As an SVP in Nasdaq’s Global Technology group, Angie Ruan leads many of the digital transformation initiatives in a technology-driven financial organization that is among the most influential on the planet. This includes applying new technologies to public and private markets, leveraging data and advanced analytics across each of Nasdaq’s offerings, and overseeing the development of key market technology products and global infrastructure development and services.

Growing up in China, Angie excelled in math and aspired to be a mathematician, but her mother had other ideas. While most parents were encouraging their children to focus on traditional careers, Angie’s mom saw a place for her daughter in computer science, which, at the time, was becoming increasingly influential on daily life in China. Angie credits her mom for sparking her interest in the field, notably advising her to “forget math—do computer science so you can sit in an air-conditioned room!"

Today, having received her master’s degree in computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and having developed the IT strategies of several of the world’s most notable technology and financial services companies, Angie recalls that advice fondly.

Angie’s early career reads like a quintessential Silicon Valley adventure, spanning the pre- and post- dotcom eras. While at Netscape, AOL, eBay, and PayPal, she sharpened her skill set for developing enterprise applications and managed systems. In fact, in 2004, it was eBay that tapped her to build its first asynchronous messaging system, designed to process messages and payments. This diverse experience also gave Angie the opportunity to lead engineering for web, mobile, and product transformation initiatives.

It was her work on this project that taught Angie one of the most valuable lessons that she’s carried with her throughout her career: Work backward from the business case, and keep that at the forefront of your mission. That lesson was tested during the financial downturn in 2008 when everyone was cutting costs. Mobile, which was nascent in those days, was at risk of being dismantled at eBay.

The biggest challenges in cloud are not technology challenges; they’re people challenges. Angie sees a world that needs a diverse range of experience and expertise to solve those challenges. It’s a shift that needs to occur at all levels, starting with this generation of young professionals.

When Angie taught a Girls Who Code class, she asked the young women to draw a picture of a future engineer. Eighty percent drew a picture of a man; the other 20 percent drew a picture of a girl wearing thick glasses. This reality hit home—literally—when Angie’s daughter asked, “Why haven’t you offered me the choice to take a coding class?” Angie assumed that because her daughter was so good at art and dance, she wouldn’t have an interest in coding. “I was biased even with my own kid,” she admits, “so my goal now is to try and be a role model at home with my family as much as in my career.” Angie did eventually enroll her daughter in those classes; now, she is double-majoring in arts and science.

While many IT decisions are made based solely on cost, Angie believes digital transformation starts with a desire to change and improve, which requires a shift in mindset. The old mindset was to cling to rigid models and process flows (e.g., engineering to QA to infrastructure to security, and so on). That required a lot of time and financial investment. The shift to a cloud mindset has enabled ecosystems within enterprises, so it’s easier to break boundaries, work across teams, and go to market faster. According to Angie, this move out of silos and toward more connected ecosystems makes practicing empathy, connecting with colleagues, and understanding their motives and agendas more important than ever.

In her own words: “My core value is to make a difference in the world we live in. I have a passion for connecting business, technology, and people, and for being a multiplier who can help people realize their best potential. I do not settle for the status quo. Learning from others, and giving back to help others thrive—that’s what inspires me every day.”