photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: sharmila vooren
samra hodzic(she/her)
product owner technology at nationale postcode loterij & vriendenloterij
about
i’ve been working in tech for a few years now, and it’s been a great experience. what i love most about my job is the combination of data, knowledge and creativity. as a product owner, i get to simplify complex data solutions for practical business use, contributing to the success of our campaigns.
tech is a much more diverse and exciting field than people might think. it offers rewarding careers for women, and i believe we bring unique value to the sector. luckily, women are well represented at the postcode loterij and vriendenloterij. whilst the gender distribution in our tech and analytics departments still has room for improvement, my team actually mostly consists of women.
alongside the specifics of my job, making a positive impact is a priority for me. i’m glad to have found a way to do that at work, with the postcode loterij being one of the biggest charity donors in the world. knowing that our work impacts the lives of people worldwide is very motivating.
why do you think it is important that role models need to be visible?
25 years ago my family and me came to the netherlands as refugees from montenegro. due to my background i often felt i had to prove myself. role models played an important part in helping me realize i could set out my own path in life. often they were women close to me. i think even though we don’t always notice it ourselves, we are all a role model to someone in our environment.
that said, the more diverse role models we come across, the more different perspectives we gain. that makes it so important that platforms like this, that reach a broad audience, exist. sharing stories and experiences is a powerful tool to inspire others.
nationale postcode loterij & vriendenloterij
the digital landscape is evolving rapidly, and in the coming years a wealth of talent will be required to navigate these changes. women remain underrepresented in the tech and analytics fields. often, women do not consider these areas when choosing their studies, and they are less likely than men to apply for tech job openings later. although we maintain a good gender balance in our organisation overall, we observe this trend as well. this is unfortunate, as the field offers numerous career opportunities. additionally, diversity in teams is crucial: diverse teams perform better, foster more innovation, and contribute to a more inclusive culture. fortunately, we have highly enthusiastic and ambitious female tech team members at the lotteries. we believe sharing their stories more widely will make a difference. and we hope this role model campaign will inspire more women to pursue careers in tech, and we cordially invite them to come and work with us in a tech role.