Staff Spotlight: Malina Azman

What does it take to bring digital solutions to life? For Malina Azman, it’s a blend of creativity, problem-solving, and a passion for user experience.

As a Senior Digital Producer on Ultradata’s Digital Services team, Malina plays a crucial role in shaping Ultradata clients’ digital solutions, including websites, My Viewpoint, and the Ultracs App.

Her journey into the digital space began with an interest in digital content management, which led her to become a Web Content Coordinator at Swiss Federal Railways – Switzerland’s national railway service. This role was to become an excellent springboard, as Malina learnt to manage website content standards across four languages: German, French, Italian, and English.

As commuter habits shifted decisively towards digital information sources, Malina's role underscored the profound influence of high-quality web content on daily life. If you’ve used the internet to navigate the Swiss Train Network in the last decade, you have Malina’s content standards to thank in part for guiding you along your journey.

“It's essential to present the content in a way that ensures smooth navigation, accessibility, and optimal engagement for all users. A website isn't just about content; it's about creating a holistic experience for users.”

Malina's web content and project management skills saw her thrust into a leadership role early in her career. With a web project running behind schedule and over budget, Malina was brought in to lead the team and tasked with turning its fortunes around.

“I worked closely with the team to identify the main bottlenecks, reassigned responsibilities and introduced a more effective communication strategy. We completed the project on time and brought it under budget, a fantastic result given the initial challenges.

This experience taught me the importance of taking ownership, staying calm under pressure, and leading by example. It gave me the confidence to take on more significant leadership roles in the future."

After building on her credentials, Malina sought a new challenge. She first defined what she was looking for in a role and came across an opportunity that was too good to refuse at Ultradata.

“My career background has revolved around defining and continuously improving user experience through web content. I sought the opportunity to grow in this space, work in an impactful industry, and gain exposure to mobile apps. Ultradata ticked all those boxes."

Malina spends her work days on client projects. She keeps a to-do list - which she updates at the start and end of each work day - to stay on top of her tasks. However, with the digital realm a fast-moving and somewhat unpredictable space, she maintains flexibility. Malina's experience allows her to anticipate and solve complex problems, a skill that keeps her projects and team running smoothly.

"Being able to quickly identify and address any challenges that come our way during a project has helped our team maintain momentum and meet deadlines even under pressure. This lets my teammates focus on their tasks, knowing we can address issues swiftly and helps us work cohesively as a team."

Collaboration and Growth

For Malina, the key to Ultradata's success is its focus on collaboration with clients and across teams and departments. Beyond its impact on results, a culture of collaboration also makes work more rewarding and fun.

"My favourite thing about working at Ultradata is the strong sense of teamwork and collaboration. A collaborative culture means supporting each other to achieve our goals - not just completing tasks. Everyone at Ultradata is incredibly approachable, and there's always a willingness to share ideas and resources, which creates a very open and inclusive environment.

For me, collaboration is key to both my job satisfaction and personal growth. I enjoy brainstorming solutions and seeing how different perspectives form innovative ideas. Collaboration has also been great for my professional development, as I'm constantly learning from my colleagues across various departments."

Malina's growth mindset means she's always searching for new challenges. Beyond her current skill set, Malina is refining her technical and leadership skills. She is working through Azure online training courses and puts her hand up to participate in cross-functional projects. Of great support to Malina in her professional pursuits is Ultradata, where career development and growth are actively encouraged.

“I believe in constantly pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. I enjoy learning new things and exploring innovative, effective ways to approach challenges. This mindset not only helps me acquire new skills but also fosters my growth both professionally and personally.”

Aside from collaboration and growth, being intentional about her work-life balance empowers Malina to always bring her best self to work and home.

"Throughout my career, I've realised how important work-life balance is for maintaining productivity and avoiding burnout in the long run.

I've been focusing on creating a schedule that allows me time for both work and personal activities, including taking mini vacations and spending time with family. This balance keeps me energised and helps me stay focused and productive at work."

The Home Front

Outside of work, Malina places a high value on family time and creates meaningful memories that will stay with her two daughters throughout their lives. The family enjoy cooking, sharing a meal, walking, and travelling.

When she gets some time to herself, Malina enjoys diving into her hobby of interior design. She follows design blogs, reads books on the art of interior design, and watches videos on YouTube to broaden her knowledge and gain new insights. Malina has applied her expertise by designing her own living space and helping family and friends with their home design projects.

"Interior design is something I've always been passionate about. It's a creative outlet for me, and I find it very fulfilling to experiment with different ideas and see how small changes can make a big impact."