by Larissa Petryca, on 03 January 2024 11:30:26 CET
Zorica Tasheva completed her MSc in International Management in November, 2023. Towards the end of her studies, she successfully progressed from Software Engineering to Program Management. Currently, she holds the position of Technical Programme Manager at Pure Storage in Prague, a software company based in Silicon Valley, USA.
Shifting from Engineering to Programme Management
Zorica studied Electrical Engineering in her home country of North Macedonia. To complement her education, her university arranged an internship in Prague where she worked as a Business Intelligence Developer. During her internship, Zorica discovered a stronger interest in the business sector and management. This led her to research universities in Prague and explore different options by attending various classes. Ultimately, Zorica found PCU to be the most enjoyable and suitable choice for her.
Studying at PCU
Seeking mentors with whom she could exchange her experiences and learn from she was impressed by PCU’s lecturers who continue to make a lasting impression on her. They also consistently linked real-world application and professional experience to theoretical concepts, which was extremely beneficial. The lecturers regularly invited experienced professionals into the classroom to share their work experience and to connect with the students professionally, which was an additional advantage.
“I took the programme over four semesters as I was working. After my internship, I changed companies and started working as a Junior in IT Business Automations, then as a Software Engineer at Barclays Investment Bank. In order for me move up, work in cross-functional teams and manage I required more seniority.”
Zorica observed that in companies like Barclays the Senior Managers in IT had studied a combination of IT and Economics or IT and Management. So it was advantageous to pursue and gain a deeper understanding of economics and management. As a result she has found her Master's degree in International Management to be incredibly valuable.
In her role as a Technical Program Manager, she frequently utilises skills such as risk management, decision making, and project management.
“My main team is the USA and I am in Prague so there are a lot of challenges with the time zones, with communication and with cross functional teams and it’s really diverse culturally. I thought it would be easy in the beginning but its not and but the theory and the practice that I received has been so helpful.”
Zorica found the modules on Strategic Management, Leadership and Business Research the most helpful subjects. For example, with business research if you plan to implement a new business process or improve it then this requires research skills to properly understand the customer and the process, then you can model something.
“My dissertation was on management approaches to companies undergoing digital transformation. I investigated my companies approach to management and talked to people about their management practices, as well as explored the literature for project management in software companies, which has helped me a lot professionally. Overall, my Master’s has given me the opportunity to understand each part of a business - a solid base.”
Working in Program Management
Zorica is working at Pure Storage, a company that is new to Prague, having opened 3 yrs ago. Pure Storage offers data storage solutions similar to NetApp and Dell Technologies. The company is currently expanding their research and development centre recruiting engineers and developers and are building their management side.
At Pure Storage, Zorica is currently managing three projects where she directly work with one or two engineering leads, one project manager and one engineering manager. Each programme has around 5 to 10 stakeholders, so in total she is managing 15 to 30 people. In the distant future, she is interested in exploring Product Management or Business Development roles.
Learn more about MSc International Management and MSc Leadership and Strategic Management.
