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At IFA 2019, I met Tamy Ribeiro at the Shift Automotive Conference. Tamy spoke on the subject of the changing automotive field. New technologies have risen challenging the classic models of transportation. As an expert on topics and trends shaping mobility today and in the future, her opinion is valued in an ever changing industry.

What peaked my curiosity was the fact a female executive talking about both technology and automotive subjects. Both industries are highly male driven with only a few women getting a corner office. After a chat, I asked if she could answer a few questions on the obstacles a woman faces in these worlds. Mrs. Ribeiro said, “Yes”.

The Interview-Part One

Women are speaking out in other fields, has the tech area been slow to respond?

I think this is a very broad issue, and sexism is prevalent in almost every industry on the planet. It’s common knowledge the tech industry has been dominated by men essentially since its inception. It does bother me to know companies like Amazon rarely offer information on how female employees are treated at the workplace or how many are in leadership positions. I believe that transparency is the first step towards a fairer future.

Nevertheless, progress is being made. It’s my job to spread awareness for the tech company I work for. I’ve made a career for myself in a male-dominated industry. I’d love to see more women doing the same in the future, and it’s going to take a team effort for us to get there!

A Presence in 2 Fields

Why did you choose both tech and automotive as a career field?

My journey into mobility was not the traditional path. First, I started my career in travel and then after over a decade of work I had a mid-life crisis and I decided that it was the best time to start my life over again by moving to Germany to raise my kids. I joined Wunder in 2016 to do a one-month internship and conclude a course without expecting a long-term contract – I was actually enjoying going back to this student life. I planned to keep studying after concluding it.

However, I fell in love with the company and its mission. Moreover, I saw a great opportunity to learn by doing. I had the support of my leadership team to gain the experience and skill sets I desired. Luckily, I had the chance to grow with the company and see it expand its portfolio and presence worldwide. Both industries are challenging for women, but to be honest, that’s why I loved it since day one.

Advice

What advice would you share with a woman starting in this field?

Always believe in yourself, even when it seems impossible. You are more capable than people would have you think. Your opinions are valid, and you are just as smart and knowledgeable as the other men on the team. Don’t let their bravado fool you! Often it’s the ones who talk the loudest who know the least. Don’t be afraid to speak up and have your voice heard.

Do you get asked certain “woman” questions?

If by “woman” questions you mean things relating to my appearance or how I could possibly juggle all my work with motherhood, I’ve been fortunate – most people just leave me alone about that. When and if it happens, I think them so insignificant and I feel so embarrassed for the person that I don’t waste my time feeling bad, I feel sorry. Instead of putting myself in the victim position, I feel privileged for having more clarity and access to information than the person who is asking me the question.

Sexism is Real

Sexism, how would you explain the experiences?

I consider myself strong and well prepared to deal with sexism. One of the reasons is because tough challenges are key to my personal motivation. There is nothing more rewarding than listening to a sexist comment and proving with numbers and facts that the person is wrong afterwards. I’m not saying that it doesn’t affect me – I had several moments in which I smiled at the situation then turned to the next page and kept working. But afterwards, I had to hide myself to get my breath back.

However, when you start seeing it as a challenge to overcome and you end up accomplishing what you had in mind, no words are necessary. Nothing makes me prouder as a woman than looking back and seeing how many sexist voices I could shut up by simply continuing to achieve my goals – I truly believe that this is the most effective way to make them notice their failures and reconsider their way of thinking.

Melissa Myer and Meg Whitman made it to the top of big tech companies. Can they be used as examples of the tech field being diverse?

Melissa Myer and Meg Whitmann are both hard-working, highly intelligent women who deserve to be in the positions they’re in. Nevertheless, I would be careful of using them as “examples”, seeing as how they’re both white women from privileged backgrounds. The tech field is not diverse – to say anything to the contrary would be sort of ridiculous. Women make up 59% of the total workforce, but they only make 30% of the workforce in tech companies. To make matters worse, of the 41 Fortune 500 tech companies, only five of them have a female CEO. So while I applaud Melissa and Meg for their contribution to the industry, I don’t think they signify diversity in tech.

Tamy Ribeiro is Chief Mobility Evangelist & Head of Partnerships for Wunder Mobility based in Hamburg, Germany

Part 2 of the interview Coming Soon

Stay calm. Take a deep breath.

After attending Milan Fashion Week, having conversations with many industry professionals, fashion is at a major crossroads, with many questions, few answers. Attending events, drinking a glass of sparkling wine, I looked around, buyers, editors, influencers, designers, press people all in attendance, MWAH, MWAH, on the cheeks. For some reason it felt like the deck of the Titanic but there was no DiCaprioaround to save any of us. The fashion world is going through a massive shift that none understand.

Retail

The retail sector is sinking. The temples of 20^thcentury mass consumptions, department stores, have become brick and mortar dinosaurs in the online era. In the UK, Debenhams, House of Fraser have closed stores after loosing millions. High street stable John C, Lewis reported a 99% profit drop. On the other side of the Atlantic, US nameplates, Nieman Marcus cannot give it self away after years of seeking buyers. Macy’s performs like an amusement park rollercoaster, one quarterup, the next quarter down. Germany, the economicmachine of the EU, major retailers Karlstadt and Galeria Kaufhaus have merged after years of changing hands. The new Austrian owner has announced store closings. Will he use imagination to rejuvenate the ailing retailers or just lay-off his way to profitability? If it is the latter, one word: SEARS.

Fashion Channels

What happened to fashion magazines? There was a time when they dictated taste. The stuff dreams are made of filled on their glossy paper: gorgeous models with perfect make up wearing couture, shot by top photographers in exotic locations. Who did not want to live this life? The unwritten law in fashion was labels bought ads from publications, magazines heaped coverage. An app founded in 2010 has called this relationship into question.

Fashion labels are no longer willing partners. As Instagram has risen, the power of titles like Vogue, Elle, and Harpers Bazaar have waned. Now, titles influence, HA! Not dictate. When once publications were at the top of the heap, they now have to share the mountain top with millions of influencers. Why pay a lot, when you can pay nothing? Buying an ad, paying for a polished production costing thousands was the business model,,, until Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger came up with an app.

Today, fashion labels are employing legions of millennial influencers to show off their looks: a smartphone camera, followers, and the need for fast fame over took the industry. In the Social Media Age of rapid visual consumption,monthlyis too late to the party, secondscount. Instagram has 191 million daily users. The #fashion is one of the top trending topics. A digital platform has given millions with no fashion knowledge, influence.

Publications with their layers of editors, writers, photographers, are the ancient out of step gatekeepers. Brands give away bags, shoes, and front row seats at fashion shows to influencers in order to reach consumers in the digital world. In my private conversations with brand media representatives, some have commented they are cutting back or eliminating buying print ads. The classic fashion channels are collapsing. Major publishing houses Conde Nast and Hearst are in a perfect storm. Staff has been reduced, titles closed. Clutch the Chanel Bag! The worst may not be over.

Streetwear

Fashion labels are embracing streetwear as the new “BLACK” to stay on top of the latest trend. As rap stars have become cultural icons, brands are keen to cash in on the style craze. The problem: Be carefulwhat you wish for. Urban culture comes from the bottom up. Fashion has been an elitist affair dictating desire to the masses for decades. The industry is trying to flip the script. Embracing a demographic that was until recently frozen out is not easy. The awkwardnessof the situation is like Angela Merkel and Beyonce singing a B-side duet.

The Chunky Sneaker craze has infected every designer label. Plaster a designer name on an oversize trainer, sell a pair for 600 euros, instant relevance. If it sounds short sighted with a tinge of cynicism, it is easy to see why.

Conclusion

I am optimistic. Crisis means changes will come sooner or later. Fashion is a creative business that creates. No crisis can take that away. What will the conversations be in 2019 while sipping sparking wine? As long as I smile at the waiter pouring the bubbly, I will be ok.