International Women’s Day – Meet Barbara
2 min read
Meet Barbara
Finance Manager
On International Women’s Day, discover the journey of four wonderful women at Kalray (Pam, Barbara, Cristina and Suzanne) their visions, their dreams, the challenges they face every day.
Barbara, a Finance Manager at Kalray since 2023, shares her thoughts with us. Barbara is based in Montbonnot, France.
Barbara, can you tell us about your background and your job?
Born in Poland, I moved to France in 2013 to study Finance at Grenoble IAE after earning a double BA in linguistics and international business at the University of Gdansk. I had been working as a financial auditor before joining Kalray in March 2023.
Today I am part of Kalray’s finance team, and I am happy to live in the French Alpes with my family.
What job did you want to do when you were a child?
Professional swimmer or a gymnast, I think. I still love sports but in a different way!
Do you think that being a woman could have been a hindrance or an asset in your career?
A little bit of both. I have experienced some unpleasant situations, including different expectations, exclusion or inappropriate jokes and comments. It has never stopped me from doing what I wanted.
Why do you think there are so few women in the engineering and tech industry?
Too many stereotypes of women not capable to work in technical fields and lack of role models. It’s getting better but there is still a long way to go.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
On one hand, being thankful for living nowadays, when women’s rights start to be considered as part of fundamental human rights (unfortunately not everywhere). On the other hand, nothing is permanently guaranteed, and we must remain vigilant and supportive.
What is your vision on gender equality at work?
Equal pay, equal expectations, and equal opportunities, regardless the gender.
What do you think is the most dangerous stereotype about women?
The belief that women are inherently less capable than men and that they cannot make decisions for themselves or the society they live in.
What do you think is the biggest challenge of being a woman today?
Defining the work-life balance and dealing with all related expectations and stereotypes.
Ingrid LEBOUCHER
Head of Human Resources, Kalray
Ingrid Leboucher has been the Head of Human Resources at Kalray since February 2022, focusing on HR strategy to support company growth, career development, employee engagement and to foster a positive work environment. Ingrid has a degree from Skema Business School in Sophia Antipolis, France. She is also certified as an MBTI practitioner, emphasizing her commitment to helping people realize their potential.
