Birgitta Å.

Director of Engineering, PayPal Point of Sale Payments

In honor of Women’s History Month at PayPal, we’re excited to highlight individuals who embody this year’s theme, "Give to Gain."

Meet Birgitta Å., Director of Engineering PayPal Point of sale Payments.

Tell us about your role, and career journey at PayPal:

I have been at PayPal for 6 years now based out of Sweden and started my journey as an engineering manager at iZettle which had recently been acquired by PayPal. iZettle was a startup that had matured into a fast-growing company, which had to fit into the PayPal environment. That journey was full of ups and downs, trying to find our feet. I now lead seven engineering managers with approximately 60 engineers delivering value to our merchants, primarily with in-store payments.

“When leading yourself or others, be genuine in your leadership. You cannot pretend to be someone else, people will see through that.”

This year's theme for International Women's Month is 'Give to Gain.' What is one moment at PayPal where giving or receiving support made a meaningful difference in your growth?

I was able to join PayPal’s Leadership Principles in Action Coaching and Development program, here I got a female mentor from another company. It was very valuable to me to reflect my leadership in another strong leader. We found a lot of similarities in how we attacked problems, doubted ourselves, and how to find the path forward in our leadership. In the end, I think we mentored each other and gained confidence and grew in our leadership. I have received positive feedback from my own manager on how I have grown as a leader in the last few years.

Another example is when I can promote engineers to be engineering managers. I have supported them during their transition and helped them to find their voice in their own leadership. This has also helped me think about my own leadership and how to lead leaders. I have grown as a director helping them onboard to their new role and setting them up for success.

How has your role at PayPal allowed you to create or support opportunities for women?

I have been able to give spotlight to women in my organization, focus on hiring more diverse and overseeing that women are not discriminated in salary, promotion or recognition.

What advice would you give to women at PayPal (or in general) about giving, growing, and advancing in their careers?

When leading yourself or others, be genuine in your leadership. You cannot pretend to be someone else, people will see through that. Be interested in people and build relationships, you never know when you need their help. Learn every day and ask questions.