So welcome everybody to my session. Um My name is Petya Dash.Well, I work at the Mercedes Benz A G and um I'd like to give some insights um about the company, uh how I got there and uh what is it to work like there and to build a career? Um Maybe a short part about me. Um I was born and grew up in Bulgaria, so I went to school there. Um And I got interested in computers very, very early at the age of seven, I guess. So I started to, I started programming very, very early. And um after that, uh I moved to Germany to do my studies in computer science, vectors and masters. Um So it was really my thing and my hobby and everything. Um And after that, um I was on the crossroad. So I was wondering whether I should, you know, um stay with research at that time. I was doing software development and uh doing some pattern recognition, so uh explosive substances, pattern recognition um for the military. Um And I heard from friends about them, the Korea days.

Um So I went there. It was a two day assessment center. And after two days I got a call that I have the job. So that's how it pretty much started. And now I've been there for more than 11 years, different positions in the it and research and development. So um data center client and cloud architectures. And then I went back last year to software development. I'm currently team lead of Juno software development team. Um and we are part of the MB OS or Mercedes Benz operating system uh for which I also talk about a bit. So I love spending time with my son uh who is nine years old and in my spare time you can, yeah, almost certain, find me at the gym. Uh As you see below, here's my barcode. Um So scan it and add me on linkedin. I'll be happy to connect with you. How or why did I decide actually to come to Mercedes? I mean, we have over 170,000 employees um from about 150 nations. Um This was of course, um like a huge motivation for me because I mean, there are a lot of possibilities in a big company or in a big corporation. I really love the end product uh which stands for, you know, a great design and luxury.

But uh what, what really got me uh was the culture. Um I had two friends who are already working at Mercedes and they were like, um um I got in touch with, with the company values, one of which is diversity and, and I really liked it and the people principles. So everything sounded like for the people. Um And I was like, wow, you know, I didn't expect that um from a huge company and it really hit me. So that was, that was actually the biggest motivation for me to um start there. And as I said, I currently work at research and development. And really, every time we discuss like new architectures, new technology um or new methodology, uh we always talk about the people, how we are going to train them, how, how we are going to engage them. And so we have understood as a company that people have the biggest value and when you take care of the people, they take care of the business in the end. So that's why there are a lot of possibilities um at Mercedes, you know, to um get your life balance. Um Even before COVID, we had a company agreement um on flexible working, mobile working.

So at that time, I was uh in Git, so I was like spending 12 days every week working from home. Um For example, uh as my son got sick um or I had to take care of something on the apartment. Um And after COVID, we didn't call the people, you know, to go back to the office and um uh stay in the office for at least 40 working hours as other companies did. Um So it's really a balance that we have for years now. Uh in mobile, working also in part time working job sharing or even getting a sabbatical if you decide to travel the world with your partner or something. And um as I said, um life happens on the call. So if you decide, you know, to have a family to have Children, um there are a lot of possibilities to engage um your private life and to bring it to imbalance with your career. Um You have parental leave until the eighth birthday, up to 10 years of for child care. A lot of reintegration programs. So apparently I used this part. Um What was my uh way here? Uh I was around one year uh on parental leave and um I know a lot of people who do longer parental leave. Uh but I really love my job. So I really got bored at some point at home with the kids.

So I decided, ok, it's time for me to go back. I need to see real people. I need to do some work. Um But I also didn't want to leave my son um whole day in the kindergarten. So uh I started working part time and because he was getting comfortable uh with, with the daycare, I was uh able to work more during the day uh until after two years, I was back on full time, which was completely my decision. As I said, everyone can do it as uh they please and under their own rhythm. Um So there are also the possibilities for childcare. So 15 old childcare center uh centers. My son was also uh in a Mercedes um childcare. There is emergency uh care, also babysitting services and holiday care. Uh I have to say, um I found my son's babysitter also through the Mercedes uh babysitting service. Uh She's um I mean, she's great and he's very happy with her. Um And of course, um you can take care of the elders too. Um There is the possibility to get a pay or on unpaid leave to take care of your parents or elder ones. Um But it's not only, you know, the, the people care. Um We are currently hiring a lot of software developers and so we asked the people uh from outside that we are trying to attract how they would like to work and um how um what contract do they want?

And they were saying, OK, we want to Google like contract and that's how we created the MB OS uh working model. And a huge part of the MB OS working model is also this um you know, flexibility and the hybrid working model, which means uh in most areas, of course, where it's possible um people work 23 days from home and 23 days from office. Uh And in my team, it's the same by the way, I'm currently in Bulgaria visiting uh my mother and uh I'm locked in from here. So, um this is possible. Um Also I have a guy in my team who is um leaving to India a month to get married. Um And he'll be working three weeks from there during the whole, you know, preparation. Um Another big part of integrating kids, you know, coaching the people at the trainings and s and civilization, not only on the diversity side and personal growth also on the technical part. So we have contracts with udacity, which is a huge premium platform for trainings. Um We also have the Mercedes Benz academic programs uh which uh enable you to do your masters or phd degree while working um really a lot of opportunities for everyone.

And a part of that um there is the job bike, there are the health checks and the job bike is actually very fun, you know, to just ride to work and uh have fun. Uh and to do your cardio pretty much besides reducing the CO2. And this is actually um many of the reasons that that brought me to the company, as I mentioned before. Um I'm working in the NB OS area. So what is MBO is actually mercedes-benz operating system? So it's a software layer uh connecting uh pretty much all the control units in the car and uh we want to do it in house and therefore in the last year, we have hired 1003 100 software developers and software specialists. Um Our plan is to hire 3000 in three years. So we are still hiring and um we are very interested and I myself, I'm very interested in pushing women in this area. Um Maybe um just a short side note from my experience, uh I was able to build uh my team myself and um those are 20 software developers, quality assurance, uh guys, architects in software. Um So I built the team from scratch and um I had over 200 applications and 15 or 16 of those applications were from women. Um So it was a very low percentage. I was recruiting mainly in Germany. It was a very um low percentage of women that applied.

And as you know, when you apply for a software development job, there are normally some kind of tests, you know, to see your level of expertise. Um and half of the women because I was paying sp uh special attention um to, to the women. Um in this area, half of them just decided not to do the software test um without giving any reason. And uh this, this really shocked me because the guys, even if they were unprepared, even if they had like 0% uh they were just like, OK, I will do this, I will just do the test whatever happens. So there's they were scoring, scoring like nothing coming out. And they were, like, writing me and do I have a chance? And the women didn't really even try, you know, to, to get the chance. Um, and, and this is what really shocked me. Um, so, I mean, um, maybe we'll need some time to, you know, change the mindset but let me just see a bit here whether I can see you all. I really want to ask you something on the go. Um, let me try to see myself again. Do you know who ate the Lovelace is? Hi. Yeah. Anyone else? Ok. Very nice. Ok. So it seems like 5050. So, Ada Lovelace is practically the first computer programmer, um, in the world. So, the first computer programmer in the world, um, is a woman or was a woman.

So, she was active, uh, uh, I think at around 18 forties, um, she did the first computer program, um, years before Conrad Susan made the first program of programmable machine. Um, and, uh, her work was really visionary and she didn't get really any credit while she was alive.

And as we can notice, maybe like half of, uh, us girls still don't know the name. Um, so I think we have some stuff to do here. Let me try to, ah, thank you, Yana. Greetings. I'm also in Sophia, so I'm just sharing my screen again and I just wanted to show some areas of MB OS, uh, where we are hiring. So, the first domain is Infotainment and Telematics. So this is the domain I'm working at. Um it includes everything you see on the, on the MBX hyper screen. Um So it's all the applications, whether it's navigation, whether it's um you know, like radio, Bluetooth, audio, online, music, everything possible, telephone. Um all the nice things you get to experience, to entertain you during your drive. This is one area, the other area is automated driving um with the level three drive pilot, I mean, we were the first also to get to write um in level three autonomously um the authoritarian body and comfort uh with the energizing comfort. So if you haven't experienced that yet, you should um for example, after like a long long ride, um you get to uh you know, the the system uh suggest you, you know, to have some relaxing colors uh with the ambient light and relaxing music and the massage to recover after the long trip before your, I don't know, meetings or family meetings.

Um It's really cool actually. And the, and the fourth pillar is um power train and uh charging um software. So, driving and charging, uh which means, you know, in what way you can optimize uh driving through electric car, um you know, to get the most of it. So all these areas uh we are still looking, as I said, for um 1700 more um people especially women, you know, to um support us uh in the software development and in the MB OS. So, um I guess that's it from me and um we have some more minutes here. So, um I'm taking now the questions and see whether you have ask something or you have the chance to ask some questions. Now, um if uh the like 30 minutes we have are not enough, you have the chance to visit um the Mercedes Benz booth on in the expo on the left side and my colleagues will be happy to meet you and also to answer questions. Um And I'll be very happy if you answer my call recently. Uh for this quarter, we were like the most preferred company to work for um you know, in the engineering and software area. And I really wanted to know how it looks like for women. Thank you, Mary. Ah you learn the R at the algorithm. Nice. Very great hint. Thank you. OK, Fiona, thank you for your feedback. So I've been with the company since uh 2011. OK. So we have 12 votes.

Do you think uh Mercedes Benz is one of the top three women employers in tech. Um So 70.6% said yes and 29.4 said no. So it seems that it's also true for women, which makes me very happy. I have a question about how you manage teams. Um Thank you for this question. It's a very good one. Um So I'm uh actually an experienced team lead. So when I came to MB OS, um so, of course, we have the company values, we have the people and leadership principles that we manage according to. Um But um I have a strong personal note and in my opinion is um first you have to choose the right people and when you have the right people, then you have to give them enough freedom and possibility to try things and learn. And then in the end to get a self managed team. So it's a very interesting process. Um I started with choosing the people and uh as I said, there were software tests as for every developer um which by the way, people, as I said, got scared of especially women, but you don't have to score 100% on a software test. I was, I was checking people that scored 30 40% because I was looking really in detail how someone solved the problem. Like, did you use a recursion or did you just had nested TLS loops or something?

Um And um this is really what got me like the detail um to, to just get an idea. I really wanted to check in detail and I got an idea. OK. This person tried something, you know, um that might have lasted a bit longer for this time, but it's actually more efficient. And then I invited those people to interview um to an online session. Um, online sessions are a scary thing. Um In an online session, you don't have to solve 100%. Again, I'm just trying to check how you solve a problem. So you are under time pressure and um you are, um you have a difficult task and I just wanted to see how you approach the pro the problem. Um So this is um what was important for me and then of course, you know, like trying to figure out are you a team player? Um are your values matching, you know, the team's values, are you um able to work in the group because a car is a complex product. So you have to um be working with many people together to achieve this complex product.

Um So it started with hiring, you know, and choosing the right people and then giving them this freedom. Of course, this is, if it's a new team, if it's a team that it's already existing, um It went a bit different. I was first trying, you know, to get to know the people get to know the problems, see how they work together because they were already working together. This was my previous team. Um And um check whether, you know, there are people who are especially good at some certain areas, but they are not working in these areas and then, you know, try to make smaller changes. Oh, thank you, Veneta. Yeah, Mary, I agree with you. Um the culture is um one of the most important things uh for me personally. And I think also for my studies, as I said, in the last years, we have really realized um that's the people are the most important part. Yeah. Listen, I agree with you that it will change who will come in the company. And of course, as I said, you want the right people, I mean, specialists is good, but you really need to be able to work with those people and you want to like your colleagues because you spent most of your life, you know, with your colleagues.

Are there some more questions? So, in case there are no further questions. Um As I said, just add me um on linkedin and let's just talk there. Ah Well, we have another what inspires you each day. Oh, I'm like walking inspiration. But that's something very typical me. Um Yeah. So, I don't know. Uh as I said, I've been into programming and computers since, since the kid. It's my hobby. So when I wake up and go get to do, you know what I like? This is what inspires me on one hand, on the other hand, when I wake up and see my son's foot on my face. This also inspires me, you know, because in the end, uh I also do it for him. Um And uh yeah, uh I'm, I'm very um uh self-motivated. So I just like to drive things and change things. And, um, I think this is possible no matter on, on which level you are. And I like working with people. So, um, my team that I know is watching. Hi, guys. You're the best. Yeah, this is, this is true when, when, uh, the professional and the personal are in balance, I think it's, it's the best. Yep. Married. They're everywhere. They're even writing the whole time on our group, you know, like some distraction.

So thank you very much everyone for being in this session and uh and me, I'll be happy to talk to you and to exchange and have fun also with the upcoming sessions, as I said, join the Expo uh at the MB booth and uh you can ask even more questions and get more details.