Iris Otano
Bank of America
New York, NY USA
"Every action you make has a reaction. Put the right energy out there so that it can come back."
Career Roadmap
Iris's work combines: Technology, Engineering, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
As a woman in technology, I am often doubted. I've had managers tell me that I'll never succeed in technology and that I should pursue something else instead. These are assumptions based on how I look rather than the work I can do. I've learned to train behind the scenes and connect with other people so that I can come up successful as part of a team in order to beat the discrimination. I make it a point now to use my position to help others who are experiencing similar things.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Computer Science
Fordham University
Certification
CompTIA A+, Network+
Per Scholas
Certification
Certified Scrum Master
Scrum Alliance
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic with my family when I was 12 years old.
2.
My family had a computer and a Windows program that let me click into other countries—it was very simple but I really enjoyed it and decided I wanted to pursue a degree in computers.
3.
After graduating high school, I went to college at Fordham University for computer science—I was only 16 years old when I started college!
4.
I had a hard time understanding how the concepts I was learning in college applied to life and careers, so I decided to apply to Per Scholas for a more hands-on training experience instead.
5.
The man who interviewed me at Per Scholas encouraged me to finish my college education and then come back to Per Scholas in two years, so I took his advice and graduated.
6.
After graduating college, I went back to Per Scholas to earn my CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications and got my first job at Time Warner Cable.
7.
I spent a year there before getting a job at Bloomberg, where I was encouraged to help create a Latino community to open up more financial opportunities.
8.
I moved up through various management and leadership roles at Bloomberg and now work as a vice president in global technology, engineering, and operations at Bank of America.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You will never be successful in technology. You should do diversity inclusion or HR instead.
How I responded:
As a woman in technology, I am often doubted. I've had managers tell me that I'll never succeed in technology and that I should pursue something else instead. These are assumptions based on how I look rather than the work I can do. I've learned to train behind the scenes and connect with other people so that I can come up successful as part of a team in order to beat the discrimination. I make it a point now to use my position to help others who are experiencing similar things.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
As a child, I witnessed the immense stress that my mother had due to her finances. She would even struggle to buy food. I decided to become a career woman and really manage my finances in order to avoid that same stress.
I came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when I was 12 and didn't take classes in English until I was a junior in high school. I was very uncomfortable with English as a second language and ultimately steered away from majors heavy in it.
I was bullied in school because I didn't look like everyone else. I was an immigrant, overweight, and didn't fit in. I became depressed and wouldn't even go to the lunch room. I eventually decided that I needed to just push through and move forward.
My family are immigrants and I'm the first to go to college. They didn't understand dorms or going away to college, so I had to stay close to home. They also couldn't advise me when I struggled because they didn't know what it was like.
I have faced a lot of doubt and criticism as a female in the technology field. A lot of people assume that women can't be successful in technology. I worked hard to prove them wrong and try my best to help other women facing that discrimination too.