Irina Toncheva, Senior Business Analyst and Team Lead, Accenture Bulgaria

Irina Toncheva is a Senior Business Analyst and Team Lead of the Business Analysis Department at Accenture, Bulgaria. She has been working for 9 years in the IT sector, more specifically in the field of Business Analysis. She is the woman who believes that communication is facilitated when people are positive and smiling, regardless of their gender. Irina shares with us her strong interest in biomedical informatics and adds that she really hopes to work on a software product for medical purposes in the future.

When asked if the problem of gender inequality is still relevant in Bulgaria and around the world, Irina answered that in her opinion this topic is not so relevant in our country, unlike some other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, where this is still quite a pressing problem. Irina shares that the company she works for has an internal “Inclusion and Diversity” program that promotes diversity in all countries. She added that many initiatives are being organized to integrate women and people with different needs. Irina adds that her colleagues of the opposite gender perceive her as an equal colleague and because of that she has never felt different.

For her, as for many other ladies who are parents, it is still a challenge to combine personal and professional life, especially with two small children. Irina calls on everyone to look at the UN goals on their official website and to support some of them if they want.

“The company has an internal “Inclusion and Diversity” program to promote diversity in all countries where Accenture is represented”

Share something about yourself that we can’t find on Linked In.

I have an interest in biomedical informatics and I hope that one day I will work on a software product for medical purposes.

Have you ever faced challenges in your career regarding the fact that you are a woman?

No.

Read More Inspiring Stories for Women in Tech in WRTech here.

Do you know how many women work in your position?

No.

Do you think that the problem with gender inequality still exists in Bulgaria and globally?

In Bulgaria, I don’t think it is relevant. However, in some countries, such as the Middle East and North Africa, this issue is still quite relevant.

Which policies does your company encourage regarding gender diversity?

The company has an internal “Inclusion and Diversity” program to promote diversity in all countries where Accenture is represented. Numerous initiatives are organized for the integration of women, people of different sexual orientations, disadvantaged people, intercultural, ethnic, religious and racial inclusion.

How do you get along with men in your company? Do they treat you differently?

They perceive me as an equal colleague, I have never felt different.

Do women’s vision and charm help you be successful in a professional way?

I think that communication is facilitated when people are positive and smiling, regardless of their gender.

How do you balance your work with your personal life? Are there any rules that you follow?

Sometimes it is challenging, especially with two small children at home.

Which sources would you recommend to us? (podcasts, web pages, influencers, YouTubers, etc.)

I urge your audience to consider the goals of the United Nations and, if they wish, to support one of them: Sustainable Development Goals

Favourite clothes?

Something black.

High heels or flat shoes?

High heels.

Which is THE thing you never go out without?

Wet wipes.

Favourite lipstick colour?

Something nude.

Which is the feminine quality/duty that you don’t possess?

Gossip.

Which cause are you currently supporting?

I am buying products with a cause from www.darpazar.bg.

If You Want to Read More Inspiring Stories for Success and Professional Growth Join the DevStyleR #Tech Influencers Community and Get Access to our Special Editions here.

Meet Dilyana Kovchazlieva, a Business Analyst at Immedis, who shares that she loves surfing and supports all kinds of initiatives related to the environment, kids and animals. She also takes part in Time Heroes missions. Dilyana studied “Computer science and technology” at the Technical University of Varna. Ever since her first year there, she’s been practising hard what she’s learned in the practical sphere. She went through a variety of internships for programmers with no data, frontend and .NET programmers, but admits that clear programming is not her thing. She starts an internship as a QA specialist for a famous gaming company and for a short period of time she becomes a full-fledged programmer. After that she became a leader of a QA team and project manager in order to reach the role of a business analyst at one of the Most Innovative Fintech company – Immedis. According to Dilyana, the problem with gender inequality still exists in some places and is expressed in different ways, while there are places where people have more interesting things to do than discriminate against others. She thinks that the faster people realise that a person is not identified by his gender, race, colour or religion, the sooner we’ll have more interesting things to talk about. Dilyana has the practice to express her opinion freely, and help others. She has many different interests and shares that she is very keen on her free time. Dilyana often follows the trial error method in her life. According to her, a person can not perform his work efficiently without the support of his colleagues. She shares that one of the most important qualities of one Business Analyst is to be able to think in a way that she/he can find the right solution, which will be considered both with the effectiveness of a product and with the value of the work, as well as with the desires of the customers and end-users.

“My experience helps me understand and work with my colleagues because I believe that a person can not do anything on his own”

Share something about yourself that we can’t find on LinkedIn.

I go surfing. And yes, in Bulgaria there are conditions for Hawaii-style surfing. You should try out!

Have you ever faced challenges in your career regarding the fact that you are a woman?

No. At the beginning of my professional career, I’ve faced challenges related to being younger than most of my colleagues, which is common, but this taught me how to prove myself and never fall on my back.

Do you know how many women work in your position?

No. I don’t even know how many men there are.

Do you think that the problem with gender inequality still exists in Bulgaria and globally?

Each global problem is firstly a problem in the perception of the world and oneself to each individual – here and globally. It’s colorful. In some places the problem still exists and is expressed in different ways, while there are places where people have more interesting tasks than discriminating against each other. The faster people realise that a person is not identified by his/her gender, colour, religion or race, but by what she/he does and her/his attitude towards herself and others, the faster we’ll start talking about better things.

Do women’s appearance and charm help you be successful in a professional way?

Wouldn’t that be discrimination to men? Vision and charm may help you rearrange on a queue at a shop, for example. But at work, where your professional skills are what matters the most, I don’t think someone would seriously rely on such things and as we all know – they don’t last forever.

How do you get along with men in your company? Do they treat you differently?

I wouldn’t say I’ve felt a different attitude from my colleagues towards me, just because I’m a woman. Even without realizing, a person teaches others how to treat him everyday – both in a professional and personal way. I share my opinion freely and that helps me show others what’s important to me. In that relation, I think I’ve taught my colleagues to treat me perfectly.

How do you balance your work with your personal life? Are there any rules that you follow?

I don’t follow any strict rules in my life. I myself am a person with many diverse interests and I’m very keen on my time off. I’m very glad the company I work for helps us maintain the balance between both. Personal life and space of everyone are valued, the feeling of control doesn’t exist and when we are at work we feel free and motivated to contribute to the work process maximally.

Read More Inspiring Stories for Women in Tech in WRTech here.

Which sources would you recommend to us? (podcasts, webpages, influencers, youtubers)

I follow the surf world but the list there is infinite. I’m also interested in Psychology (Jordan Peterson, Alan Watts,etc), History, music, travelling, literature, cinema and many other things. Naturally, I’m a curious person, but I’m very chaotic in the way I find information and I can’t be very concrete. This matters both for my personal and professional interests. Very often things I learn in my personal life and sports help me with my work later. A Bulgarian podcast with amazing individuals has been released soon and I hope they last – Beach bar podcast and Wildtalks. Keep on that way! You are wonderful!

What inspired you to join the IT industry?

I’m a person who loves knowing how to do my work and to multitask. I didn’t enter the sphere with an aim. I was interested in solving problems, to create solutions, which could give benefits to people and have a price. That’s what first led me to programming.

How did you realize that clear programming is not your thing?

In my life I’ve always been led by the trial and error method. That’s what happened with programming. In many companies there is a particular task a programmer should perform. His job can be very isolating. The entire analysis on why that has to happen, how it will work out with the rest of the environment, where it is and what value that would give to the end user, who will use the product, is the work of the business analysator, which I enjoy much more.

How did the different internships you took part in, contribute to your professional development?

The different internships and positions I’ve gone through, helped me to communicate with my teams. I know how a programmer or a QA thinks, what problems they can face and that ease my communication with them. My experience so far helps me to understand and work with my colleagues, because I believe that one cannot do anything alone.

Which are the must-have qualities of a successful Business Analyst?

One Business Analyst should be able to satisfy the customers and find the right solution that will be consistent with the effectiveness of the product and the cost of the production. That’s why it is required to look at both the details and the entire picture at the same time. Communication is another quality of great importance. The Business Analyst is the connection between everyone – managers and programmers, QAs, other operative teams – she/he should be in constant touch with them. This requires the ability to express yourself on a high level, to be aware of what and why you are doing all the time. Last but not least – you should be able to hear others, because sometimes you are just not right.

“In my life, I’ve always been led by the trial and error method – that’s what happened with programming”

Favourite clothes?

Bikini. Wearing a bikini means that you are in a good place.

High heels or flat shoes?

Low ones, or if I can- without any.

Which is THE thing you never go out without?

Practical – a phone, keys and money.

Favourite lipstick colour?

I don’t wear any.

Which is the feminine duty that you don’t possess?

I don’t like ironing.

Which cause are you currently supporting?

Everything related to the environment, children and animals. I basically help wherever, whenever and however can. Events and projects of Akasha Surf School, Surfrider Foundation and Less Plastic BAG are my top three. I frequently take part in missions from Time Heroes.

If You Want to Read More Inspiring Stories for Success and Professional Growth Join the DevStyleR #Tech Influencers Community and Get Access to our Special Editions here.