Sanera Maharaj

General Info

What will be your most valuable contribution to your TechWomen mentorship?

My most valuable contribution will be my ability to see the bigger picture and develop meaningful relationships and connections with others. I have the ability to work well with others and this has been achieved through many years of cultivating my leadership skills by truly listening others, assisting them with their problems and creating a team spirit and atmosphere where every can align to the vision and goals of the company. I use unique tools such as asking the team to scrum/meet every morning to discuss open issues, what went right and how we can continuously improve.

The Top Three Things I Would Like to Learn or Experience During my Mentorship

1. Taking a concept or idea all the way through execution, especially since I am considering starting my own business.
2. Leading and managing a large team of both internal and external stakeholders.
3. How to leverage AI tools to drive insight for a business and help the company achieve its strategy.

Mentorship Characteristic

• Participate in a skills-building course, either provided by my mentor’s company or identify a free resource online
• Identify workshops or certificate programs to further my learning after the program has ended
• Present my current work to professionals in my industry
• Identify a short-term project I can work on at the partnering company
• Exposes me to new tools and platforms

Ideal Company Type

I am a highly driven and passionate Industrial Engineer, with a keen interest in Data Science and analytics. I bring life to numbers and help them speak to various people in the organization, in meaningful ways through dashboard creation and data analysis. I have the ability to articulate abstract ideas and thoughts to others in way that is easy for them to understand. I then use this ability to facilitate problem solving A3's, strategy sessions and ultimately driving the team towards taking action and implementing the plan. I enjoy working with people and data and optimizing processes.

What are three adjectives that best describe you in the work place?

1. Curious
2. Driven
3. Resilient

What impact will your mentorship have on your career and professional path?

I am confident that my collaborations will make a significant impact on my professional development because I will be able to grow my network, understand the industry that my mentor is in and how things are done in a developed country, especially one that is leading the word in terms of technology trends and is the home for many Fortune 500 companies. I will bring home a fresh perspective on how to make a meaningful impact in South African businesses and it will help me refine my facilitation skills to really get the most out of the teams I lead.

After participating in the TechWomen program, how will you leverage your mentorship experience to make an impact in your home country?

I am keen to take home a wealth of knowledge that I will amass over the 5 weeks. I not only share the various tools and methods that I would have learned from my mentor and host company but also help to apply them and reap the benefits. Most especially with all the work that I do to promote STEM, I am part of many networks and forums where I have a platform to share my experience to help coach other fellow STEM professionals and form partnerships with aspiring minded entrepreneurs across South Africa but also within Africa.

Work History

Years of Full-time Work Experience

11

Primary Professional Focus

• Database/systems/networks
• IT systems and/or data analysis
• Technical sales

Education History