Ms. Tama Ruiz holds the position of Vice President Information Systems at GEICO. She launched her career with GEICO in 1993. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Social Sciences from University of Maryland and attended the executive education program at Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She is a Certified Systems Professional and Life Office Management Association member.

Q: Ms. Ruiz, you have been with GEICO since 1993, would you please explain what attracted you to GEICO as a company? Was it specifically to the company, the mission, the project or a personal commitment?

A: I was looking for a company that had financial integrity and strong people values – one that did not just say they valued staff but one that demonstrated they valued staff – a company that not just talked the talk, but a company that walked the walk.

GEICO fit the bill for me. It already had an established reputation not only as a customer-caring company but as an associate-caring company. On top of that, GEICO is a Berkshire Hathaway company. I’m a big Warren Buffet fan. The decision was easy for me. I had 22 years as an IT insurance professional, and based on GEICO’s core values, it was the right place for me to work.

Q: What ARE YOUR greatest challenges as vice president of information technology for GEICO?

A: Today we operate a variety of platforms for our IT systems. They all have to be delivering the required functionality we need for our business to grow and thrive. They all have to link up in a timely manner and support the complex infrastructure we use to run all the applications that the insurance business involves. It makes for a challenging day, week, month and year.

Corporations today rely on automation to transact business. The functionality of our systems as well as the stability and availability that the infrastructure provides are all critical to the success of a business. That in itself is a daunting set of tasks, and when you add to that regulatory compliance such as data privacy (and as a GEICO policyholder I am aware of the importance of data privacy), the day is even more challenging.

Q: Does GEICO have an internal women's network or special programs for its professional women?

A: At GEICO, we have a wonderful officer group, and the women officers are smart and skilled and very good role models. They are very generous with their time and talent, and it’s easy to bounce ideas off each other and share ideas for new programs, even in early stages.

I am often asked to mentor an individual that aspires to move forward in the organization, be it a woman or man, and I’m always pleased to do that. We often have lunch-and-learn sessions with those we’re mentoring. GEICO also has a very robust training department with a multitude of classroom and e-learning capabilities for all of our associates.

Q: Early in your career, did you participate in any programs designed for women?

A: Let me think back... My first job right out of college I worked for a general manager that told me that even though I did good work and had many successes, he was not going to give me a merit increase because I was married and it would just be ‘pin money’ for me. First, I had to find out what ‘pin money’ was. Then I had to decide if I was going to stay with that organization or move to a more open-minded company. I decided to stay and work to change the organization’s culture. The general manager ultimately ended up working for me and I helped him to grow. No other woman at that company had to hear the ‘pin money’ story after that.

Q: What experiences contributed to your success; i.e, did you have a female mentor, coach, or some other individual?

A: I actually had 2 men who were life impactful for me.

The first was my father who taught me from a very young age not to ever let anyone tell me I could not do something because I was a woman. He said I was capable of doing anything. When you are young and impressionable, you are very inclined to believe those words.

The second was the first CIO I worked for who happened to be black and Jewish. When he proposed promoting me to my first officer position, he was told he couldn’t do that because I was a young female. He told his boss that he was a black Jew and if they let him into the club, why not let Tama in. He supported and coached me and I was very fortunate to have a mentor like him.

Q: What would you like to do next in your career?

A: Good question and I wish I could tell you what that is. I don’t know yet, other than to make sure I keep myself busy and that I do things that benefit people and my community.

Q: What would you recommend to WITI women based on your experience in IT, that is a male-dominated world, to succeed in their careers and businesses?

A: Here’s what I’d lay out as a blueprint:

• Get a good education.
• Think positive. People like being around positive thinkers.
• Don’t be afraid to take on challenges.
• Like yourself and others will like you, too.
• Don’t be afraid to be strong and smart.
• Strong and smart women make sure they are also kind and use gentle methods to get the job done.

Q: What are some business benefits that companies might realize by bringing more women into central roles?

A: Women are nurturing by nature and companies can benefit from the life lessons and intelligence women develop just from being women. Many women are born leaders and they need to realize they lead all the time in their families and that they can provide the same leadership to advance their companies.