“I think whenever you are given the opportunity to do something challenging and difficult, you should.” – Courtney Dauwalter, American ultramarathon runner
Rocio Oswald lives by this mindset. Throughout her nearly 30-year career in tech, she has embraced every challenge as an opportunity to grow.
Now a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Services Solutions Architect, she helps customers navigate complex cloud environments, applying the same drive and problem-solving mindset that has guided her career.
Her journey into tech began years ago, sparked by curiosity and a passion for pushing boundaries.
Engineering a future in tech
Growing up in southern Spain, Rocio discovered her love for technology as a high school student. An avid learner, she was drawn to the challenges the field presented. One of her teachers encouraged her to pursue a career in tech, and she soon became passionate about increasing the number of women in the industry, too.
“The more I learned about technology careers, the more I liked it,” she recalled. “I felt excited and I was absolutely drawn to the spirit of innovation and constant learning that comes with it.”
She went on to study telecommunications engineering at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. After graduating, she worked as a project manager in Argentina for two years before moving to France, where she has lived and worked for the last 25 years.
Rocio spent the next two decades of her career in telecommunications, holding roles at companies like Telefónica and Verizon. As a sales engineer, she specialized in developing solutions for multinational organizations, integrating private and public communications, security, and cloud services. Her work focused on tailoring these services to help customers modernize their technology and stay ahead of evolving trends.
During this time, she had her first female manager in the tech industry, an experience that helped to shape her career. “She was a super smart and brilliant woman and taught me a lot, from technical aspects to how to handle difficult situations in a competitive world full of men,” Rocio remembered.
Another career highlight came when her manager at Verizon nominated her for the 2020 Women in Sales Awards in Europe. She was honored to be named a finalist in the Best Woman Sales Engineer category.
Driving innovation and finding balance
Seeking a new challenge, Rocio joined VMware two and a half years ago, working with telecommunications (telco) customers to design, build, automate, and operate modern cloud platforms across their networks. She quickly acquired the capability to partner with customers and shared her automation expertise in telco cloud environments at VMware Explore Barcelona 2023.
Now as a Broadcom Solutions Architect on the global VCF Services team, she helps customers adopt and streamline their private cloud infrastructure. Her work includes developing professional services for building a telco private cloud, automating infrastructure to deliver IaaS, implementing disaster recovery and extending on-premises datacenters to the cloud.
Collaboration is another key part of her role. Rocio works closely with the VCF sales and product teams to ensure customers find the right solutions while aligning the services roadmap with product development.
When asked what excites her about her work, Rocio highlighted how much she enjoys being part of the VCF team, which plays a central role in Broadcom’s private cloud strategy. She thrives on the challenge of helping customers navigate their cloud journeys, ensuring they can implement solutions that drive innovation, efficiency, and impact.
However, Rocio finds that her success is not defined by work alone. She believes that making time for both professional growth and meaningful personal pursuits not only brings fulfillment but also strengthens her impact in the workplace.
One of her favorite ways to spend time outside of work is with her four children, Adele (19), Candice (18), Mathilde (18), and Paul (16).
Rocio is also an avid marathon runner and trail runner. Last summer, she had the opportunity to run the Marathon for All at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, one of her favorite running memories. This spring, she will take on a new challenge: her first ultra-trail race, a 50-mile competition.
Beyond her career and athletic pursuits, Rocio is committed to giving back. She volunteers at local high schools, speaking to students about climate change and environmental responsibility, and helps them explore ways to reduce their ecological footprint.
Forging a path for women in tech
Though Rocio has built a successful career as a woman in tech, she knows that challenges remain for women in the field. “Sometimes, there is that feeling of needing to work harder to be taken seriously and fight for equal opportunities,” she said.
She emphasized that women are often expected to be strong, put work above all else, and leave other aspects of their identity at the door. The pressure to conform can make it difficult for women to bring their full selves to work, Rocio noted.
Creating more opportunities, she believes, is the key to breaking these barriers and fostering a culture where women can be collaborative, transparent, and true to who they are. “We can dare to be powerful, and—this is the difference—we can dare to be vulnerable without the fear of being labeled,” she said.
Her advice to aspiring women in tech: think big, seek out mentors and allies, and claim your place in the industry.
“Build a sense of solidarity or community with other women,” she suggested. “Seek collaboration rather than competition. Because we are women in an industry where men are more represented, embracing and sharing women’s values will lead to greater authenticity, cooperation, and mutual inspiration, allowing great things to be achieved.”
Learn more
In honor of International Women’s Month, we are sharing the stories of several women tech professionals making an impact in VCF Professional Services. Check out our recent feature on Liana Scarratt, consulting leader for the East Services Group and leading transformation consulting in the Americas.
