of different skills to help build great products.

While working in Marketing for Hempel.com based in Copenhagen in a hybrid role I completed certifications with Scrum Alliance and worked on an array of products including, a Site core platform across multiple regions, domain management platforms, data systems and building a global community knowledge hub. I then took a role in Dubai as an agency Strategist & worked for a Fintech Start-up as a Product Manager in Manchester working across financial services & payments. I have also been in and out of doing consultancy work for local businesses and this has always helped me to exercise skills I can’t necessarily do in my day job but it made more entrepreneurial over time.

I am now a Senior Product Lead at Auto Trader UK, working on products to drive omni-channel retailing, product inclusion & building a trusted marketplace. My rounded experience in Marketing & Software development has really shaped my 360 thinking and intuition as a product person and my background has always brought a diverse perspective that has helped shaped all work I am a part of.

I also co-lead the Auto Trader Ethnicity Network, which we run multiple initiatives to drive education, community & elevate our ethnically diverse colleagues in the company as well as working with external organisations such as Black Inclusion Week and change the Race Ratio. I am a strong advocate for supporting underrepresented talent as I also build events & champion tech communities such as muslamicmakers.com, a community of 7000 as well as champion other great communities and deliver product sessions. I have also mentored with EY foundation for young women in care looking to get into tech careers.

I have faced multiple barriers in my career from ethnicity, gender, location and accent bias. Tech communities have shaped who I am today giving me the drive to ensure I can inspire many more women from underrepresented backgrounds into great tech jobs.