The latest candidate in our series of Q&As with influential women in the technology business is Jaime Brugman, Director of Revenue Operations, Fujifilm Canada, Inc.
Name: Jaime Brugman
Job Title & Company: Director of Revenue Operations, Fujifilm Canada, Inc.
Years in the Industry: 19 Years
The Quote That Most Inspires You: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose, with purpose,” – (Dolly Parton)
What drew you to a career in the consumer and/or business technology industry?
I wish I could say I landed here purposefully, but it was a happy accident. I was young, confused, and a little lost. I had finally decided firmly that I was going to build my life in my home country of Canada after attending university in the U.S. I needed a serious job, and the one I landed through a friend’s recommendation was as a sales analyst to a company selling auto parts and chemicals to Canadian retailers. I fell in love with the retail industry and with selling technical products, and everything unfolded from there.
Have you encountered any roadblocks along the way that were related to your gender?
There have been many times over the years when I haven’t been taken seriously, especially when I was younger. And in truth, there have been some very uncomfortable moments. I once met an executive from another company for the first time and within 20 minutes of meeting, he was advising me to have children as soon as possible before I was too old. When I was in my late 20s, I had a real personal crisis when someone I trusted and respected said some things to me and about me in the context of my gender that really undermined my confidence and sense of self. It took me several years to move past that and realize that what he had said was not only wrong but totally unacceptable. I think it’s important to share these stories with other women so that they don’t carry confusion and misplaced shame with them for as long as I did.
What unique characteristics or perspective do you feel you bring to your organization as a woman?
I like to think that myself and my vice president (who is also female) are leading a team that allows everyone to come to the table as they are – fully human, imperfect, but all bringing valuable skills and insights to the business we work so hard on together. Our team operates with dignity, empathy, and respect. We allow for and appreciate everyone’s unique personality and we support one another with grace through the inevitably difficult moments at work and in life. It’s not perfect, but I hope that in the end, everyone on our team feels seen and heard on some level, and that they know themselves to be an important part of driving and achieving our larger goals as an organization.
Technology is historically a male-dominated industry, yet the use of tech is fully embraced by women, and many studies even suggest that females are the primary buyers of tech in the home. What do you feel the technology industry needs to attract more women, particularly into high-level positions?
I’m not sure I have a simple solution to a problem that no one else has quite figured out yet. I do think representation matters, so a series like this plays an important part in opening up possibilities in the minds of other women. There’s probably a pretty significant shift in attitudes that needs to happen as well. We need to let go of any preconceived notions about who is going to be able to “keep up” with this fast-paced industry and all of the innovation that’s happening, which requires looking past exteriors.
It has been a problem in the photo industry as well – we know there are so many women out there taking beautiful images, and yet the ones who come to us to collaborate, the ones who apply for programs, the ones who show up to open events, it’s usually mostly men.
We are always trying to find ways to meet women where they are at instead of looking for them in the same old male-dominated spaces, and that requires being open to thinking beyond what we’ve always done.
If you had to sum up what it is like being a woman in this male-dominated technology industry in just a few words, what would you say?
It has been extremely rewarding. I have always gotten a kick out of proving people wrong when they underestimate me. I think women love a challenge as much as anyone else, and the tech world moves so quickly, you always have to be thinking on your feet.
Are there women in the tech industry who inspire you?
Anytime I come across a woman in a leadership position in this industry, I am very impressed because I know how hard she had to work to get there. There are more now than when I first started out, but I admire every single one of them.
What are some of the misconceptions/myths about women working in the technology space that you’d like to dispel?
It doesn’t happen so much to me personally now, but when I was younger, I used to get a lot of men, industry veterans, explaining very basic concepts to me without any idea of my knowledge base. I don’t know if this is still happening to young women, but I really hope they are being given a bit more credit for knowing things than I was in my 20s.
What’s one thing you wish was done differently in the industry, and why?
I am always in favour of moving more towards a corporate world where people are given more flexibility to balance work and life, and where we are able to show up honestly as human beings. Having said that – I believe Fujifilm Canada is doing an excellent job of this. There’s a reason people stay with this company for such a long time.
How do you feel the latest shift to AI will impact the way you do your job and opportunities for women in the industry?
I am following the efforts being made to limit and remove bias from AI models – that’s the big one I think. AI has the power to enable us to work more efficiently and to empower us to build bigger and better things. But like any tool, it can also be turned into something dangerous in the wrong hands. As far as my current work goes, I see great potential to reduce some of the repetitive, manual work from our processes and free up more time for strategy, creativity and deep thought. I am biased, of course, but I think women bring a new and exciting perspective to these areas, so I can’t wait to see what we come up with given a little (or a lot) of extra time!
Are you optimistic for the future in general and for the industry?
Of course! The constant flow of innovation makes it hard not to feel hopeful. We definitely need to figure out how to work with some of the new tools, such as AI, in order to ensure it is used as a tool versus a weapon. But I believe in the fundamental goodness of people. I think we will find our way.