Sofi Mehrabyan: “Ensure your growth every day by one percent and learn something new each day”

Sofi Mehrabyan has been working for IT for more than 30 years, adhering to her slogan: never give up, never stop learning, always moving forward… She began her career as a programmer at the Mathematical Machines Research Institute, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union she became unemployed and left for the United States. After working for 4 years as a programmer, she decided to return to Armenia and make changes to her homeland. Today Sofi Mehrabyan is the General Manager of Macadamia Armenia. The company is a subsidiary of the Canadian Macadamian Technologies Company in the field of IT, was founded in 2007 and is engaged in software development. Today the company provides around 70 jobs in Armenia.

– Your company is bringing innovative ideas, tell us, please a little in detail, what exactly do you do?

– We are specialize in eHealth. We prepare software tools that ease the burden of healthcare workers to focus on treatment. One of our programs, for example, allows you to run all the paperwork online, from the reception to the history of the disease. This is digital healthcare, “Digital Health”. Our next direction is “Conected Health”, a new area that allows you to work with monitoring devices. We create devices that, for example, allow bedridden patients to stay in touch with the doctor, the doctor checks the condition of the device through the device. We work with a device called Amazon Alexa, which allows the patient to speak with the device. Alexan tells the patient what to do in case of  this or that problem, such as pressure swing, and so on. “My Diabetes Coach” has developed an international innovation product for our diabetics. The device provides instructions to the patient through Alexa. Our market is in the United States and Canada, and of course we have partners in Europe.

– What is your main mission as a leader?

– A manager should do everything to ensure an employee’s development, always should smoothen the way he works, to become better and to grow. Of course, it has two sides because a good employee is a good investment for business, but at the same time it should be more important for the employee. I think we differ from other IT companies operating in Armenia not only in our specialty, but also in our culture as we attach importance to the work of all our employees and the need to balance their lives. This is the most important factor in my management, because the happiest employee is much more efficient than the employee who is dissatisfied. I do not consider myself out of the rules or exceptional, because I am a woman head, it does not matter  I am a man or a woman, first and foremost I am a specialist.

– Nevertheless, there are not many female leaders in the field of IT.

 – You know, I’m often asked what complications there are for a female leader. That question is very difficult to answer because I do not feel any difficulty. Of course, men and women are different, but I have never felt sexual harassment, on the contrary, I’ve always felt respect from everyone. By the way, now even in Armenia IT sphere, which is traditionally considered a male sphere, has increased the number of women and girls. About 40% of workers in my organization are women who are not less than men, if not more, with their diligence, dedication and abilities. Especially diligence and dedication in work are typical for women.

– Can we say that today in Armenia women are in equal competitive conditions in the IT sphere? It’s no secret that women are often paid less.

– In our organization, women and men get the same salary, they are accepted to work with the same interview. When choosing a worker we never pay attention to it – whether a woman or a man. Now girls in our area get a high salary. The IT sphere is very progressive and democratic.

– In general, what obstacles do you see in the case of women in our society?

Generally, the situation of a woman in the world is much more complicated, even though in the 21st century the male-female border is gradually dissapearing, but in addition to work, careers, and home problems, more worrying are children’s upbringing. I think if a woman is next to a right man who helps her, shares the burden of the family then the woman can successfully combine work and family. People’s mentality and attitudes toward life should be adjusted.

-How did you become a programmer, though it did require stereotypes? What has been your guarantee of success?

– I have been interested in technology since childhood, and my parents were close to this philosophy, it was probably predetermined. Everyone is creating his/her own way. The important thing is to have a goal, if you have a goal – to take action to achieve it, to set up a road every day, to have a plan of actions, and to set clear deadlines. If you work every day, it is impossible not to achieve your goal. Perhaps it sound proud, but I have not had a lot of fall because I have always believed that my future depends on my actions. I did what I had to do. You cannot be frustrated by yourself, if you move forward, that is the slogan of my life. Today, life has grown dramatically, especially in the IT sphere, if you have been weakened a little, you will never get it anymore. There is an American phrase “long life learning”, learning throughout the lifetime, I believe, is a very important idea.

– And what have you been able to change and what you want to change in Armenia?

– I would like to change a lot, but it takes many years and maybe one cannot do it alone. In my opinion, I have made my unique, small investment in Armenia. When I returned from the United States, Armenia was in a very sad state. I decided that I had to make some changes here. It was clear to me that information technology, like medicine, will be priority and demand, will never lose its relevance, and all areas need IT solutions. Today I have an organization where confidence is priority. We choose people who are not only professional, but also loyal to our ideas. I think people who communicate with me are a little changed, but at least I hear about it when my employees leave for another organization or another country.

Full text in Armenian