Why Lowe’s Sumathi Bhaskaran believes in creating ecosystems for women to thrive in organisations
Our Woman in Tech this week is Sumathi Bhaskaran, Senior Director-Software Engineering at Lowe’s India. In a conversation with HerStory, she traces her journey, speaks about sustaining women in the field, and her biggest successes and challenges.
Sumathi Bhaskaran has added many feathers to her hat over 25 years in the technology sector. She started as a software developer, helping transform retail and travel/hospitality organisations with stints at Tesco and SapientNitro.
Now, as the Senior Director-Software Engineering at , Sumathi is responsible for the transformation of systems, services, and applications used by thousands of customer service associates at Lowe’s physical contact centres and those working from home.
“As a child, the first thing I drew was a square-headed figure, which my parents told me was a robot. I was fascinated with science and technology while I was growing up. Also, animated movies were a big thing with Jurassic Park and Terminator,” she says.
Speaking of her father’s role in instilling her interest in the subject, Sumathi recalls a summer holiday when he insisted she joined a short BASIC course to tinker around.
“The teacher happened to be a computer whiz. She encouraged me to try out different ways to solve the same problem, and this left me greatly interested in the field. A few years down the line, when it was time for college, I would invariably pick computer science as my major. I loved problem-solving and logical thinking, so computer science was a great choice,” she adds.
Following her master’s in computer science, she started her career in Singapore as a developer.
In a conversation with HerStory, Sumathi traces her journey as a woman in tech, sustaining women in the field, and her biggest successes and challenges.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
HerStory (HS): Take us through the highlights of your career.
Sumathi Bhaskaran (SB): When I started as a developer, I was coding in PERL and shell scripts. Java was pretty new those days, and I picked it up in the early versions. It was one of the most rewarding learning periods for me. I feel the first decade of one’s career steers the compass in the misty sea of choices. The key: observing and learning.
As my career progressed, I was one of the youngest members of the e-learning team/faculty at the Institute of Systems Science, Singapore, building its in-house e-learning platform.
I took the opportunity of leading the web services consulting group, and my team ended up in the top spot in terms of revenue generated that year. This experience left an indelible impact on me. It taught me the importance of seizing the moment. I also did a long stint with a consulting firm and a large UK-based retailer, where I worked with some of the best-in-breed technology and people.
HS: Tell us about your roles and responsibilities at present.
SB: I lead the technology and transformation of contact centre systems, services, and applications used at Lowe’s physical contact centres and those working from home. My responsibilities include transforming legacy systems with new systems, CRM, conversational AI with NLU (natural language understanding), and workforce management, among others, helping personalise Lowe’s customer service and sales experience.
I lead a team of over 120 people and love the interesting business problems we solve. This area is diverse and has its nuances. One day I am in a design review discussing the next big thing to transform the contact centre, and the next moment, I’m talking to my graduate engineers about what they are doing over the weekend.
I enjoy the multi-faceted responsibilities this role brings me. I’m also actively involved with mentoring women in tech and play an instrumental role in the Women Empowered Business Resource Group (WE BRG).
HS: While several women are entering tech, what more can be done to retain them in the workforce?
SB: A lot of the onus remains with organisations to ensure women in tech are trained adequately and supported at every step on their path to growth and success. It is essential to create ecosystems for women to thrive in organisations.
Lowe’s WE BRG aims to empower women to achieve their full potential inside and outside of Lowe’s by creating a culture that attracts, develops, and retains the best women’s talent at all levels.
We have also curated programmes, including Bring-Her-Back, aimed to elevate the experiences of returning mothers. We also have Do-It-Herself—a returnship programme that offers learning and internship opportunities to women techies who took a career break for personal reasons to hone their technical skills and be skills-ready.
HS: What are your biggest successes and challenges?
SB: At work, it has been transforming the contact centre systems, making sure customers and agents have personalised customer service and sales experience.
I treat fitness quite seriously, and hence, do not miss out on my 10K steps. I also strive to travel as much as possible and take on new experiences as I feel travelling opens one’s mind and soul. I am still trying to juggle all this with my job and family commitments like everyone else.
HS: Why do you think there are few women in leadership positions in tech?
SB: Several reasons account for fewer women reaching leadership positions in tech, primary among them is the lack/barriers to equal access to opportunities in tech roles due to pre-existing bias.
Gender bias, sensitivity training, and creating more women role models could help bridge the gender gap and pave the way for more women leaders.
There are high expectations of women to do it all — as a caregiver and as a professional. They are overwhelmed with professional and personal work, thereby finding it difficult to pursue leadership positions. A lack of support is a major factor in fewer women in leadership roles.
Also, a lack of tailored training programmes for women techies eager to learn and grow in their careers lacks. Organisations need to develop and create more training opportunities for women who want to advance in their careers.
Finally, women themselves have to feel confident and be more open to taking opportunities and risks.
HS: Why should every organisation have an equal opportunity mindset?
SB: It encourages respect between employers and employees, frequently leading to higher loyalty, engagement, and productivity. People can surprise you in the right circumstances with the correct opportunities. Promoting an equal opportunity policy in the workplace would foster a culture of support and drive innovative, fresh perspectives in every function.
HS: Who are your biggest inspirations?
SB: I have always admired the endurance of my mother, a homemaker, who managed multiple roles at home. My friends, a strong bunch of women, for their resilience against all odds.
Likewise, I respect the grit of women leaders in the tech industry (Seemantini Godbole, CIO and EVP at Lowe’s, is a great example), who have managed to carve a career without losing their authenticity, despite numerous changes and challenges in the tech field.
HS: What do you like to do in your spare time?
SB: I used to be a perfectionist, but with age and wisdom, it has dawned upon me that I’d rather spend time with family, exercise, or listen to music after a hectic week, than worry about a messy cupboard.
I prioritise my backlog daily and do not spend time becoming perfect. I’ve also realised that giving away some tasks that don’t matter to me in the long run and asking for help (it’s perfectly okay) helps.
I enjoy the movement in travel, but I also enjoy the stillness on a beach at sunset. Nature keeps me grounded and music keeps me sane, especially when the traffic and construction work near Manyata Tech Park never ends!
(The story has been updated to change the image caption)
Edited by Suman Singh