More Young Women to Fight Gender Bias in Algorithms
Valeria Sandei started in the world of consulting at 27 years old, dealing with industrial, financial and organizational transformation and "in that moment I realized that I was not only in a position to learn and execute but also and above all to build strategic paths for clients,” recalls the current CEO of Almawave. “The challenge was learning to make decisions, to put my signature on projects that needed conveying. Of course, study, in-depth analysis and an approach that I would define as all-round curious and interdisciplinary are needed, but in particular you need to maintain your own interpretation and go beyond classic narratives," adds Ms Sandei. After an internship at JP Morgan in private banking and her start at Accenture with a focus on finance, today she deals with new technologies at the helm of her company specialized in data and artificial intelligence, part of Almaviva group. And going beyond the classic narratives serves to frame new technologies in a broader context because "there is a lot of talk about Generative AI but we need to think about its development in tandem with other systems, for example industrial, governance or related to safety and security. It is important to first imagine what the potential and consequences of this kind of AI are," Sandei is keen to point out. She works to apply AI solutions to the smart cities of the future, but also knows well that everything is based on data and their quality and interpretation.
“If codes and algorithms are written mostly by men, this can lead to bias, i.e. data distortion due to the prejudices of the human beings who devise them. If these erroneous data are then used, they will not be able to contribute to give a truthful vision of reality, and won’t solve, for example, the gender gap." remarks the executive. In fact, she recommends to young women (but also to young men) to also train for science in their education. “We have an increasingly technological future ahead of us, so it's better to have a kind of education in place that offers the tools that make an impact,” she says. Starting from a classical high school diploma, Sandei studied at the music conservatory, participated in international language competitions in Latin America and also had an experience at the NASA summer camp, before starting her Bocconi program in Economics of Financial Markets in Milan.
“Once I entered the University, I approached finance for the first time in my life and I really liked it. But above all I understood that that was my path and that my humanistic background could bring an added value," underlines Sandei. So do you feel like a role model today? “It's hard to think or be aware of that when you're focused on your day-to-day work, on management and the goals of the business. In those moments you don't realize that you can be an inspiration for someone else," replies Sandei. “However, receiving the Golden Apple award from the Marisa Bellisario Foundation in 2023 has put me face to face with the fact that my career can be of inspiration to other people, in particular for young women.”
The CEO of Almawave has experienced many crucial turning points in her professional life. One of the most important was listing her company on the stock exchange in 2021, "the result of a path I arrived at along with my team, with the strength of the different experiences previously gained in various areas of the business, including M&A, marketing, product development and internationalization. All accompanied by concentration and commitment, which allow both progress in the world of work and the fight against gender prejudices," concludes Sandei. “I have never felt affected by prejudice. There must have been some, as it often happens, but I believe that prejudices can be fought with personal commitment to the job. In this way, it cannot sway your path."
