Written by: Mika Go Tiong Interview by: Audrey Pe
Following the rise in popularity of strong-willed females who succeed in their chosen fields, the term ‘girlboss’ has become a buzzword in today’s society. While we often encounter women dominating the realms of fashion and creative entrepreneurship, it is no doubt that we, at WiTech, have a soft spot for the girl bosses in tech. Having evolved from a curious computer enthusiast to one of tech’s most inspiring leaders, Ambe Tierro shares with us some key milestones in her journey.
At a young age of 13 years old, the thought of running codes and making images appear on a screen gave Ambe a thrill like no other. After her first program ran, she knew she had found her niche. Ambe found her strengths shining through the nature of the work technology envelops her in, especially with her keenness for detail and making things work.
Being a woman in this industry has been a great challenge for Ambe, but it only pushed her to work extra hard. Beyond insecurities, Ambe remains positive, comparing herself only to ‘the man in the mirror,’ as she puts it. This mindset fueled her to become one of Accenture’s fast-trackers, bouncing up from the technical staff to the top of the ladder as the first senior managing director from the Philippines. Throughout her journey, Ambe has committed herself to cultivating a learning environment that empowers her entire team. From her mentors, she has learned to believe in others and give constructive feedback that would encourage improvement.
“Being diverse and inclusive makes the team better because you challenge each other. As a leader, you have to recognize and be conscious that you aren’t building a team of just consensus-makers. A measure of a leader is the number of leaders you develop.”
Leading a team of innovators in this day and age is extremely exciting. When asked about what Ambe looks forward to in the tech industry, she shares her vision for technology to address society’s pressing problems, particularly in the field of medicine. “A lot of what we thought of as science-fiction is becoming reality.” There are so many doors tech opens us to, and Ambe encourages the youth, particularly young girls, to look past stereotypical notions of STEM being for nerds, and to give careers in engineering a chance. She shared some opportunities Accenture offers such as the “Program the Future” contest that help Filipino students build an AI solution that brings about societal impact. Encounters such as these have truly elevated the potential of the youth today to become bright leaders. Ambe shares that contestants drew ideas from personal experiences, and this led to the realization that there are so many inspiring things technology can bring forth.
With the excitement and potential waiting to be unfolded in this day and age, Ambe’s urges today’s curious youth to start building their knowledge. A lot of information may be readily accessed with just a few computer clicks, but Ambe encourages a more immersive experience by joining communities, taking internships and talking to people in the industry to know what kind of life awaits. Her advice for the young women today is to be true to themselves. “Role models are there, but you have your own strengths. I’m a sum total of my mentors; I get the best of them, then I become my authentic self.”
______________
Mika Go Tiong is a junior at the Ateneo de Manila University taking up Management Engineering. A self-proclaimed (and multi-quiz-sorted) Slytherclaw, she matches ambition with wit and curiosity as she dabbles with interests in entrepreneurship, sustainable development, youth empowerment, musical theater, and writing. Guided by this myriad of influences, Mika envisions a holistic society where advocacies thrive with the support of research, logical frameworks, and technology.
WiTech 