Connecting, Empowering, and Developing Together: Santander US’ Women in Technology

Santander US’ Women in Technology (WIT) Group provides a collaborative space for women to support and empower one another as they advance in their careers. Bradley Perez, who works in Santander US’ Technology and Operations (T&O) Policy Administration, and Amy Piper, a T&O Regulatory Program Office team member, have experienced WIT’s positive impact firsthand. 

“We can accomplish so much more than we could individually,” Perez said. 

“We’re making an impact,” Piper agreed.

In part two of this two-part series on WIT at Santander US, Perez and Piper share their meaningful experiences, significant milestones, and goals for WIT's future. 

Read part 1 here.

Tell us a bit about your roles at Santander US. What is your day-to-day like?  

Bradley Perez: I collaborate with IT and Operations members across Santander’s subsidiaries to create procedural documentation. These documents keep us in line with current global and regulation standards. Every day, I get to communicate with teams, learn about their current roles, and format their step-by-step tasks. 

Amy Piper: I’ve been in my role since March 2022.  As soon as a recommendation comes out of an internal audit, we monitor, track, and help remediate the recommendation until completion, ensuring we meet all milestones.  

Can you tell us about the inspiration for Women In Technology at Santander US and how you got involved?

Amy Piper: The group was created out of our technology C-suite members’ desire to empower our women in tech, give them a community, and help continue to promote women in leadership. We also work closely with other Santander groups to leverage global and US women’s efforts. We work on several initiatives throughout the year for the networking, development, and advancement of women in tech.

Last year, I joined WIT through one of my previous mentors. I’m inspired to be part of this group because technology constantly evolves, and it’s important for women to stay competitive within the industry. I meet with our WIT Ambassadors and members to help execute our initiatives and events.  

Bradley Perez: In 2023, I joined Santander’s Women In Technology (WIT) Group as a member before becoming a Tower Lead for Networking and Community in 2024. The reason behind WIT was to create a group where women could network, learn, and work on volunteer projects together. 

There was a desire for a space for women to get together to discuss challenges within the technology workforce, cross-train, and inspire each other to achieve our career goals. I was intrigued by the group because it seemed like a safe space to network with women I don’t typically connect with in my business as usual. 

We collaborate to make our events successful. This is very empowering — we can accomplish so much more than we could do individually. I’m constantly learning about my colleagues’ roles and how they tie back to the bank’s operations holistically through WIT exposure. It’s a real accomplishment.

What are some of the positive outcomes of WIT?

Bradley Perez: I’ve learned so much from the women in the group. I’ve had a unique insight into their duties, which gives me an overall better understanding of Santander’s objective. This program provides a comfortable, safe setting for women to connect and educate each other in ways that would not be possible without it. 

One successful project we had was our Speed Mentoring Event. During the event, four executives met with group members to answer questions regarding work-life balance, how to lead effectively, and the challenges they faced. 

Amy Piper: WIT has allowed me to meet other women within tech and operations teams. The program and initiatives provided a common place for us to collaborate to create events that offer networking, development opportunities, exposure to leadership, and make an impact within Santander. 

The quarterly Speaker Series features topics such as business resilience, data centers, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.  We recently had up to 400 Santander attendees at our last event.

Additionally, we sent 15 attendees from the Santander US T&O organization to the last WIT conference in Austin. We networked and further developed our tech knowledge, helping us feel empowered. We heard from speakers across all technology functions, including Jo Chadwick, CIO of Digital Transformation at Santander Bank US.  Jo shared how human connection and heart-centered leadership are central to delivering business value and results.    

What are you most proud of about WIT?

Bradley Perez: I’m most proud of the work we’ve done together to create events that have educated, created relationships, and moved careers forward in a comfortable setting. The women I’ve met through WIT are all so incredible. 

Amy Piper: I am proud of Women in Technology’s continued evolvement and growth. We’re making an impact within Santander US!  

Do you plan to grow WIT in the future?

Bradley Perez: We plan to continue and grow. Currently, we’re only in the US, but we’d like to make this a global outreach group. Santander has an international presence in over 30 countries. 

We hope to continue to work closely with other Santander groups to leverage global and US women’s efforts.  

Do you think other companies would benefit from similar initiatives?

Bradley Perez: I truly do. Working for any company can be fun and exciting, but you can also fall into the same day-to-day routine and forget why you joined the company in the first place. Groups like these constantly take you back to your purpose and build your morale. 

Amy Piper: Yes, these programs allow women to continue to advance in technology.  It’s imperative to encourage other women to study technology because statistics show that women are a minority within the field.