GfK ’ s VP , CTO Office , Cheryl Rosenthal-Warlow reflects on her experiences as a woman in tech , balancing work and home life as well as being an advocate for junior employees
TRAILBLAZER
Creating a space for women in the AI industry
GfK ’ s VP , CTO Office , Cheryl Rosenthal-Warlow reflects on her experiences as a woman in tech , balancing work and home life as well as being an advocate for junior employees
Keen technologist and selfproclaimed “ geek ” Cheryl Rosenthal-Warlow spends her time at GfK connecting people , processes and systems to ensure the smooth running of the technology department at the AI company .
“ I ' m very logical . But , the biggest asset I bring is that I try to understand everybody , what different teams need , and then translate that to other people ,” says Rosenthal-Warlow .
“ My role ' s more about trying to make sure that there aren ' t people doing double work . I make sure that , if you ' re an engineer , you can just focus on your engineering and my team and I deal with the other stuff . Dealing with all the processes means that you get information from all ends . From a management point of view , you ' ve got information upon which you can base decisions ,” she adds .
Although the VP didn ’ t initially envision herself in this role , Rosenthal-Warlow explains that it ’ s the perfect job for her : “ I love technology . I love the people who work in it . There are loads of smart people . I love the logic .”
4Years
at GFK – Queensland University of Technology graduate
“ There are so many things that change . I like being at the forefront of what ' s going on ,” she adds .
Explaining that she feels lucky to do something she enjoys , Rosenthal-Warlow shares what is most important to her in her career : “ Mainly , I want to do a good job . I want to make a difference , do good work and produce stuff that ' s going to be useful , with integrity . I want to actually make a difference .”
Having been in the technology industry for over 30 years , Rosenthal- Warlow has seen the technology and AI space change dramatically as it strives to become more inclusive and reflective of society .
This continuing transformation in the industry has meant some opportunities have been more difficult to reach for Rosenthal-Warlow than her male counterparts , as she notes : “ You definitely have to work harder . There ' s definitely a different perspective . Not so much these days , but even now you ' ll see a woman being quite strong and forceful with her opinion , and it ' s seen as just being very abrupt , which is different for men .”
16 August 2022