Danielle Mallon | Account Manager Pink Elephant since May 2020 | 30 years | sporty | creative | ambitious

Danielle is an ambitious young woman who clearly knows what she wants and has proven this on many occasions during her career. By taking the right decisions that are in line with her long-term professional goals she now fully enjoys her job in the fascinating tech environment. 

From tourism to tech
Danielle has a tourism and leisure degree, but rather than starting her career in this industry, she knew she wanted to work in a more challenging environment. “When my job gets stuck in certain routines, I’m out,” she says decisively. “The IT world is complex, and that is just what I like about it, it keeps me on edge and makes it captivating.” After her studies, she therefore consciously opted to work in the tech industry, first as a web designer, then as a system engineer. “I started working at Pink Elephant in 2018 as part of a trainee program and was very fortunate to be able to obtain several certificates and licenses while working as a Project manager and client delivery manager,” she says. 

“My current position as an Account Manager allows me to bring various elements together. Each business case is different and requires customized technical input. The creative process that comes to play is what I love about my job. It can be challenging at times but it’s very satisfying when all the puzzle pieces fit together,” according to Danielle.

The added value of women in tech
Danielle is pleased to say that there is a good balance between the number of men and women working at Pink Elephant. “There are a number of women who are part of the Management Team and have acquired jobs in influential positions, which is not always the case in the IT industry as a whole,” she says. When it comes to communicating, she is convinced that women are better at getting the message across and that a female perspective in a team can be incredibly valuable. 

Standing her ground
First-time meetings with clients are always a challenge for Danielle, especially when the group she faces consists solely of men. “I need to prove myself as a young woman, and it’s as if I need to gain their respect. They often test my technical skills, but very soon the atmosphere changes, when they see I’m competent in my job and technically skilled,” she says smiling. 

Female role models
Danielle’s mother has always set a fine example. “She’s a bit of a workaholic. She has always worked incredibly hard and combined her job with several training courses. This helped her to take her career to the next level. I guess I have this from her, as I believe that the best way to grow and further develop professionally is to set goals and check what extra training can help you achieve these goals,” and she continues: “I also admire a young Dutch woman named Celine Charlotte. She is an entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and vlogger and is known for her candid way of doing business. What I appreciate about Celine is that she speaks very openly about the fact that women can also earn a lot of money and that we don’t need to be modest about it.“