Celebrating women at Adobe and the people who inspire them

As Adobe continues to celebrate Women’s History Month around the theme of leadership, we turned to members of our Women at Adobe Employee Network to learn who inspires them. Their answers, ranging from personal friends to industry leaders, share a common theme—that leadership is made up of traits like reliance, passion and decisiveness. From India to Australia, and the United States to the United Kingdom, here is what some of our employees shared.

Rani Kumar, Principal Scientist, Adobe India

“I have had great opportunities to work with many senior leaders during my 15 years at Adobe India. I particularly look up to Mala Sharma (VP, Creative Cloud Product Marketing and Digital Media Education) and Maria Yap (VP, Digital Imaging), as I have great admiration for their career growth in the technical space, their leadership style, and especially their ability to influence and impact innovation through managing global teams at Adobe. I am inspired to grow my career by growing individually as well as creating an impact for the teams I lead. I have seen both Mala and Maria demonstrate similar value systems as mine, which is very motivating for me.”

Emiko Matsumoto, Manager, Performance Media Marketing, Adobe Japan

Yukari (left) pictured with Emiko (right).

“Yukari Minoura is my friend, mentor, and great leader since my early career. She guided me through struggles, was a great listener and we often spent quality time together over drinks. Her intellect motivated me to study new perspectives and made me discover new interests. The lessons I learned from her are even stronger after her death, and I know she lives in my heart as a guide. Her leadership taught me to be thankful for what I have, and to also remember that I have the influence to make others happy too.”

Diana Tarfulea, Director of Engineering, Adobe Romania

“The first person that comes to my mind when I think ‘March’ or ‘women lead’ is my mother. And that’s not only because her birthday is in March or because traditionally, in Romania, March 8 is also “Mother’s Day,” but because my mother has always been a mentor and role model for me. It is from her that I learned early in my life, when she was my teacher at school, the importance of treating people equally, regardless of ethnicity, cultural background or social status. Back then I learned what gratitude meant by sharing the things I was lucky to have, like books, toys or food. Later on, her strong will, courage and determination have been a model for me and many of the things I achieved happened because of the mindset I inherited from my mother.

But one of the things that I admire the most is how she leads the way, both at her job and in my hometown community. With a style that combines influencing, motivation, nurturing and consistency, she manages to bring together every year more than 100 teenagers, who act as volunteers in the local community, working on initiatives like summer schools, green projects or social campaigns. It’s amazing to observe the energy and joy these kids have when they help other people or create positive impact in their community. And that is because a ‘woman who leads’ brings them together, creates the context for them to act and motivates them to succeed.”

Tara Rule, Senior Director, Strategic Commercial Strategy, GTM & Operations, Adobe UK

“A few of my female managers over the years have had one thing in common. They believed in me! They thought I was good, they weren’t afraid to tell me, and that has helped me grow in confidence. It’s why I find it so important to tell people who work for me if they’re doing a great job.”

Pea Chovhan, Account Executive, Adobe Australia

I’ve been told many times the things that I wouldn’t be able to do, that I should lower my expectations, and accept less. Luckily for me, I never listened to those voices. I’ve surrounded myself with a group of exceptional women I get to call my friends. The thing that unites us is how we each operate with the same conviction, purpose, and determination. I watch them navigate work, family, and home with grace and grit. Sometimes we stumble but always with the comfort that there will be a hand to help us up and a voice of motivation shouting at us to keep going! These women form my sisterhood and will tell me that I can do anything.

Deanna Martinez, Enterprise Business Development Representative, Adobe US

Deanna (left) with her mother.

“The first women that comes to mind when I think leader, inspiration and influence is my mother. My mother has instilled work ethic and authenticity in me and I’m forever grateful for that. Being a first-generation Latina woman who had her first child (me) at 15 years old and was able to pursue a career in Dental Hygiene totally beats the odds that were against her. Although it wasn’t an easy road for her, she made sure to learn from everyone around her and ask questions along the way. Watching my mother from such a young age go after her dreams, opened my eyes to if I want something I have to put in the work. This has influenced me tremendously as I enter my career here at Adobe. It was my dream to work at Adobe since I was a Junior in college. I was fortunate enough to interview for the Adobe Sales Academy my senior year, but unfortunately did not secure an offer that time. 2 years later and 11 applications later I am proud to say I’m finally a part of the Adobe family. My mother’s drive and ambition influenced me to keep going. When you have a dream use your passion to fuel you. If you put the work in, you will get what you deserve!”