Katažina Head of LATAM Branch

#WomenInTelematics "Your mindset is the limit..."
Katažina joined the Ruptela family more than 7 years ago, and she is actual proof that dedication, clear goals, focus, the right mindset, and the strength to fight for your ideas can lead to success. Currently, she leads the LATAM branch of Ruptela’s company and inspires not only her team but the entire company with her everyday decisions.
Who could have imagined that this young woman, who once saw Ruptela’s logo on the roof and said that she would work here someday, would become an inseparable part of the company and demonstrate that women can be experts in telematics?

Tell us more about yourself and what led you to your current position. What three words would you use to describe your role? 

I’ve been always excited about the idea of developing the mindset of an entrepreneur. Any position that had the need of creativity was so inspiring to me, that after changing 4 of them in Ruptela I am proud to be responsible for the whole continent. The three words are: Lots of movement.

What made you pursue a career in tech? How did you become interested in telematics and join Ruptela? 

Actually I just saw Ruptela building and thought “one day I will work there” (I was very young) After two months I got an interview, I was lucky Ruptela was hiring! I also feel there’s something attractive and mysterious about a woman being “fluent” in tech.

How does your journey at Ruptela looks like?

It was fantastic: the great, the challenging. The fast growth and dynamics don’t allow us to relax. And that’s the most beautiful thing about this company, with the proper support of managers and colleagues mistakes turn into lessons, struggles – into new opportunities and that is all happening in quite a fast rhythm – amazing energy.

Katazina 2

How do you start your day? Please share any rituals or tips&tricks that help you stay productive all-day.

Wash my face, with really cold water. I also clean my monitor screen (I think it’s something psychological, but it works great for me) and jump into meetings right away (remotely). Early morning I’m at my highest productivity, so I’m multitasking quite often during the first 3-4 hours of work. I check e-mails while having 3 active spreadsheets open while making my agenda and listening to my colleagues in the meeting. Some might say it’s not productive, well, I can prove them wrong! It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished a lot during the day already, the rest of the things I leave after lunch. My nature is very success-oriented, I have to receive a dose of satisfaction with my result every day, so I found a perfect schedule to create it. This feeling of productivity in the mornings helps me keep my level of energy till late at night.

What motivates you to go to work every day?

I cannot imagine myself not working, like any human I have my ups and downs but work is like food or water for me.

What are your job’s most challenging and most cheering elements? What do you think is the most exciting part of being a woman in the tech industry? 

The most challenging is to affect the result by searching for short-term opportunities (for example 2 weeks, when naturally it needs months) and the most cheering is when the ideas work. As a manager I feel grateful for my team, the connection they show every day working with me, the trust in their career. I see them growing and those little retrospectives make me want to be more useful to them. I usually don’t support talks about gender when it comes to intellectual criteria, but when I was young I heard “these are men’s professions”, I am happy and proud to have found it’s not fully true, now I feel powerful enough to give other people the material to possibly open their mind and eliminate unnecessary limits. Balance is vital to success. Men’s and women’s brains complement each other and learn to challenge their way of mind. I don’t see how the tech industry (or any other on this planet) can be successful without this balance.

How do you balance work and life? 

It took me time, I learnt it’s actually a skill that one can acquire. I learnt how to distract: hobbies, active weekends, meditations, self care, cooking, reading, etc. The activity doesn’t matter, it’s about focusing and dedicating 100% of all the mind to that specific activity. To learn that – adrenaline helped in the beginning.

Tell us more about your hobbies

I love nature. I can spend days without technology and internet as soon as there are mountains and water. I like diving, reading, yoga, cooking. I like everything about cosmology. I enjoy shows like The Grand Tour – that’s my type of humor. And in general I love trying new things, I’m starting some music production courses next week for exactly this reason. There are plenty of things I want to learn, like new languages, surfing, skiing, paragliding, I won’t name it all.

Interesting facts about you.

 I’m really addicted to vitamins – I take a handful every day and I can thoroughly explain which is for what. I have my own record of 4 months eating only fruits. I can do the Rubik’s Cube in less than a minute. I love spending weekends completely alone. 90 % of my clothes are black.

What is your favorite place in the world? Why?

I cannot comment on this, I love so many places, and so many to explore yet. I believe that eventually, I create favorite places based on my inner feelings. I guess I’m extremely lucky to have created that many that I cannot even choose..

What advice can you give to women considering a career in the telematics sector? What do you wish you had known? 

Your mind is the limit – it’s one of my favourite phrases. No matter how you look at it: culture wise, education, family preferences or gender. I am happy to see the amount of women growing in this sector, and, honestly, I am happy to see that men don’t mind that!

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