Kajal Sandhu

7 March 2025

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International Women’s Day: Women in technology at Redgate

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, we asked women in Redgate’s Technology function about their careers, how they got into tech in the first place, and the advice they’d give to others starting out in the field. Here’s what they said…

Fiona Gazeley – Tech Lead

How did you get into tech? What sparked your interest in this field? 

Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I saw the birth of home computing, but beyond playing Jet Set Willy I wasn’t very interested. I studied Math at university, and I still had very little to do with computers and for context, the World Wide Web was only made available to the public during my second year at uni.

As I got closer to graduation and with no job lined up, several of my friends had applied to do a Computing MSc (conversion course) designed to take people to degree level, but starting from scratch. With few other options I decided to give it a go. I suspect being one of only four women on the course of 44 played into my hands, as the professor hinted that my being female was one of the reasons they were able to accept me onto the course so close to the deadline.

A month or so in, I was hooked. Turned out I loved the problem solving involved in programming and I still remember the utter delight in finally getting my C++ programs to work. It was also great to be doing this alongside people from a variety of academic backgrounds, including philosophy, English, chemistry, as well as the more common math graduates.

Following graduation, I struggled to get a job (I suspect here my gender did play against me, but I will never know for sure), so I took a job as an internal ISO quality auditor in a software company. After six months I was given the chance to do programming alongside my auditor role, and even better was able to work alongside two experienced female developers who taught me a lot.

After programming for about ten years, I realized I didn’t love programming enough to specialize. My ability to organize things, as well as my inclination to take responsibility, led me neatly towards a hybrid role involving programming, project management and business analysis.

In 2012 I started working for Redgate as a Project Manager for the Monitor team (who were about to release SQL Monitor v3). This led to a variety of roles at RG, all in some form of technical team leadership.

What’s the most exciting part of your role at Redgate? 

I really enjoy the variety of things I get to do in my role as Tech Lead: overseeing the team’s delivery of features, helping people grow, troubleshooting issues, working with stakeholders etc. Although I no longer program, I enjoy getting stuck in with technical tasks such as writing T-SQL to get some supporting data, or understanding how a third-party system works. Working as a people/team manager can be really satisfying, although, as someone pointed out to me years ago, “as a developer I don’t ever go worried that my code is upset, whereas as a people manager what you do can impact someone very directly” and so it’s an area of my role that can be very rewarding and also requires some thought. Ultimately, I’m most happy when I see the team succeed (both as individuals and as a team) or where I can get stuck into a piece of more technically focused work.

What’s a milestone in your tech journey that stands out to you? 

I am very proud of 23-year-old Fiona, who, when asked by her boss to get him a coffee, pointed out I was there to be a programmer, not get him coffee. I heard from a mutual colleague he respected me for making a stand.

I have also done managing-managers roles three times now, and know they don’t suit me, so I am proud of myself for stepping back from those roles and understanding what I enjoy rather than chasing promotion for the sake of it.

Otherwise, what stands out is my overall journey, from the person who once told my manager “I don’t interface with people, I only interface with computers” and the Fiona who worried for a week when I had to speak in front of ten other people at a company meeting, to the person I am now, managing a team of 6 people, comfortable speaking in large(ish) groups, and speaking to a wide variety of stakeholders. This has come from hundreds of small steps.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you started your tech journey? 

I have struggled a lot over the years with confidence/imposter syndrome, but overall, I’m happy with the journey I took – it suited my personality (slow and steady wins the race). I consider myself lucky in the sense that I have shown up and done my best and that has been valued and rewarded. I also think tech is a great place for a woman to work: although it tends to be male dominated, it’s also an industry that (in my experience) is filled with decent people.

Clare Tunstall – Coach

How did you get into tech? What sparked your interest in this field?  

When I graduated over thirty years ago, I asked a respected neighbor for career advice and got more than I bargained for. He offered me an unofficial apprenticeship at his small multimedia company, co-producing CD-ROMs and CDIs for blue-chip clients. I relished using my creativity and organizational skills while being challenged to learn new technical skills and get involved in exciting new tech.

What’s a milestone in your tech journey that stands out to you?  

Can I be greedy and have two? It has been quite a long journey…

After a year or so, I moved to a larger multimedia company as an interactive designer. A couple of years later, I was lucky to be asked to produce their first corporate website commission. What stands out to me is my excitement about the internet – this rapidly growing medium – while one of the execs (who shall remain nameless) told me he thought it was a fad and wouldn’t last. I decided to move on soon after and worked almost exclusively on website delivery for years to come. Sometimes it’s good to follow your instinct!

In my thirties, I worked as a Web Delivery Manager at a large publishing house. Our teams faced unacceptably long lead times, quality issues, lack of autonomy, poor communication, and too many unfocused meetings. I was reading about Agile at the time, and I realized it could address these problems. Since no one else was implementing Agile, I had to figure out how to initiate a grassroots Agile transformation on my own.

I attended numerous conferences, read extensively, and ran experiments with one team, which led to massive improvements. Other teams noticed and wanted similar outcomes. I adapted, changed roles, and became an Agile Coach. Eventually, teams across the organization adopted Agile practices. This brilliant opportunity required me to regularly step out of my comfort zone. Balancing a young family and part-time work, I had to dig deep. However, it was completely worth it; having a positive influence on so many people’s working lives was hugely rewarding and propelled my career.

What’s the most exciting part of your role at Redgate?  

My favorite of the 8 hats of an Agile Coach (Visionary, Facilitator, Leader, Mentor, Teacher, Coach, Change Agent, and Expert Communicator) is Coach; helping people find solutions to their challenges within themselves. After a few more years as an Agile Coach at another company, I decided to pursue this path and became a Coach at Redgate. I get a buzz every single time I coach someone and see them have a lightbulb moment as they find their answer.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you started your tech journey?  

Don’t worry if you don’t know where you are going – who can possibly predict the future? Enjoy the ride; actively look for and take opportunities when they arise (no one is going to hand them to you on a plate) and move on when they are not there for you.

Siân Jones – Service Desk Engineer

How did you get into tech? What sparked your interest in this field? 

I started off as an apprentice working in a law firm, relatively shy and not having much experience other than the small exposure to tech at school and personal interest. I started to really love the feeling of helping people, and that it helped build my confidence – being a young woman in IT (which is a predominantly male-oriented field) could be scary but I like to remind myself that everyone starts somewhere.

What’s the most exciting part of your role at Redgate? 

Definitely getting to interact with people who work here, and the scope for growth. Redgate is an amazing example for a respectful culture, and it’s opened up more avenues I didn’t think I would be able to explore in terms of learning & development. There is never a dull day at Redgate.

What’s a milestone in your tech journey that stands out to you? 

When I think of milestones in my career, I don’t think I have one big one which really stands out, because what I do impacts people on smaller levels – but I would say that overall the confidence I’ve gained in both speaking to people of all levels in a company, and a growing feeling of being less of an imposter in my role. It’s of course still there as it is for many others, but it’s definitely getting better!

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you started your tech journey?

Don’t believe you are not as capable as any other member of the team just because you are a woman, or don’t quite have the level of experience or knowledge as other members of the team who have been doing a lot longer than you have. Any mistake is not a failure – just speak up and learn from it.

Kajal Sandhu – Software Engineer

How did you get into tech? What sparked your interest in this field? 

I feel like I grew up at precisely the right moment when modern technology was taking off, making it almost impossible not to fall in love with it.

As a kid, I was constantly battling my brother for time on our family desktop. Before long, I naturally became the go-to person whenever anyone in the family had tech problems. This early troubleshooting role made pursuing technology through secondary school and university feel like the obvious path.

My passion for technology, especially for coding, was deepened as I studied for my computer science degree. I still remember one of my favorite projects, a software maintenance module, where we fixed bugs and implemented improvements to existing programs. There was something uniquely satisfying about solving those puzzles.

Despite my love for tech, the idea of working as a software engineer initially felt intimidating. I hesitated before applying to my current position, struggling with imposter syndrome and questioning whether I truly had what it takes. Looking back now, I’m so happy I pushed forward despite my doubts.

What’s the most exciting part of your role at Redgate?  

It’s hard to choose since there are so many aspects of my role that I love. However, my absolute favorite part is working with such a diverse range of people and being deeply involved in the entire process as a software engineer. I get to talk to stakeholders during customer calls and collaborate with my team on refining tasks for our sprints. I really value understanding the business context behind what we’re building rather than focusing only on the code.

Another exciting aspect is how much my voice matters in the team. Even as a junior engineer, I was able to take ownership of issues and was treated equally to other engineers. I could pick any task I wanted, even if it required more support than others. This was surprising to me and was a key factor in my growth and rapid progression.

What’s a milestone in your tech journey that stands out to you? 

I still consider myself at the early stages of my tech journey, but getting promoted from junior to mid-level after being at the company for just about a year was pretty amazing. This felt like a result of constantly pushing myself out of my comfort zone and volunteering for lightning talks, which allowed me to tackle my fear of public speaking. On the technical side, I was initially nervous as I lacked experience with most of the team’s tech stack, but with their support, I quickly got up to speed. I deliberately took on more challenging issues that I knew would give me space to grow and learn instead of staying in my comfort zone.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you started your tech journey? 

It’s totally okay to not know what’s going on sometimes. Instead of seeing this as a weakness, turn it into a strength by focusing on learning and asking questions. I’ve realized that the best engineers I work with are those who openly admit when they don’t understand something and aren’t afraid to ask questions. If you ever feel like you don’t belong in tech, trust me – you absolutely do! The industry thrives on diverse perspectives and experiences to create better solutions for everyone.

Summary

The journeys of Fiona, Clare, Siân, and Kajal highlight the diverse paths that lead into the tech industry and the many ways women continue to shape it. From overcoming imposter syndrome to pushing boundaries and redefining roles, their experiences serve as an inspiring reminder that there is no single way to succeed in tech. Whether through problem-solving, leadership, coaching, or hands-on development, each of them has found fulfillment in their own way. Their stories prove that perseverance, curiosity, and confidence can open doors—sometimes in unexpected places. For those considering a career in tech, the key takeaway is clear: take the leap, embrace the challenges, and never underestimate the value of your unique perspective.

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