You are here:  Home  Graduates  Rachel Armitage - Commercial Director

Thursday 17th May 2012


  Back to Role Models
 Company: Zoombu
"Early stage companies really give me a buzz because they are always changing and I gain immense satisfaction from seeing the effort put in resulting in a tangible new product or service"

Describe your background and how you got into IT.

I studied Engineering at Oxford University and specialised in Communications Engineering, which is largely information technology. Part of my course was an exchange to Princeton University in the USA and that got me excited about technology and start-up business. When I came back to the UK I worked as an Analyst at a Science and Technology Venture Capital company where I saw lots of really interesting technology businesses and I knew then that I wanted to start or run a business of my own. I became a Technology and Management Consultant at a firm called Diamond and gained practical experience working with a range of businesses. Just over a year ago I left this relatively secure existence to found Zoombu.

What is your current position / situation

I’m Co-Founder and Commercial Director of Zoombu. Zoombu is a multimodal travel search engine that helps you to find the best way to travel from your home to destination in Europe. We have developed search technology that finds thousands of end-to-end routes across multiple modes of transport and recommends the cheapest, fastest or greenest way for people to travel to their specific destinations.

What do you like best about working in IT?

There are so many interesting problems to be solved and no solution is ever totally complete, which keeps it exciting. There are always new methods or requirements and the goal posts are constantly changing which means it’s a challenge to manage and deliver projects effectively. The world of web technology is particularly exciting as it’s moving forwards at lightning speed.

Why did you choose a career in IT in the first place?

It was a natural progression from my Engineering degree. Since then I’m moved further into commercial and managerial aspects, but I’m still very involved with product development at Zoombu.

What have been the highlights of your career so far?

I was involved with some challenging projects at Diamond, helping large organisations to turn-around failing IT projects by getting really hands on to provide guidance. Starting Zoombu has certainly been the highlight recently and it has been an intense but highly rewarding experience, as any start-up founder will vouch!


What are your career aspirations?

Zoombu is going from strength to strength and right now I am entirely focussed on growing the company and continuing to develop a travel search engine that helps independent travellers to get where they want to go. There is plenty to keep me busy with now, and after this, I expect I’d like to do it all again and start another company. Early stage companies really give me a buzz because they are always changing and I gain immense satisfaction from seeing the effort put in resulting in a tangible new product or service. 

What are your tips for success?

Always challenge yourself to keep learning and working in a field that interests you. If I every get too comfy I know it’s time to change. 

I’ve been lucky enough to have some great mentors and advisors throughout my career. I’d encourage everybody to seek out particular individuals who have valuable experience and who you trust to guide you.

What books / websites etc. would you recommend to a woman just starting out in IT?

For web technology, I read TechCrunch and I love Fred Wilson’s blog called “A VC”. 

Can you share a few words of wisdom for those people who are thinking about pursuing a career in IT?

IT is always about the end user and solving their practical problems and not just about writing code. There is a huge variety of roles and problems to solve within IT and it’s worth considering the range of possibilities before you make a leap.

How important do think your education or background has been in influencing your career choices?

Hugely important. I have always valued education really highly and have been lucky enough to come from a family that have been really supportive but never pushy of education. My mum was a Physics teacher and my Dad an Engineer, so they both encouraged me to pursue maths and science, and for me that was certainly the right choice.

Do you think it might have been a different story, of "how you got to where you are now", if you'd been a man?

Maybe, but I don’t think about it like that. I’ve had and made some great opportunities and always tried to make the most of whatever was thrown my way. As a female in ‘technology’ I’ve always been a minority and I think that’s a real shame, but I don’t think that I have been disadvantaged because of my sex.

Tell us a little about your life outside of work

I am a passionate sportswoman and love anything outdoors and active. My main sports currently are triathlon and competitive cycling and I recently cycled from John O’Groats to Lands End in seven days, which gave me sore legs but a huge sense of achievement!


Do you think that there are obvious differences between what men and women have to offer an IT department?

I think it’s more about personality and I find it hard to generalise about one particular sex. I’ve seen people from either sex bring great qualities to different roles in IT. The more successful people have always been good at working in teams and had excellent communication skills, above and beyond sheer brain-power. 

Are you aware of any preconceptions or stereotypes of women in IT, and if so what do you think of them?

I’m quite sure there are, but I tend not to let stereotypes affect be but instead focus on doing a good job and that usually means that any preconceptions melt away pretty quickly.

What do you think could be done to actively encourage more women to join the technology market place in general?

Having more female role models actively encouraging girls to study science and maths at school and beyond would help. I think the desire to pursue a career in technology starts at school and it’s really important that we encourage more girls to have the confidence to take this route at an early age.

Do you think enough is currently being done to counterbalance what has become an obvious lack of women in technology?

I think far more could be done by government and businesses working hand-in-hand to make role model programmes work.  There are some great programmes in force such as Microsoft’s DigiGirlz and I’d like to see more of those taking place.

If you could give young women looking for a position in the IT market place a single piece of advice what would it be?

Have confidence and courage, seize opportunities that come your way, and you will be rewarded!


See More:

IT Career Paths 
Sign up for Job Alerts
Sign up for e-Newsletter