Meet a Medidatian: Sarala R., Manager, Cloud Operations and World Traveler

Meet Sarala, who manages an operations team which supports all the Medidata applications hosted on AWS cloud. This includes support for all the production issues and upgrades upon customer requests. Her team is spread out in our UK, NJ, and San Francisco locations, and they are part of the Service Delivery and Customer Enablement team.

Hometown: Chennai, India.

Currently lives: Belle Meade, New Jersey, for more than 20 years.

Years at Medidata: About 8 years.

Where did you work before Medidata? I was at McGrawHill as a consultant. 

What is your favorite part of being a Medidatian? I am proud to be a Medidatian. It is a great company and really stands up for its employees. Great culture and awesome colleagues.

What is your favorite project or moment during your time at Medidata? Recently, we worked on a migration project for a major sponsor, and my whole team was involved. I was so amazed to see how the whole Medidata team came together to work on it. Not one person on my team complained—they knew it was important for the company and we had to get it done. I am so proud of my team. They rolled up their sleeves and worked several nights and weekends to make it happen. The project manager stated in the end, “Every single individual working on the project showed their A-game, amazing work ethic, determination, and comradery.” I am so proud to be part of this awesome team!

What's your advice for others looking for opportunities in Service Delivery/Product? I am an eternal optimist. My advice is be passionate, stay calm, and do your best. Don’t let any noise distract you from the goal. Actually someone advised me this—stay objective, don’t take anything personally. 

What do you like most about being a woman in technology? I have been the only woman on many tech teams during my career. At Medidata, I have had a great experience. There is a lot of camaraderie and respect. I really enjoy it.

What's your favorite Medidata perk or benefit? I really like the flexibility, the option to work remotely. The unlimited vacation is also a nice perk.

What are your hobbies? Traveling, reading, gardening, hiking, and watching TV.

Where is your favorite place on earth? Africa—love Capetown and the Safaris.

What is your favorite animal? Giraffe—just very elegant, graceful, and yet powerful.

If you could be anyone who would you be? Probably Bill Gates, not for the billions, but because he helps thousands of people all over the world. I am a big fan of the Gates Foundation and his philanthropic endeavors.

What’s your favorite quote? “I can’t change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” —Jimmy Dean. My life motto: “Be good, do good always.”

Our Medidatians are all unique and amazing in their own ways. In our Meet a Medidatian series, we introduce you to Medidata employees from all over the world and share some interesting, fun, and surprising facts about what makes them who they are. Check out the full series.