Where Women Work meets the Global Co-Chairs of F5's Women’s Employee Inclusion Group (WEIG): Moran Frieder based in Tel Aviv (pictured above, left) and Paddy Singh based in Seattle (pictured above, right).
Moran and Paddy have been appointed as the group's co-chairs and have formerly been very active members of the group and they're fluent on the issues women in technology are facing. Here's what they have to say about their day-to-day work, diversity and inclusion and the EIG's key goals.
What are the key responsibilities of your jobs at F5?
Paddy: I am a Global Operations Program Manager in our Sales Engineering Team. I work with the Global Solution Architects to build and run programs that impact our World Wide Sales organization. These range from identifying our current capabilities, to building programs and initiatives to facilitate better recruiting, learning, development and retention of Solution Engineers and Architects.
Moran: I am a Senior Technical Trainer in the Global Services Organization. Together with my team members I develop training materials and deliver them to the customer support and consultants in the organization. We make sure they have all the knowledge needed to maintain their outstanding customer service satisfaction numbers.
Image: F5's Moran Frieder.
What's your vision for the Women Employee Inclusion Group?
Moran: Our Employee Inclusion Group is about strength, motivation, opportunities and community. It is a group of people who want to support and reach gender equality overcoming the effects of unconscious bias. It’s an avenue for networking, building relationships and creating developmental opportunities for people to build on their passions and grow.
Paddy: The current situation calls for us being there for each other – being empathetic and understanding of our different life situations. This is an unprecedented event that will extend for some period of time, and we want to build a community to share best practices, exchange stories, offer opportunities of support when we need help in a pinch, fill in for each other. F5ers know we have each other’s back, and we want to build on that culture and enable our expanded teams to know that it is ok to be a parent first, a spouse first, a friend first. We’re unapologetically Human First.
Image: F5's Paddy Singh.
What's F5 doing well when it comes to building an inclusive culture?
Paddy: The biggest driver for us is that there is complete commitment from leadership level in the cause. This starts from our CEO François Locoh-Donou – who leads by example. Diversity, equity and inclusion are very strong components of his leadership principles and have been embedded in our 'BeF5' culture. We are consciously seeking out candidates who represent the communities we operate in, and the businesses we support. We have multiple employee inclusion groups embracing our differences in culture, identity, and abilities to name a few.
Moran: In all of F5, world-wide we have an ‘open door’ approach across levels and business units. Our company culture allows openness and we are very approachable to our employees and customers. If there is an open door, everyone feels they are welcome. This is the essence of inclusion, welcoming everyone. If you walk in our corridors you will see a diverse pool of people ready to help each other thrive.
How does F5 support women to advance their careers?
Moran: I am proud to work for a company that has talented women in key positions all over the world. Their talent and professionalism serves the purpose and message of equality. Our Global Employee Inclusion group is focused on providing support and a brave space for women and allies. The founders of our EIG built a strong community that gives us access to people and resources. I believe that individuals own their own career, but from an organization perspective, we encourage internal discussions and are here to support the journey.
Paddy: We have a focused mentoring program for women, and they have access to our very talented pool of mentors across experience levels. Only those truly invested in the purpose of the program sign up, so you can be assured that there is commitment to the development and growth of women in their careers. We also offer support in continued education, and remote/flexi working opportunities wherever feasible.
Finally, how do you describe yourselves professionally and personally?
Paddy: I love defining a structure even for the most ambiguous of scenarios, because, well that’s how things translate into my head and it helps me create a sense of order. I break the big picture into achievable chunks and plan my approach. I think I am at my best when I have head space to process my thoughts first, and then I derive immense value from meeting with the larger team to talk it through. I’ve made a career shift with my role in F5, moving from HR to the business, and am loving every bit of it. I believe that you can only grow, if you get out of your comfort zone, so I keep pushing myself in that direction.
Personally, I think I am a pretty good multi-tasker. I like to make the best use of time at home with my family, so I try to get as much done as quickly as possible, so I can then relax with games/movies with my husband and kids. I love writing, and am hoping to get back to it this year!
Moran: I am a lifelong learner. All my professional life the market changes dictate the need to learn new technology. In my personal life I learn and explore all the time. There is not one day that passes without a personal or professional growth.
I am also a people person - social interactions give me energy. That’s why I love to teach and be taught. I prefer to say ‘Yes’ to any request and then I challenge myself and make it happen. I am very process oriented, I strategize everything. Excel and power points have become my third arm and I use them a lot to arrange thoughts and communicate.
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F5 Networks' Women’s Employee Inclusion Group is one example of how F5 is an inclusive, supportive tech employer.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.