At Meta, making sure we have women and diverse representation in leadership roles is critical to our success. It encourages diversity of thought and empowers us to better serve the people who use our products and services around the world. Read on to hear stories of three team members who share how they’ve been impacted by strong women leaders at Meta in Tel Aviv.

“I met Dan-ya my second week at Meta,” James G., Product Growth Manager for Integrity in London, remembers. “We were at a team event in Tel Aviv, and she immediately took me under her wing and showed me where the good coffee was. When I decided to transition to a management role, I started working with her more closely as a mentor. Dan-ya being the first remote manager for the Product Growth team, I remember reaching out to her for advice, and she gave me a really comprehensive list of things I needed to start doing—from protecting my team and being the guardian of their time, to getting involved with recruiting efforts. I think about this conversation often, and I’ve become a better manager from listening to her advice.

At Meta, there’s this concept of bringing your true self to work, and Dan-ya truly leads with this philosophy by being herself in every situation. She talks about music she likes and shares what’s going on with her personally and with her family. She’s very open, which is something you don’t often see in managers across the industry. It’s a quality I try to emulate as a leader myself. When you bring your whole self to work, it encourages your team to open up and bring their best selves to everything they do.”

“Having a manager who believes in you and empowers you is an incredibly powerful resource,” says Chana F., Software Engineer on the Express Wi-Fi team. “Limor is that person for me.”

“I met Limor on my first day at Meta. We started bootcamp together and were working on the same team. Today, she oversees the entire Express Wi-Fi team in Tel Aviv. One of the things I respect most about Limor is her focus on creating an inclusive culture. During our engineering meetings, she makes it a point to ensure everyone is engaged and has the opportunity to contribute. She creates space for everyone’s opinion to be heard, and as a result, people are challenged and given new opportunities to grow and share creative ideas that haven’t come up before.

Limor has the unique ability to recognize people’s strengths and empower them to be the best versions of themselves. Last year, I was invited to give a talk at the technology department of a bank in Tel Aviv. I was nervous about the opportunity, but Limor encouraged me to do it. She even came with me to hear me speak! It made a huge difference knowing I had that kind of support. When you find yourself doubting your capabilities, Limor will be the first one to remind you of your talent, and she’ll continue to do so until you start believing in yourself.”

“Having strong representation of women in leadership roles is critical to fostering more diverse representation in the tech industry,” says Sarit W., Software Engineering Manager. “It wasn’t until I had a woman as a manager that I saw how positive and different the experience could be.”

“Tali was my manager for six months before she left to go out on maternity leave. When she returned, it was my time to go out on leave. Despite our short period of working together, we developed a strong relationship. I can tell she really cares about me as a person and I can talk to her about anything, not just work. When I returned from maternity leave after having my fourth child, it was incredibly hard. I kept asking myself, ‘How am I going to go back to working full-time? Should I even be considering new opportunities on different teams with a small child at home?’ Knowing that Tali did the exact same thing just a few months before made it easier for me to talk to her. She didn’t have all of the answers, but she helped me work through it.

While Tali is no longer my manager, she continues to be my mentor. I often go to her when I have to make interesting decisions in my career, whether it’s taking on a big project or stepping into a new role. There’s no barrier for me when it comes to communicating with Tali. She understands me holistically, and she applies that to my professional development to help me grow as an engineer and manager.”

By empowering their teams, creating space for people to be heard, maintaining an open mindset of growth and setting an example for others, Sivanne, Dan-ya, Limor and Tali are building a culture that allows everyone, regardless of their background to grow and thrive. Interested in joining the team and helping build our culture? Apply here.