ThinkBusiness sat down to talk with Lynda O’Leary, one of Galway’s leading women in the IT sector who was also shortlisted for the Women in Technology ITAG Award.
What’s your role?
I am a system engineer with experience as a technical writer and scrum master at HPE Galway. In addition to my role, I am the chairperson of HPE Galway – Ireland Women’s Network and help drive the mission of attracting, retaining, and promoting women in technology. Outside of my daily role, I am the organiser of the ‘Women in Technology Galway’ meetup and the ‘Write the Docs Ireland’ meetup.
What would be a typical day in your life?
My working day starts at 8 am. If I have late meetings with my US colleagues, I tend to work from home. I check my emails and then review my user stories assigned to me in JIRA. JIRA is a collaborative reporting tool used to plan, track, and prioritise the team’s work. User stories can range from troubleshooting to development tasks. In the afternoon, I attend the scrum call where the team meets and shares updates. A scrum call is 15 minutes long and is scheduled at the same time every day. During the scrum call, I provide an update on what I did yesterday, what I will do today, and if I have any blockers. After the scrum call, I discuss any open items with my colleagues. Before my day ends, I commit my changes and update the progress of my user stories in JIRA.
“I would like to see fewer people underestimating themselves.”
What are you most interested in?
I am interested in tech communication, DevOps, Women in Tech initiatives, and contributing to open source projects. I enjoy speaking at events and promoting the development of female talent in technology.
What are your ambitions?
I would like to grow my career to leadership level and I also want to encourage more young women to pursue a career in IT.
What trends do you see emerging?
Server-less architecture.
What would you like to see more or less of?
I would like to see more female role models for second and third level students. I would like to see fewer people underestimating themselves.
What drives you?
I am fortunate to have family and friends around me that support and motivate me. I enjoy meeting people at conferences and events and sharing ideas.
Who do you admire in business?
I am inspired by a lot of people and it is difficult to name one or two people. My mother encouraged me to pursue a career in IT. More recently, Nithyan Ruff, Sandisk and Angie Maguire, Container Camp inspired me to set up the ‘Women in Technology Galway’ meetup group, which aims to build a strong innovative community lead by women in Galway.
