Telling Our Stories: Spotlight on Anna Wojszcz
March is coming to an end. Being Women’s History Month, it’s a time to celebrate and honor the contributions that women have made throughout history. It’s a time to recognize the women who have broken barriers, shattered stereotypes, and paved the way for future generations. In recent years, there has been a growing push to increase the representation of women in the technology industry. This effort has led to the creation of numerous initiatives, such as the Women in Technology (WIT) initiative, which aims to empower and support women in pursuing careers in tech. This is the third installment of the four-part series focused on the Women in Tech (WIT) Employee Resource Community (ERC) at Box. You can find the first installment here, and the second here.
Spotlight on Anna Wojszcz; Staff Technical Program Manager at Box
My journey in the tech industry, which has traditionally been dominated by men, began when I had to choose my high school profile. While I excelled in both literature and languages as well as mathematics, my mother encouraged me to pursue the maths, physics, and computer science profile. Despite not being technically inclined herself, she believed in my abilities and never allowed me to doubt myself. Although I initially chose marketing as my major, I quickly realized it wasn’t my calling and switched to telecommunications and computer science. Throughout my journey, my mother stood by my side every step of the way. Looking back, I now understand how crucial it was for me to have another woman supporting me in making choices that may not have been the most obvious at the time.
Throughout my nearly 18-year professional career, I have consistently worked in IT, finding it to be a natural and comfortable environment. Over the years, I have held various roles, including Software Engineer, Analyst, Project Manager, and Program Manager, working with both customer-facing and internal teams. At present, I have been serving as a Staff Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Box for approximately 1.5 years. I’m fully remote, working from Poland and assigned to BoxSign team (located mainly in Amsterdam).
As a TPM, I belong to two teams: my fellow TPMs and the engineering team with whom I collaborate daily. When people ask about the TPM’s role in product development, I often find it challenging to provide a straightforward answer. Essentially, TPMs ensure that all aspects of product development come together seamlessly and that any cross-domain dependencies and risks are properly managed. For Infrastructure TPMs, the boundaries between what a TPM does and does not do may be even less apparent. Nevertheless, TPMs are committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure program success, despite the difficulties and challenges that arise. While the work can be demanding and complex, it is also rewarding and engaging. I could not imagine doing anything else.
My most recent assignment has been BoxSign, introduced in 2021. With , you can obtain and apply electronic signatures to your files seamlessly, without requiring any additional app. Moreover, the product facilitates automated messaging and record-keeping throughout the entire signature process. I watched the Sign Engineering Team grow from a single Scrum team to three independent teams with well-established planning and delivery processes and great sense of ownership. My main goal as a TPM of BoxSign Program is to oversee the management of cross-domain dependencies, mitigate potential risks, ensure the reliability of plans, and effectively manage any changes. In my opinion, a key measure of success for TPMs is when their teams can function autonomously and transition smoothly into operational mode. It’s gratifying to see that this team is close to achieving this milestone, and I may soon be able to embark on new and exciting assignments.
Despite my experience in the industry, BOX is the first organization I have encountered that supports Employee Resource Communities on such a large scale, including Women in Tech (WIT). When I was asked to co-chair the WIT EMEA initiative, I eagerly accepted the invitation. At present, more than 25% of EMEA Boxers are women, with almost 17% holding technical positions. The WIT initiative is dedicated to supporting women in tech in various areas, as outlined in a previous blog post. The WIT EMEA program aims to expand these activities throughout the EMEA region via surveys to determine specific needs, dedicated events and meetings, sharing our personal journeys, inviting external guests and coaches, and much more.
Participating in WIT is a new experience for me, and I am eagerly looking forward to the path ahead while also being thrilled to contribute to the community. Although I personally had a relatively smooth journey to my current position, I am aware that it may not be the same for many other women and girls. Therefore, I am committed to making the journey easier for those facing obstacles, motivating those who are still undecided about pursuing a career in tech, and learning from the experiences shared within the WIT community.
