Women Transforming the Future of Tech at Veritas — Kanaklata Jani

Throughout Women’s History Month, Veritas spotlighted women who are driving innovation in our journey to the Cloud. We continue celebrating Veritas women in technology who are making history every day. In this next interview, hear from Kanaklata Jani, Sr. Principal Software Engineer from the Backup Exec team. 

Q: Kanak, how long have you been with Veritas?

I joined Veritas in July 2003 as part of the amelioration project in the Technical Support team. Over the years, I have worked in various roles (Frontline Support Engineer, Technical lead, Backline Support Engineer) before I moved to the Development/Engineering team. On the Engineering team, I worked as an Escalation Engineer, an Escalation Program Manager, and then as a Scrum Master. 

Q: It's always inspiring to see someone grow with Veritas. What is your current role and responsibility/responsibilities at Veritas?

I am the Scrum Master for multiple scrum teams for the Backup Exec product. My current role requires my team to implement features within the product by adopting the best Agile Practices, maintain backlog, prioritize the same with the product owner/Product Manager, keep all stakeholders informed on the progress of feature development, host daily stand-up meetings, help the team remove roadblocks, and more. 

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in technology?

I’ve always liked challenging projects which require the use of analytical skills. At Veritas I got to do that from the very beginning. Solving customer issues and improving their experience with the product has kept me motivated. 

Q: That leads me to my next question. What keeps you at Veritas? What is your favorite aspect of the company? 

Veritas holds a special place for me, being it was my first job. There has always been an atmosphere of encouragement to excel in each assignment at each stage, and it has helped me realize my potential immensely. The excellent support from senior colleagues and friends, and healthy collaboration between teams across geographies are some of the key factors that make Veritas a special workplace. 

Q: Kanak, your role transforms the future of solutions and products at Veritas. What project that you’ve worked on have you found the most rewarding? 

I have been tasked with several projects over the years and each of them has helped me grow professionally and personally. Here are two examples.

Early on, when I was part of the Support Team, there was a case where the customer had lost the servers in their environment and required help in disaster recovery. Their business had come to a complete stop. The call came through to me and I collaborated with them to bring up their Active Directory, Exchange, and other application server. There were several hiccups along the way, which required rounds of troubleshooting to solve. I remember working across two shifts to help the customer be up and running. I couldn’t possibly leave with a job half done just because my shift was over. The instant gratification from the customer is something I remember vividly to this day. It was a wonderful experience.

A more recent example is where the Backup Exec product added support for M365 workloads. It was a long and complex project that took more than a year and a half to accomplish. I was engaged in the scrum master capacity and had to work with several teams. It was a challenging project, where I needed to collaborate with a growing team, deal with changing dynamics at each stage, resolve roadblocks, and at the same time continue to make steady progress. The project saw daylight when Backup Exec 22.0 was made generally available. 

Q: We just wrapped up Women’s History Month, so I ask, how has collaboration with other women at Veritas influenced or inspired you?  

Many women over the years have inspired and influenced me. I have always admired women leaders at Veritas and followed their career graph. Their focus, determination, and sharp vision to capture new heights is something I have imbibed, and I aspire to take on more challenging roles at every opportunity. 

Q: Our women leaders are indeed inspiring. What are some challenges you’ve encountered as a woman tackling these initiatives?  ​ 

I cannot mention any challenge specifically I’ve faced because I am a woman. At Veritas, I have been fortunate to have a notable set of colleagues across different teams who guided me and encouraged me to do better at each stage. I never felt singled out for being a woman and have always been treated at par with my male colleagues.

Q: It’s very enriching to hear your experience. What are your thoughts and/or feelings about being a woman in the tech industry? 

Diversity leads to more ideas and innovation. As women, we bring a unique perspective to the table that can help businesses grow. My experience being in the tech industry has been highly positive, encouraging and motivating. I receive appreciation for the value I bring to the table with my sharp intellect, dedication, resilience, and diverse views and opinions that help build the business.

Q: This was an interesting conversation. In closing, I would like to ask what advice you would give to women who want to break into tech/leadership roles.

My advice is to be patient, strong, resilient, and maintain a razor-sharp focus on their goals. Stay in touch with the latest technology and be willing to mentor and give back whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Thank you to Kanaklata for sharing a little bit about her work and experience at Veritas. Veritas Technologies is growing, and we encourage you to explore open roles at our career page.