The Women that make the “Net-Work”

In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, we want to highlight a few of the women who contribute to our daily mission to disrupt a decades-old #networking industry and create a new future through Networking as a Service. We asked each about their impact in delivering Nile #NaaS, and the advice they have for women at any level of career.

Adrena Vaquilar: Head of Service Delivery Operations

Prior to Nile, Adrena was leading enterprise technology transformations at Oracle, leveraging their HCM Cloud innovations. The technologies she oversaw reached over 120,000 users in 175 counties. Beyond the technical deployments, She led extensive analysis to streamline business processes, identify operational efficiencies, and measure improvements, all while leveraging automation across the value chain. At Nile she is the Head of Service Delivery Operations. Her role is valuable because it is the centerpiece to drive the “Network as your Service” experience.. Day in and out she ensures the Nile customer’s experience is simple and easy to understand through the journey of delivery and activation.??

Why Nile?

I chose Nile because I knew I could make a difference. It was a natural extension of the work I led at Oracle and Cisco WebEx, yet with two of the most inspiring leaders in the high tech market, John Chambers and Pankaj Patel. I believe in their vision and knew that by joining the Nile team, we would not only reimagine the enterprise network, but also build a world-class organization of passionate and purposeful innovators.

Advice for the next generation of women in tech or career?

First, never stop prioritizing learning. Certainly it’s important to be confident in hard-earned skills cultivated through years of experience, but what you know matters far less than your confidence in your ability to learn once you get into the role.? Shoot high and learn quickly!

Second, as a biracial woman, I understand what it is to be a minority but I certainly don’t let that define me. Be authentic and you’ll find you’ll be met with respect. Also, take the time to go vigilantly build your network. I always look for senior leader mentors and build intentions around each relationship — how can I learn from or work with them? I also look for opportunities to showcase my skills through volunteering for stretch assignments. This enables me to meet new people, raise my profile, and position myself for future opportunities.

Mohana Jagatheesan:? Managing Director, Nile India Global Pvt Ltd

Before coming to Nile, Mohana worked in three startup companies, lead an engineering team at Cisco, and head of APAC service for 10 years. At Nile, her team contributes to engineering deliverables which includes development and testing. She keeps a bird’s eye view of what’s happening across the India team.

Why Nile?

I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and be on a team of individuals that are going to disrupt the market! Although startups have a huge learning curve, they are always interesting and challenging.?

Advice for the next generation of women in tech or career?

Break the glass ceiling and do not be afraid to step away from unconscious gender bias! Anything and everything you do should have your signature. Do not shy away from having your voice heard at the table when you have a seat!?A mantra I live by in life is if you can't do then no one else in the universe can do it. If no one can do it then only you can do it.?

Xenia Tulupova: Business Operations Manager

Before joining team Nile, Xenia was working at Cisco in technical services, supply chain PMO, and enterprise marketing. Prior to Cisco she was a program manager for a civil engineering JV working on a large infrastructure project in Washington DC. As the Business Operations Manager at Nile, she works closely with the service owners. They drive the solution development in every aspect, making sure engineering knows what has to be built out, improved, adjusted. Her role is to operationalize, keep the team on track, and ensure strategic customer deployments are successful.

Why Nile?

It was a perfect opportunity to apply my strengths and passions in a company that was going to make a tremendous impact on the way people look and think about networking. I love getting involved and doing whatever it takes to enhance, improve, and ensure overall success for the team, and for the company.?

Advice for the next generation of women in tech or career?

Take chances and risks, truly. It’s ok to feel uncomfortable, you won’t make an impact by playing it safe. Remember to make time for yourself, self care, however big or small it may be, is non-negotiable. It’s not all butterflies and rainbows, but amazing opportunities don’t appear out of thin air (for most of us anyway). The hustle is real, and it’s important to be patient with yourself and trust the journey. Taking a leap with Nile was the best decision I’ve made in my professional career.

Sangita Patel: Head of Product Marketing

Sangita Patel has spent over 12 years within the Enterprise Networking industry with companies like Cisco and Nile. Sangita was part of the lead team that introduced Cisco's first SASE solution, leading with SD-WAN solution, and in the process establishing a new category within the enterprise networking market that's now a $5.3B market growing at a CAGR of 36%, reaching almost $21 billion by 2026.? And now, she is part of the leadership team at Nile working to change the $29B+ campus enterprise network market, evolving into a cloud-derived service called NaaS. Sangita specializes in developing strong teams that drive thought leadership, awareness, and seller enablement via strategic messaging, AR/PR relations, and content strategy.

Advice for the next generation of women in tech or career?

First recognize and give yourself credit for making a difference. While women are advancing in the country and world, we still have a ways to go and each woman is making a difference. Regardless of which industry we are in, there have been leaps and strides. It is inspiring to see women in every aspect of the tech industry. For the next generation of women, I would say the world is your oyster. Be awesome in what you do, be confident in your capability, be kind to your peers, and live by example. It’s not as important to be the #1 in knowledge in your field as much as it's important to also listen and be open to new ideas and be responsive with relevance to create a path to production.?

Written by Alana Bernal , Nile Communications Manager