Monica Mardare is Human Resources Director for Luxoft Romania and Luxoft D&I Global Program Manager. With 20 years of experience in the field of human resources, Monica has contributed to policies and practices aimed at creating an inclusive work environment, increasing commitment and performance, and developing and retaining diverse talents.
In recent years, she has been directly involved in establishing organizational development strategies and operational integration for new locations in the US and Europe in line with global culture and practices. Since November 2020, she has led the Luxoft D&I Global Program focused on fostering an equal opportunity culture in which everyone is respected, valued, and treated fairly.
Especially for the WomenTech Network, Monica agreed to give an interview and share her story.
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Congratulations on winning a WomenTech Network HR & Program Manager of the Year Award! How did it feel when you found out you had won?
Thank you! I think that the first feeling was happiness, but then that gave way to humility. The truth is that this is an award for the whole D&I team, and I am merely their representative. All the ideas and initiatives, the pushes forward, and all our achievements – rely on a wide group of people who believe in change and have the dedication as well as the open hearts and minds to make it happen.
Tell us about your background, journey in tech, and what inspired you to develop your career in this direction.
I graduated from university with a degree in applied electronics under communism, when there really were not many choices. I was good at math and physics, so a technical career was only natural. I did not know what to expect, so I developed most of my skills by learning on the job, but I was lucky enough to have great colleagues who mentored me.
Though those were IT’s early years, I was passionate about programming – it gave me great satisfaction to finalize a product, see it’s working. I then had to interrupt my career for a few years, and upon my return to work, I had fallen too far behind to rejoin the fast-moving world of programming, so I switched to HR and operations management in an IT company instead. Colleagues who knew my background teased me about getting back into programming, but I chose to use my experience as a method of forging more meaningful connections with my coworkers and understanding our business.
Now, my longest professional journey has been in HR, and Luxoft has given me many opportunities, one of them being the chance to lead the D&I program globally. I find my inspiration in all the wonderful people I work with from across the globe. They challenge me constantly and help me succeed.
Any advice you would like to give to girls in STEM on pursuing their dreams?
Be confident, curious, never stop learning, and celebrate every success. I hope for a time when there will be more talented women actively involved in our industry, so don’t wait, open the door, step in, and don’t take no for an answer! There are so many career paths in which your skills and intelligence can thrive, and there will be even more in the years to come, so get ready.
