Tina DeBose
Technical Support Manager
Washington D.C., United States
I am heavily involved in the African Ancestry Network where we sponsor diversity workshops, participate in community outreach and work with our company leaders to create a diverse culture where anyone can succeed.
Some people would say I am a bit of a maverick. Not only do I enjoy tinkering with the mechanics of my much-loved Oldsmobile 1968 Dynamic 88 but on a whim, at the start of my career, I chose a course in computer technology at the Control Data Institute where I was the only female in a class of around 30 men. Times were different then.
Upon receiving my certificate of completion, I was hired over the next few years by two companies where I was the first female in a computer repair role. I was then hired by Mead Data Central which later became part of LexisNexis in 1983.
My first role was that of a field service technician, again being the first female in this role, with the key task of installing and maintaining our proprietary hardware across numerous areas of the business and always working closely with customers.
In a time when women were few in this field, I have found that my successes has come through ‘leverage’. From using leverage to move heavy equipment which was part of my role then, to leverage in terms of navigating obstacles and any unconscious bias. It has been my experience that this approach has generated opportunities to succeed against the odds.
Later, I moved into the role of team lead, taking on management of the field service engineers, as well as other groups and teams over the years. Our team worked directly with customers and so when a new product was in proof of concept, I was tagged to be the “voice of the customer” providing feedback to the developers to shape the product. That work launched me into my current position, moving me from our customer support organisation to the global technology organisation where I have been for the last nine years. I lead a software development team for “Lexis for Microsoft Office” working with business partners and teams all over the globe.
In addition, I am heavily involved in the African Ancestry Network where we sponsor diversity workshops, participate in community outreach and work with our company leaders to create a diverse culture where anyone can succeed.
I take great pride in finding my passion of leading people and have developed my skills in coaching, encouraging, enlightening and empowering.