Mugdha Vaidya—Making history in our journey to the Cloud

As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month and recognize women behind the technology at Veritas, I had a chance to connect with Sr Principal SQA Engineer, Mugdha Vaidya from the NetBackup QA team. Based out of Pune, India, Mugdha shared her views on Embracing Equity (the 2023 International Women’s Day theme). 

Q: Mugdha, I’m going to take you back in time and ask what inspired you to pursue a career in technology?  

I’ve always been curious about technology and trending concepts. I’ve had some great mentors and peers who have guided me from time to time and helped me pursue my career.  

Q: It’s true, we learn as much from our peers as we do from our mentors. Can you tell us more why your role is instrumental in Veritas’ journey to the Cloud?  

I have been lucky to be part of the Reborn in Cloud strategy and business deliverables. It’s been a wonderful journey so far to be part of the BaaS 1.0 release for the data protection group. I’ve led the ALTA VIEW Quality Assurance (QA) team to ensure we have qualified every feature considering the important cloud use cases. Ensuring quality has been our utmost priority while working on this release. 

Q: We are indeed in a very exciting growth phase at Veritas. Let’s look at this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Embrace Equity: what does equity mean to you?  

Equity to me means equal and fair opportunities when considering unique circumstances. It means taking up responsibilities, being accountable and leading by example. It also means being seen and heard by the leadership. 

Q: You’ve described it beautifully. Has your team leadership embraced equity the way you described?  

I think being led by female leaders makes a great difference. I’ve been part of a group where my bosses are very sensitive to this fact and ensure every voice is heard. They have been instrumental in shaping careers for all team members irrespective of gender. 

Q: That’s very impressive and encouraging, Mugdha. We also face many barriers when it comes to balancing our work and home. Can you tell us more about the unique career barriers you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them?  

Being a technical lead requires perseverance and keeping myself updated with the latest market trends. I like to maintain work-life balance while learning new technology. Coping with a day job has been a challenge for me too. Although I may not get to set aside fixed time every day, I try to learn on my job. I make sure I attend all technical meetings, engage in discussions with peers or senior technical members, ask questions, and seek answers. Some of these things have helped me immensely in overcoming barriers to a great extent. 

Q: What you said resonates with me. What advice would you give other women who want to grow their careers in technology?  

Being passionate about what you want to pursue is very important. Continuous learning and acquiring skills to ensure you are ahead of the game is key. 

Q: That is great advice, Mugdha. I’m going to round off this interview by asking what excites you most about the future of Veritas?  

Veritas has always been a market leader in the data protection space. It is amazing to see Veritas take the leap and challenge our competitors with our cloud strategy. I believe we are doing innovative work and it brings me immense joy to be a part of this team. 

Are you interested in learning more about Veritas’ commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Learn more about diversity and inclusion, and if you’re interested in joining #TeamVeritas, take a look at our open job roles.