- Name: Monica Rucki
- Age: 34
- Current location: London, UK
- Home town: Victoria, Canada
- Education: Bachelor's Integrated Engineering; MBA INSEAD
- Current position: Strategy & Operations Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Google
- Bio: Monica works at Google as Strategy & Operations Manager for Sub Saharan Africa. In this role she leads business development, operations and strategy, supporting Google Marketing, Product and Sales teams focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa. Monica has nearly 7 years of experience in Africa. Prior to joining Google, Monica worked as Chief Financial Officer at Africa Internet Group (part of Rocket Internet) based in Nigeria. She has also done projects with Tigo / Bima in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire and worked in development consulting in Malawi. Monica is an engineer and has an MBA from INSEAD.
- Countries I've worked in: Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire, France, England
- Sector / subsectors: International Business, Multinational Corporations
- Areas of expertise: Information technology, operations management, strategy, business development, Sub-Saharan Africa
- Country: UK
- Region: Europe
- Sector: Business, IT
- Degree subject: Business & commerce, Sciences
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Please introduce yourself and describe your role at Google.
Monica is responsible for growing Google's business in markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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What is a typical day or week like at Google?
Monica helps Google's product teams understand what works for users in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Can you share some background about your career trajectory and how you got to where you are today?
There is no substitute for long-term first-hand experience on the ground.
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What do you enjoy most about working internationally?
Monica has always been mission driven, and believes in the power of access to information to drive economic development.
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Can you share some information about Google's social impact?
How do we move people from social networking to using the internet to better their lives?
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How does Google's social impact compare to what you have seen in the international development space?
Tracking long term social impact is a major challenge for both development organizations and the private sector looking to make positive social change.
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Could you elaborate a bit more on what you enjoy about living abroad from a personal standpoint?
Perpetually curious, one of Monica's most cherished memories is the week she spent in a small corn-farming community in Ghana.
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What sort of challenges have you experienced working internationally?
When it comes to working across cultures, you often don't know what you don't know.
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Can you give an example of a specific challenge that you faced moving around Africa?
Monica was surprised by the differences between West and East Africa
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What sort of abilities and skills does it take to overcome the challenges of working abroad and what does it take to succeed in a global tech firm?
Humility and empathy combined with technical skills and links to local start-ups can set you on the path to success in an global tech career.
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Would you say that working at a startup is a good entry point in the sector?
Dreaming of working at Google? Working at a startup, accelerator, or digital media agency in an emerging market can help get your foot in the door.
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What advice do you have for landing jobs with start-ups and media agencies in Africa?
Monica tells us about an often overlooked way of breaking into emerging markets.
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Any last tangible advice or tips to share?
Monica shares the number one lesson she has learned during her career so far.
