"Young women have a lot of opportunities these days. If you believe in yourself then go out and do it"

As an immigrant from the Soviet Union, Yulia Trakhtenberg, VP R&D at Gloat, has felt different her entire life. This has led her to become a firm believer in diversity. “Once you have diversity in a room you stop feeling different, and diversity results in more diversity. I want to always be inclusive and have an open dialog."

Trakhtenberg (43) has two children and is married to another VP R&D. She has a passion for working at small startups and prefers the stages at which companies experience accelerated growth. “I joined Gloat two years ago when there were only 20 developers. I chose a company in a space where I can have an impact and influence culture, customers, and how we work. Today the company's R&D team numbers 70 employees."

Yulia Trakhtenberg, VP R&D at Gloat.

Gloat has developed a workforce agility platform that breaks down organizational silos, analyzes employees’ skills at scale, and provides insights for talent decision-making. The company’s platform helps businesses to develop and deploy their talent, while continuously understanding and adapting their workforce to changing needs. Gloat clients include some of the world’s leading global enterprises, including Unilever, Schneider Electric, Mastercard, Standard Chartered Bank, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Novartis, HSBC, and Seagate.

Gloat completed a $90 million Series D round led by Generation Investment Management in June of this year at a valuation estimated to be close to $1 billion.

“We have different products which help managers understand how far they are from the market, how to bring knowledge to employees and help them develop themselves,” explained Trakhtenberg.

Did you ever feel different as a woman in your career?

“When I moved to Israel I was busy getting acclimated so I didn't have those thoughts in the beginning of my career. In large companies I also didn't feel it. I felt the difference once I had children.”

Trakhtenberg noted that once she reached that point she understood that sometimes there are differences, however, she states: “I was always different so I never let it impact me." She also said that Gloat's small management when she joined had over 50% female leaders so she felt comfortable.

CTech's She-inspires series follows the stories of various female leaders in Israel. The interviewees hail from various sectors: some work at high level positions in large organizations, some are founders, and some are key players in industries aimed at changing the world for the better. The goal is to learn where they came from, where they are going and how they are bringing inspiration to an entire sector making its way towards a glass ceiling just waiting to burst.

As a mother how did you manage your career and your family?

“My husband and I both share responsibility, we juggle it.”

Trakhtenberg then recalls her childhood. “In my family both my parents had their own careers and I never saw them before 18:00. My father was very busy, he traveled a lot but somehow, I remember the time we spent together, it was quality time.” Trakhtenberg explained how this upbringing drove her to success. “My mother was not very supportive of my career, because she was an engineer herself in an unsupportive environment and, as a woman, she had problems promoting herself. Even now she says to me ‘this is not a job for a woman’. On the one hand she wasn't supportive, and explained what difficulties to expect. On the other hand, I felt talented and that I can do what I want. I felt special, like I can achieve anything. They wanted to show me the road would be difficult but I always felt I could do it.”

When asked if she feels her daughters will go in the direction of herself and her husband, Trakhtenberg wisely replies: “I believe that our role as parents is to enable choices for our children, I try to open as many doors as I can so they can choose and enter whichever door they want.”

What tip would you offer young women?

Trakhtenberg starts by saying she is jealous of young women today as they have more opportunities than she had. “I started my career in 2001 in a time of crisis so I didn't have many options for my first job and stayed there longer than I wanted. Young women have a lot of opportunities these days.” She continues with her tip, stating: “If you believe in yourself then go out and do it. No one can tell you you can't or are incapable. Look for people that give you tools for success and try to stay away from those who say you can’t make it.”