EP 19: How Two Women Are Driving Tech Forward at Zalando

“We should be the ministry of how; not the ministry of no.” — Florence MottayOn this special episode of The Vanessa Podcast; the show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes. I’m joined by two brilliant senior leaders from Zalando, recorded at Zalando HQ in Berlin the day after the Black Girls Tech Summit 2025.Meet my guests:Florence Mottay — VP Information Security & CISO at Zalando, leading the information security function and enabling the business to operate safely and confidently at scale.Siddhi Saraiya — VP Product Management (Customer Experience & Experimentation) at Zalando, a product leader working at the intersection of business needs, engineering trade-offs, and customer value.In this conversation, we go beyond job titles and get into the reality of leadership in tech from navigating failure and pressure, to building influence, sponsorship, and success on your own terms.In this episode, we discuss:Why both Florence and Siddhi chose Zalando and what drew them to the challengeHow to drive cybersecurity awareness in a large organisation (and why security is as much about people + culture as technology)The biggest difference between start-up speed vs corporate scale and how to adaptHow to process failure without letting ego run the show (“put it in the ego box”)Leading in high-pressure environments: routines, boundaries, and staying groundedWhat’s next for e-commerce, customer experience, and cybersecurity (including AI + commerce)What success looks like beyond the title; impact, family, and building great teamsReal advice for women in tech moving from mid-level to senior leadership🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping culture, business, and the future of work.🎧 Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts (and watch on YouTube).📱 Follow us on Instagram: @thevanessapodcast📱 Follow Vanessa: @vanessasanyauke (Instagram & TikTok)📌 Guests: Florence Mottay + Siddhi Saraiya (Zalando)