Development Manager at Stratus Technologies

 6 questions from Neha Misra, ftServer Development Manager at Stratus Technologies

Dominic Todd, Marketing Communications Specialist, Stratus Technologies

The calendar month of March - Women's History Month - celebrates the contributions and achievements of women throughout history in various fields. In honor of this honor, Neha Misra, Engineering Manager at Stratus Technologies, talks about what inspires her, what she has learned throughout her career, and what it's like to be a lady in manufacturing.  

What do you do at Stratus and pardon do you like best about it?

As development manager for ftServer, I oversee the next generation Stratus ftServer platform. I work with members of the business management team and engineers, as well as our development partners, to define the requirements for our forward-looking ftServer product line and product development from inception to release.

I look forward to employed with such talented and successful people every day I visit Stratus. I've been with Stratus for 12 years and started out as an intern. So watching him grow and existence a part of that growth is somewhat I really like.

Did you imagine to be in this role for 10 years? How did the transition from software engineer to manager go? What did you learn along the way?

I always knew that I wanted to be in the role of an engineering manager, but felt that I needed technical experience as an engineer before moving on to leadership. Fortunately, I had both chances at Stratus, and I was lucky.

However, the transition from software engineer to manager was not easy. The biggest difference between the two is that as an individual you define your success, and as a manager your team's achievements determine your success. It is my responsibility to empower my team to help and lead them to success.

Over the years at Stratus, I have learned that many factors are involved in product development, such as requirements, features, strategy, and so on, and that all of these factors must work in perfect harmony to achieve the best possible result. I also learned the hard way that we are responsible for our own growth. If we do not seize the opportunities that open to us, or seize them alone, we risk being left behind. Fortunately, I had mentors to help me get through the change. And even now, I have a helpful and capable team that has helped me succeed.

Which females have inspired you the most in the past or in the present?

No woman inspired me, I am lucky to have so many strong women around me - at home, with friends and at work. I am inspired by all the women in my life and all the women I meet every day. Each of these people is unique and has different strengths, talents and lives that motivate me.

I think we women are trying very hard to look for other strong and influential women to inspire us, but I feel that real inspiration can come from anyone - a man, a woman, an adult, a child, or even some experience. ... There are many influential people we can be inspired by if we don't limit ourselves. I am on a constant path of self-reformation and try to learn from every experience I have and from everyone I meet.

As part of Women's Story Month, tell us more about the history of women in your family and how it has influenced your career.

I was lucky from birth to have a strong and inspiring woman to follow. My mom, a wife who decided to go back to school after levitation two children, was able to fulfill her dream of fashion design. She then opened her own boutique and launched a fashion line. My mom taught me and my brother that heaven is the limit and that we can achieve everything we dream of. And thanks to her, I became who I am today, because I never felt that there was something that I could not do or achieve in life.

What were the biggest challenges you faced as a female engineer early in your career, and how has things changed since then?

It was definitely more difficult for a woman, and sometimes even now, to gain respect, especially in a leadership position. But as I worked hard and eventually grew in my position, I also gained the respect of my colleagues and my team. The key to success is good mentors, especially when it comes to women. Again, I was lucky in this respect too.