Fairygodboss Of The Week Sonar Thekdi

Fairygodboss Of The Week Sonar Thekdi Sonar Thekdi, a VP of Engineering Business Operations at Cisco, is a true Fairygodboss whos always looking to expand her network. Shes passionate bedrngnis only about her work but also about people in general - which is one of the reasons she loves beratung young women interested in STEM careers. She leave us with some great advice about getting out of ur comfort zoneFairygodboss of the Week Sonar ThekdiVice President, Engineering Business Operations, Computing Systems Product Group - CiscoSan Francisco Bay Area, CAFGB Tell us a little about your career. How did you get to where you are now?ST I lost my dad when I was 3 years old - he was an accomplished engineer who I never got to know. I dont even remember him, but very early in my life, I decided that I would carry my fathers legacy forward by becoming an engineer. Raising us single-handedly my mother was very clear on the value of an education. She has dedicated her entire life to raising my sisters and me always teaching us to be strong, focused and hardworking. So it was very natural for me to get my degree in Computer engineering.Once I completed school, I went to work as a SW engineer writing BIOS firmware. It was exciting to have a real job, make real money and solve real world problems. But about a year into my job, I realized that I wasnt looking forward to Monday mornings with the same excitement as I had been year before, and that something was missing. I realized that my true passion lied in being around people, bringing people together and helping solve engineering problems, not by digging in deeper technically, but by understanding the nuances of how people think and react and work with each other.I changed my job to become a system engineer and then a system manager. Every job I have held since then has been engineering focused, solving real engineering problems and building great products, but also always focusing on the teams and the people that make the se things real. At Cisco, I have combined my education in engineering with my passion for people and technology in a series of roles in engineering program management, engineering operations and strategic planning with increasing responsibility to evolve into a business leader.FGB What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?ST Over my 16 year career at Cisco, I have worked in seven different business units, across a wide portfolio of products and for a very interesting and diverse set of senior leaders. I am proud of not only having successfully transitioned in and out of each role but also continuing to grow and expand my network every time. FGB What is a challenge that youve faced and overcome?ST Recently, we faced a quality challenge across our product portfolio that was negatively impacting the perception of our products in the field, and as a result the revenue as well. While quality is owned by multiple functions, it was clear that we needed one named leader who made it th eir mission to turn it around I took on that challenge, and working with my peers in Engineering, Supply Chain, Services and IT, I drove a massive year+ effort to evolve and modernize our development processes, tools and infrastructure, metrics and automation to successfully turn this around. FGB Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? Why?ST My current boss, Liz Centoni, is my Fairygodboss, because besides being wicked smart, articulate and funny, she always pushes me to develop new business skills. She gives me challenging projects that push me out of my comfort zone and she encourages me to not take no for an answer. Lastly, she gives me support and air cover when needed when I push the boundaries and look for new ways of doing things. She rocksFGB What do you do when youre not working?ST I love hanging out with my family, cooking, and reading. I am also passionate about mentoring those around me, especially young women thinking of pursuing careers in STEM.Lightning RoundFGB What is your favo rite movie?ST Gosh, listing just one is very hard. My favorites are The Pursuit of Happyness, Titanic, Bourne Series, Lord of the Rings trilogy FGB What book would you bring with you on a desert island?ST Any of Maeve Binchys heartwarming novels (Tara Road is a fave)FGB What is your shopping vice? What would you buy if you won the lottery?ST My shopping vice is traditional indian jewelry. I really dont believe in playing the lottery but if I somehow acquire a few hundred million dollars the thing that I would buy for myself would be a beach house.FGB What is the 1 career tip youd like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you? ST I would say learn to be agile when it comes to your career. Accept and expect to fail early and often, until you figure out what youre passionate about and what youre really good at. Once you figure that out, there will be no stopping you. Get out of your comfort zone every day.FGB Why do you love where you work?ST I love the sm art, compassionate, committed and driven people that I work with every day. The work environment weve been able to create is fun, upbeat, high energy and that puts a smile on my face (on most days ) ).Fairygodboss is all about women helping other women. So each week, we celebrate a woman who makes a difference in other womens careers. Is there a woman who has made a difference in your career? Celebrate and thank her by nominating her here.