May we introduce you to Emma, who is in her #dreamjob as a Principal Enterprise Architect at Salesforce!
“My journey started in Romania where I was born and raised during the Cold War years, to the USA to continue my studies to obtain a PhD in history. I wanted to be a women’s historian. Then, one summer, I got an internship where one of my job duties was to create a Microsoft Access contact database. It’s funny how seemingly small things can have a huge impact on one’s life. This internship changed the course of my professional life. It became so clear that I wanted to pursue a career in software development! My professional life changed again in 2012 when I discovered Salesforce CRM. I fell in love with the breadth and depth of Salesforce technology instantly. I knew I wanted to take my career to the next level as a Salesforce architect and, one day, work at Salesforce. As a solution architect, I assisted in various Salesforce implementation projects for 5 years before my dream of working at Salesforce became reality.
“I love working for Salesforce. Women like myself who chose a technical career are supported and encouraged to pursue excellence in their career and also balance their work commitments with those in their personal life. In my case, I am able to be a full-time caregiver for my mom who bravely moved here from Romania at the beautiful age of 80. Although my job involves travel, I am able to arrange my trips in a way that won’t interfere with my caregiver role.
“I live in Roseville, California, the ‘city of roses’ and the best location in between the majestic Sierras and the wild Pacific beaches. One of my favourite books is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz because it helped reinforce the importance of being true to yourself and keeping your promises. My favourite movie is ‘Now, Voyager’ because of Betty Davis’s portrayal of the transformational journey from an ugly duckling to a woman coming into her own. My hobbies are movies, cooking and volunteering.”
Tell us how you heard about Ladies Be Architects?
“I found the Ladies Be Architects group while searching the Internet for ‘birds of a feather’ groups for Salesforce women architects and administrators.”
What feelings did Ladies Be Architects inspire within you?
I feel pride, inspiration and deep kinship while reading the stories of other women and allies who, like myself, have found their passion and purpose through Salesforce. When I attended the Ladies Be Architects event at the 2018 Dreamforce, I was both humbled and inspired by the sisterhood and drive of all the women I met there. There is a need for diversity and inclusion in our profession. Ladies Be Architects may be, after all, the ultimate trailblazers!
Tell us why the architect journey is important to you...
“I’ve learned that being an ‘architect’ can take many forms. I’ve been an IT Enterprise Architect and a Salesforce Solution Architect and now I am a Pre-Sales Enterprise Architect. Regardless of the qualifier in front of the word ‘architect’, what matters most for me are dedication and passion for my customers, the pursuit of excellence for my profession and being an advocate for more women in the Architect role and in tech, in general.”
What’s the next step for you on your Journey to CTA?
“My CTA journey started with my Salesforce Administrator certification and it is in progressive journey. Next step is to start the path to Certified Application Architect. I love the enablement and support coming from all the AMAZING ladies of this group. They make me feel empowered and emboldened to re-start my architect certification learnings soon!”