Editor’s note: Tanya Pinto is director, Research + Insights, Microsoft, Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft’s Research + Insights team has over 70 amazing researchers and data scientists that work across many different products and services and utilize many different methodologies. As we celebrated International Women’s Day this year, I was struck by the amazing women I am proud to work alongside and how their diverse backgrounds and life experiences enrich our team and our culture.
Marianne Moran Peterson, Megan Lau and Priya Mathur have all had very different career journeys and experiences and are just a few of the remarkable leaders we have on our team. Their inspiring stories and the counsel they provide is applicable to anyone wanting to strengthen their career in research – not just women.
- Marianne Moran Peterson is a 12 year research and insights market research veteran, and 30-year Microsoft employee, who loves to discover the hidden truths and motivations that influence buying behavior. Her current emphasis is on concept value and pricing and packaging research but her experience spans from designing research to assess advertising and sales channel effectiveness to tracking brand satisfaction and product perceptions.
- Megan Lau grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and attended college in Bellingham, Wash., where she received a BA in business administration, with a focus on marketing. Lau joined Microsoft’s team seven years ago and is now the director of consumer data science.
- Priya Mathur has been at Microsoft for nine years and works to be a “formidable customer advocate.” She received her bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Texas in Austin and has worked in market research for nearly two decades. She has represented the voice of Xbox LIVE users, IT professionals, developers, technology decision makers and, most recently, Microsoft Partners.
These women could not be more different, yet they share a common thread of wisdom and compassion.
Can you describe one pivotal experience where you were defined as a “woman” in research vs. a researcher?
“I’m lucky to work in a market research department that has so many female role models in leadership positions. I think it’s important in any profession to have colleagues and leaders you can rely on for advice and support. Although women make up a large percentage of the market research practice, they don’t make up a large percentage of my stakeholders.
“I’m more acutely conscious of being a woman when working with teams outside market research that are predominately male. Given my role, I tend to be the one who leads most stakeholder and supplier meetings. During those meetings, as a woman, I have to work extra hard to ensure that my voice is heard and research design and analysis benefit from my experience, talent and intellect. I know going into any meeting or ‘room’ that others expect me to keep the notes, manage the process, move things along. Important functions to be sure, but not the functions that get you respect as a researcher.
“To get that respect it’s up to me to make sure my voice is heard when proposing creative ideas during research design meetings, or proposing new ways of analyzing data for insights and debating different research approaches. My male stakeholder colleagues also play this role but naturally expect someone else to drive project management and do the administrative work, work that is just as important but not as valued. Being the woman often means I am that ‘someone else.’ So, I guess I’d have to say that my pivotal experience as a woman researcher has meant needing to take on more work and always be ready to fire on all cylinders in order to maintain the privilege of having a seat at the stakeholder table where I can share my creative ideas and contribute strategically.” – Marianne Moran Peterson
“I can think of several. Like so many, I’ve heard the words, ‘What Priya is trying to say is…’ I’ve been told I’m too outspoken or too emotional or ‘shouldn’t need to be rescued.’ To clarify, I never asked to be rescued. I’ve been told that since I’m coming back from maternity leave I should make peace with a ‘meets expectation’ performance rating – regardless of impact I’d driven. I’ve been dismissed by words like ‘I don’t want to get too technical for you.’ It’s a thousand paper cuts that remind you while we are making progress, some microaggressions will only go away if we call them out, speak up real-time and educate well-meaning colleagues and allies on the hidden message in their unconscious behavior.” – Priya Mathur
“Comments in the past from colleagues who are ‘surprised’ I know something – generally technical – whether it’s a coding language or a particular product, whereas when male colleagues knew this, no one was surprised. This is probably encompassed best in the worst comment ever, “You have such a high-pitched valley girl voice, but everything you say is so smart!” I could go on and on about off putting comments on my mannerisms, clothing, etc., but these comments made me stay even more true to myself.” – Megan Lau
When you think about being a researcher, being a woman and being in “big tech,” what is something you enjoy and what is something you wish was different?
“My love affair with big tech started with Star Trek. That show portrayed technology as the great equalizer. I believe the intent of most big tech companies is to play the role of the great equalizer and to try to do good in the world. It’s gratifying to work for a company with a mission to help everyone on the planet and working for big tech means no shortage of opportunity to impact the daily lives of people around the world.
"Much more work needs to be done to understand women tech buyers in business, how they wield their influence and what motivates them to purchase."
“As a woman in research, I believe there is an enormous opportunity to broaden developer thinking about women’s influence in big tech buying decisions. Much more work needs to be done to understand women tech buyers in business, how they wield their influence and what motivates them to purchase. Sadly, very few women work in traditional IT departments so little effort is put into understanding women as a buying segment in commercial sales. I don’t believe we appropriately value the scale of women’s influence as they take on more leadership roles in marketing, sales, customer service, operations, product development and research. All departments that have more diversity than traditional IT. As traditional and new IT functions get democratized throughout the organization, the big tech firm that understands how to sell to women in business will remain ahead of the curve.” – Marianne Moran Peterson
“I love the ability to connect with so many people – big tech is truly so big – and all the different opportunities. I do sometimes wish things could move a little faster and I hope to see more women in senior leadership roles. It’s important for women to see other women in roles that they one day may aspire to step into.” – Megan Lau
“I love the opportunity of being a researcher and a woman in big tech. We have so much green space ahead of us. We have an opportunity to educate and evolve the culture here in a big and meaningful way for so many that come with and after us.
“It is also a huge responsibility to not confirm the stereotype. To demonstrate the value of customer empathy in deeply technical conversations, to volunteer vulnerability in an otherwise stoic and guarded environment, to break convention in ways that show an otherwise skeptical audience that every conversation is rendered better by greater representation. I wish women, and any minority really, would work toward supporting each other on achieving this goal rather than competing with or undermining each other.” – Priya Mathur
I hope you enjoyed getting to know these remarkable researchers. Look out for individual Q&As featuring these women in the coming months, as well as a special panel discussion on being a women in research during the Quirk’s Event this fall.
