Women in Tech - Q&A with Nicole Ritchie, Customer Success Lead

I’m excited to introduce my newest interview partner, Nicole Ritchie, Customer Success Lead at amazee.io.

Originally from Germany, Nicole has always had a real knack for traveling, a passion that eventually led her to the shores of New Zealand. Her journey included a stint working on super yachts and sailing all around the South Pacific, a pastime that remains incredibly close to her heart and perfectly complements the outdoorsy, water-centric lifestyle of her adopted home. She’s particularly drawn to the Kiwi "can-do" attitude, embracing the local belief that if you work hard and stay open to new things, you can make anything happen.

In both her life and career, Nicole is a natural connector. Whether she’s assisting customers or bringing friends together, she thrives on making people happy and creating seamless experiences. This natural ability to orchestrate has seen her rise from a Business Administrator to a senior leader. Her "project manager" brain is always on, even outside of work; as a mom to a nearly four-year-old daughter, she’s the one expertly orchestrating playdates, parties, and camping trips full of surprises for everyone.

A self-proclaimed "people person" through and through, Nicole admits that the quiet of a home office can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. She’s the kind of person who will happily strike up a conversation with just about anyone while out on an errand or at daycare pickup, simply because she finds so much joy in human connection.

💬 How do you feel about being a female employee at amazee.io? Do you feel like you can thrive in an equal-opportunity work environment?

Right from the start, when I joined, I think I was employee number 15, I had my introduction with Dania [Gerhardt, Co-Founder of amazee.io]. Even then, when amazee.io was still small, it was clear that the women working here had strong voices. We were heard. And today, if you look at the balance, I feel that’s still the case. There are a lot of women here, and it shows in the culture.

It’s a really comfortable environment. You don’t feel like you have to fight for things; you can voice your opinions, and you can definitely thrive.

Working at amazee.io, I feel it’s not just about the hard work that everyone does; there’s also that emotional work-life balance. People here really understand and respect one another. I think Dania was quite a big piece of that, just making sure there was always room for the emotional needs of the people working here, not just a focus on 'we need your skills’. She definitely helped shape the company culture and the easy integration of women into the company.

💬 How and why did you decide to study in the tech industry?

I didn’t set out to work in tech in a traditional way. Back in Germany, I studied early childhood education and social work, but I left straight after graduating. When I finished super yachting and decided to base myself in New Zealand, I was at a bit of a crossroads: What do I actually want to do?

I’ve always been very outgoing and sociable. I love building relationships, connecting dots, and just talking to people. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever 'properly' gone out and applied for a job in the traditional sense; everything just seemed to fall into place. I’d be traveling, run out of money, and get offered a yacht job. When I came back to land, I started temping in different offices. My first foot in the door of the tech world was working at the reception desk for an IT company while their receptionist was away.

I’ve never seen myself as someone with incredibly deep expertise in one specific technical area. Instead, I think of myself as an orchestrator. I connect people, ideas, and teams. I understand enough of how things work technically to ask the right questions, but I stay close to the customer and the human side of the work. That balance is a huge part of why tech suits me so well. I just fell into it by being open, interested, and working hard.

My 'accidental' start at a reception desk led to a rollercoaster career ride. I spent a lot of time networking and used to joke that my job paid for all my dinners because I was always out at events. At Catalyst IT, I quickly transitioned from Office Manager to Project Manager and Digital Delivery Lead. When I joined amazee.io, I managed the global customer base on my own and, over time, grew that into the team I lead today.

In my past roles, I worked in quite conservative, male-dominated tech environments. I found my place by complementing the team’s skill sets, bringing empathy, structure, and a genuine desire to make things better. 

 Looking back, I can see that I’ve always had a strategic mindset, even if I didn’t call it that at the time. The tech industry has given me space to grow into that, and honestly, being a woman in this industry is actually a motivation for me. 

💬 How would you best explain your job to others?

I’m definitely the customer advocate. As the Customer Success Lead, my main role is to make sure our customers feel supported, understood, and confident in working with us. I sit between our customers and our technical teams, translating priorities and aligning expectations. I’m often the escalation point in complex situations, bringing the right people together early to resolve issues before they grow.

Just as importantly, I look after our engagement managers and technical account managers. I support them and focus on providing the framework and structure they need to do their jobs well.

💬 What does a typical workday look like for you?

There is no real “typical” day, but about half my time is spent in meetings. A large part of that is focused on customer conversations, monitoring requests, customer happiness, and overall customer health. I do a lot of follow-ups and problem-solving. I usually try to set aside two days a week to focus on other tasks and on the implementation of processes.

When I’m not in customer meetings, I’m in internal ones, often one-on-ones, but also cross-functional discussions. I strongly believe in getting the right people around the table early. It’s not just about resolving issues; it’s about aligning on roadmaps, anticipating risks, and making sure we’re continuously improving.

The rest of the time is spent on 'What’s next?' What is the product team working on? Is there anything we need to pass on to the customers? What’s going on in maintenance? Is there anything important we need to flag? I go through a lot of Slack channels just to make sure the customer is looked after and that tickets are being handled.

I’m also coaching and guiding my team. Since joining amazee.io, I've spearheaded the Customer Success framework from the ground up. I’m now leading a high-performing group of seven, so seven one-on-ones in a week is already quite a lot of meetings! But I really value that time for relationship-building. Because we work remotely, you can easily end up in a bubble. Not everyone is necessarily as open as I am, so I try to be that bridge and make sure everyone has the opportunity to talk to the right people at the right time.

💬 What would you say is the best part about being a woman in the tech industry?

I think one of the best parts is the appreciation for what women bring to the industry. We often juggle a lot at once, connect different moving pieces, and naturally balance the technical side with the human side of the work. In a space that hasn’t always had many women, that perspective really stands out, and I’ve seen a genuine shift in how much that’s valued. It feels like there’s more recognition now, which creates real space for women to grow, lead, and thrive.

In New Zealand, especially, you see many women stepping into high-level leadership positions, shaping the direction of organisations. I actually entered the 'Women in ICT' awards here in New Zealand last year. I didn't win, but writing down my story made me realize something: I have always worked for very strong female leaders in tech. Both at amazee.io and in previous roles, I’ve had the privilege of learning from women who led with confidence and integrity. That has been incredibly motivating for me.

💬 What roadblocks have you encountered as a woman in tech, and how do you work through them?

One of the biggest challenges for me has been imposter syndrome. In a male-dominated industry, especially in leadership roles, there can be a sense that you have to prove yourself just a little bit more.

Early on, I sometimes felt like I had to 'fake it till you make it', putting in that extra effort to get to where I want to be, especially in leadership roles. Even now in my daily work, because I deal with so many problems, I have to have quite strong arguments and stand my ground firmly. It’s also about how we present ourselves. I think a lot of women don’t necessarily talk about their wins or their achievements as much as they should. When you’re applying for roles or looking to move up, you really do have to try a little bit harder than men do to make sure your voice and your successes are heard and acknowledged.

One of my proudest moments in overcoming these challenges was leading the successful re-tender for the GovCMS programme in Australia. It was a high-stakes win that secured us a platform hosting contract for thousands of government websites, proving that a strategic mindset and hard work can overcome a traditional ICT degree!

💬 Looking back, did you ever see yourself ending up in a role like this?

No, not really. I’ve always been driven, but this path wasn't exactly my plan. My dad was a banker, and while my parents never put any pressure on our career path in any way, I knew he would have liked it if I’d followed in his footsteps. I grew up in a small village in Germany, so working in the same bank would have been the very traditional way, something he would have been quite proud of.

They always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted, but it was hard for them. Can you imagine having your 22- or 23-year-old child on the other side of the world, not coming back? That’s definitely tough. But I’ve always been goal-oriented, and it actually makes me really, really proud of myself now that I’ve taken this path, because I know it makes my dad proud, too.

Even though I didn't necessarily see myself in this specific role, I guess I’ve naturally always been in positions where I've been managing things. Even on the boats, as a chief stewardess, I managed the crew, customers, and all logistics.

And honestly, I wouldn't be afraid to try something new again. If we ended up in another country, or if situations changed, I’d be fine. I would love the opportunity to do something completely different down the track, maybe something with a charity. This goes back to that same passion: wanting to help people, solve problems.

💬 Do you think there are enough opportunities for women in the tech field?

I think there are, but we just have to work a little bit harder to get there. And I don’t think it’s just in New Zealand; I think it’s actually on a global scale.

You still see things like the pay gap, for example. At the companies I’ve worked for, I’ve always handled a lot of recruitment, and you notice this very clearly throughout the process. You might interview two people for the same role in the same industry, and often, the salary expectations are quite different. I think men are generally a bit bolder about what they ask for, whereas women often just accept whatever has been offered.

That said, I do think there are more opportunities now. The tech space has grown, and women are definitely more respected in the field than they used to be.

💬 How can we and other companies in the tech vertical try to attract more women to the field?

I think flexibility is a massive topic, and amazee.io does it really well. Offering flexible work hours is key to bringing women into tech. I have a lot of friends who really struggle once their children start kindergarten or school. I have one friend with no flexibility at all; how are you supposed to start work at on-the-dot-o’clock, but childcare opens only twenty minutes before, and you get stuck in traffic on your way to the office? It’s impossible!

In general, there needs to be much more flexibility in the workplace. It’s also quite important to offer good parental leave for both moms and dads. In New Zealand, for example, most companies offer to top up your pay until your child is six months old to encourage you to come back. Women have to consider these incentives because, often, we are still the main person looking after the children.

Other than that, to me it’s about the emotional support structure. Having other women to work with, so you aren’t always in a team of only guys, is quite good. Because, honestly, that can be a bit draining sometimes! It’s about having that female community.

Especially for us being remote, it’s so important to have regular touchpoints and a support network. I think women need a bit more than just going into a meeting, talking about XYZ, and leaving to do the work. We need that relationship building. Having a support network where you can actually connect would definitely make the field more attractive.

💬 How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends in technology?

I use newsletters, for sure, but a lot of it is also following the right people on LinkedIn. I’m actually part of the global Women of Customer Success network, and that is just awesome! It’s a real forum where women post daily; there’s so much outreach and support. It's honestly so amazing to connect with other women in tech globally, being able to ask questions without judgment and to follow trends. If I’m looking for a new tool or trying to stay up to date, that’s the very first place I look. They also send out a great newsletter.

Then, of course, there’s networking at conferences and events. I might not do as much of that since being at amazee.io, but I’m still very involved with community groups like the APAC Drupal community. I often help organize conferences and just try to stay really close to the pulse of the Drupal community.

I also find that talking to the customers themselves is a great way to stay current. I like to find out what’s happening in their world, how their landscape is changing. Having strategic roadmap sessions with customers really helps me see where tech trends are heading.

💬 What tech trends or innovations are you most excited about right now, and how do you see them shaping the future?

Definitely the AI movement! It’s helping us on the customer side a lot, especially with topics such as documentation, admin, and research. We deal with a lot of contracts and service renewals, so even just using it to review documents is a big help.

We do a massive amount of communication with our customers, and right from the start, I’ve been really excited about how AI can help reduce our workload. It’s absolutely about automating tasks. We’re still exploring how we can use it more within our team, like automating more of the 'busy work.' Whether it’s moving things to our digital workspace and productivity app or getting better at using prompts, we’re still learning as we go, but the potential is there!

💬 Any advice for women considering a future in the tech industry? Or anything that you wish you had known?

I would definitely say: “Go for it!” The tech industry has so many different roles; it’s not just what you might think. I actually believe it’s one of the best industries for women because it’s so flexible, and working from home is often a real option.

A lot of women, especially those just leaving uni, don’t realize how many paths there are. It’s not just being a developer, a project manager, or an analyst. There are so many roles that might perfectly fit your unique skill set. Tech companies are often quite open to that; sometimes you meet a great person and almost create a role for them because the tech industry is just more adaptable and flexible in that way.

Coming back to that imposter syndrome, I don’t actually have any formal 'tech' qualifications. I’ve completed my Scrum Master, product management, and women-in-leadership training. I actively seek out training opportunities with other women to connect and share experiences.

I really wish someone had told me back then not to worry so much about the 'right' degree. I spent too much time wondering if not having a tech-specific background would hit a ceiling for me, but the truth is, my passion for solving problems and my ability to connect people were far more valuable for advancing my career than any specific diploma. If I had known that my results and my drive would speak louder than my lack of a tech degree, I would have spent less time worrying about how I’d get to the next level and just focused on doing the work I love.

💬 Looking back, what would you tell your younger self, especially regarding your career path or personal growth?

I’d tell myself to be more confident! Just go for it.

Even now, I sometimes find myself worrying, thinking, 'Oh, I should really get an MBA so I can get to that next level of leadership.' As a woman in tech without a specific degree in tech, you sometimes feel like it’s harder to prove you have the skill set. But the advice I wish I’d had is to just 'go for gold.' Follow your nose, follow your dreams, and follow where your skills take you.

And just be confident! Be confident in your own skills. That’s something I still struggle with sometimes. When you work remotely, you don’t always get that immediate feedback, so you wonder if you’re good enough. Having more confidence in yourself right from the start would have been such good advice.

💬 Did you have any role models or mentors who guided you along the way? If so, how did they impact your career?

I think, from a local perspective here, there's definitely Katrina Bassett. She was the GM at Catalyst IT, and she was just so inspiring. She always saw the potential in me, and in people in general, really. She wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions, but she always provided the mentoring and guidance to go along with it.

I tend to be the kind of person who wants everyone to be happy, so sometimes I’m not quite as straight up as I probably should be. She was a really, really good mentor for that. Even though she came from a technical background as a developer before moving into a GM role, she always had that drive and knew exactly how to ask the right questions while being very direct.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me, Nicole!

If you think working with us sounds amazeeing, then please check out our careers page and make sure to follow us on LinkedIn!

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