How Santander US is Creating a Collaborative Community for Women in Tech

Through Santander US' Women in Technology (WIT) Group, Rukmini Iyengar and Kristie Kelly have the opportunity to be part of a collaborative community — one that uplifts and empowers women at the company and beyond. 

“WIT’s mission is to create a collaborative community for women in technology,” Rukmini explains. “We serve as change agents by connecting, empowering, and developing together. Through these connections, we aspire to cultivate innovative approaches and solutions, fostering a dynamic environment that creates opportunities to make an impact on the Santander footprint.”

In part one of this two-part series on Santander US' WIT, we caught up with Rukmini and Kristie to learn more about their work at Santander US, the importance of WIT, and the group's future.

Tell us a bit about your job. What’s your current role, how long have you been in this role, and what’s your day-to-day like? 

Rukmini Iyengar: I’m a part of the Identity and Access Management (IAM) for the Cloud team in the U.S. As a team, we’re responsible for ensuring we have the right IAM Controls for the cloud and continuously monitoring adherence to our various controls. 

Kristie Kelly: I lead our U.S. Technology and Operations Talent Acquisition team. I joined the organization in 2022 and have been in Talent Acquisition for over 20 years. We work closely with our technology teams and senior leadership to ensure we attract and retain top talent. 

What was the inspiration for WIT?

Rukmini Iyengar: The inspiration for Santander to create Women in Technology was to foster the belief in the company’s female workforce that technology is for everyone to learn and use in our day-to-day lives, both professionally and personally. 

Can you tell us a little more about how you got involved with WIT and how WIT benefits employees? 

Kristie Kelly: I joined WIT in 2023 as soon as I started with Santander. A Senior Director and I were working together closely on staffing her team. While I’m not in a tech role, technology, and recruiting have always been my passion, so I “adopted” tech as my secondary role. 

I believe I do my best when I’m an active member of my client’s line of business. I see firsthand the many talented women in our company and the great opportunities for others. Through WIT, we have offered mentoring, internal networking, speaker series on our latest technology projects and upcoming ones, conference sponsorship, and a place where women can help each other progress. Our WIT group has representation from many areas within technology and various levels of leadership. 

Rukmini Iyengar: Thanks to my then-mentor’s guidance, I joined Santander’s WIT Group as a Tower Lead. Then, I moved up to become one of the National Leaders. 

As a National Lead, I work with other Tower Leads, ambassadors, and executive sponsors to present our group’s various potential initiatives and seek their approvals and funding, if necessary. I identify and organize various initiatives that will connect and empower women in technology. I meet with the program’s ambassadors to present them with the identified initiatives, seek their approval, and organize the events.

What are some of the positive outcomes of WIT?

Kristie Kelly: Through WIT, we collaborate with other areas of the business and gain a greater understanding of our interdependencies, commonalities, and opportunities, as well as a solid framework for developing and mentoring each other.  

Which WIT accomplishments are you most proud of? 

Rukmini Iyengar: One thing that makes me proud to be part of the Women in Tech group is that the women on the working committee always come together to make an initiative or event successful, irrespective of their hierarchy in the company. It’s a powerful network, and it’s become a wonderful cross-functional team!

Kristie Kelly: I’m proud of our diverse achievements and the interest we have garnered. We started by attending a few conferences, and now, we have many different types of events throughout the year that will suit anyone’s interests. We also have the full support of our executive team. 

Do you plan to grow WIT in the future?

Kristie Kelly: Yes! We plan to grow even bigger in the future — not just in members but also in scope. As teams change and new projects begin, we will look to add even more events across our footprint.

Do you think other companies would benefit from similar initiatives?

Rukmini Iyengar: Yes, absolutely! Groups like these should be an integral part of the organization. Employees should leverage programs like this to expand their network, build confidence, and gain support when needed.

Kristie Kelly: Yes! As someone from a talent acquisition background who is closely aligned with tech, I think any organization would benefit from a group like ours. From a talent acquisition perspective, I’ve formed strong relationships with my clients, colleagues, and senior leadership. I fully understand their vision, strategy, and goals. That, in turn, helps me with resourcing plans for their teams. 

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