Sister CIOs: How Women Are Transforming the Technology Market

We cannot consider it unusual to find members of the same family who hold C-level positions in large institutions, but cases in which two sisters act as CIOs in companies that are reference in their segments are certainly rare. 

To explore this coincidence and show how these professionals have relied on technology to generate more value for their businesses, Sensedia promoted the panel Family of Leaders: Portrait of CIOs who innovate IT in Brazil, at APIX's 2022 in-person journey, at the WTC, in São Paulo.

The chat was attended by Verusca Bacellar, CIO of Sotreq, a company specialised in technology and machinery, and Valeria Pessoa, CIO of ECAD (Central Collection and Distribution Office), an entity that directly deals with the copyright of songs.

The sisters told a little about their professional careers. The beginning was even in the same company, but in different sectors, going through transitions between the areas of operation and technology, until now, occupying the position of CIO.

In the conversation, both showed how the adoption of APIs has brought operational and financial gains to the companies in which they operate. Valeria reiterated how integrations can facilitate copyright collection and speed up the receipt of radio programming.  Verusca, in turn, relied on how payments with Pix, integrations with credit card platforms and Serasa brought considerable improvements. “When we calculated the ROI of all of this, we managed to have savings of 55% in labour costs, development costs, and project delivery gains due to the API platform.”

The two also recalled how they have encouraged and contributed to the training of more women in the IT area, through participation in the Women CIO group, which promotes the inclusion and rise of women in the technology market, through coaching, mentoring and career direction. “You achieve what you believe you are capable of doing. When you show that you are competent, doors open,” says Valeria.

Want to check out more talks from APIX 2022? Click here!‍