Meet the women who prove that 'any job can be a woman's job'

Time and time again, women continue to prove that nothing is too hard.

In this day and age, they have left no professional field unoccupied — with passion and overwhelming success.

Meet the women who are managing your Amazon shipments, keeping you safe, and shaping the next artificial intelligence experts.

Jinyi Liu, Head of Strategic Projects at Amazon MENA Operations

Starting a career in engineering, Jinyi Liu’s ambitions and tireless work have taken her to lead one of the biggest projects in the world of e-commerce: the $580 million transition of Souq.com to Amazon.

"It was an extremely complex and fast-paced project, because it had to be done while the platform was still in use - it was like 'changing the engine while still in flight’,” said Liu, who has been living in the UAE for the past nine years.

“Today, my biggest strength lies in large-scale technology integration.”

As a leader in an organization, Liu said she aspires to set a model for other young women. Seeking solutions to complex organisational issues in customer fulfillment and supply chain across Amazon’s operations in MENA are her main duties within the organization.

"The opportunity to play a role in bringing one of the world’s largest ecommerce companies to millions of people across the region was very exciting for me. It has made me feel like I am contributing to making history,” said Liu.

While operations has traditionally been perceived as unsuitable for women, today, many women are taking up different types of roles within Amazon Operations from technology and analytics to delivery and supply chain roles.

A large part of the opportunity goes back to workplace efforts in promoting diversity. "The time is right, and the opportunities are many for women to balance the gender scale in the unconventional field of operations.”

She added, “Even as a leader at Amazon, I have an opportunity to operate at different levels and this is what stretches me and helps me to explore my full potential."

Liu’s satisfaction as a young mother and leader in an organization comes from what she gives. For her, the achievement or end result is just a by-product.

Her dream is to actively contribute to building a better future for the young generation. "As a mother, I am now even more acutely aware of the importance of sustainability. When I look my daughter, I cannot help but think of the future and how we can make it better for our children.”

On International Women’s Day, Liu urges women to pursue their dream of becoming a leader in their fields. "There is no better time to seize the opportunity to make your voice heard and make your dream a reality,” said Liu.

Insia Goulamabasse, Operations Manager, Amazon UAE – DXB3

With a career spanning two continents, Goulamabasse was the first woman to be hired in the operations department of Amazon when it first launched in the UAE in 2018.

“While there were women in Finance, Human Resources, and other departments, in the operations department, all my colleagues were men. But I didn’t see this as a challenge. I realised that I have an important role to play,” said Goulamabasse.

She set her goal on succeeding to inspire other women to follow suit. Today, Goulamabasse is responsible for handling large-scale projects and improvements at DXB3 – Amazon’s largest Fulfillment Centre in the UAE.

Leaving a family business, she ventured out into the corporate world to lead a thriving career on her own.

"I have always had thirst for adventure. I wanted to push myself, to explore, to achieve more,” said Goulamabasse, who started out in Amazon in the UK before moving to the UAE.

She noted, “I am proud to be working in a country that empowers women to pursue any career that they aspire to and for a company that enables women to grow into leadership roles and fulfill their dreams.”

Her dream is to inspire other women through her work. "All through my career, I have had good mentors who have inspired and guided me on my journey. Today, I want to lead by example so that my career growth can be an inspiration to other women to grow and advance their own careers."

Creating a balance between personal, social, and professional growth top her list of priorities. "I put myself in situations where I know I can do better, expand my scope and increase my exposure. At the same time, it is important to focus on family and friends and make time for personal growth. Self-growth and self-care is my motto.”

Neamat El Gayar, Director of Research at the School of Mathematics and Computer Science in Heriot-Watt University Dubai

From early on, El Gayar has pursued her passion in math and computer science, turning a blind eye to stereotypes.

“I never felt that a certain field is not suitable for women. You pursue what you love regardless of gender,” said El Gayar, who is also a program director of M.Sc. Business Information Technology at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com