Eeman is the Global Marketing Manager for INTTRA, an eCommerce shipping platform.  With an MBA from Karachi's Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Eeman is strengthening the ranks of Pakistan-educated professionals achieving success in corporate America.   Born to Zafar Samdani, a well-known journalist, and a mother who teaches psychology at Government College (one of Pakistan's finest institutions), Eeman is a shining example of Pakistani women whose success transcends geographical borders.  A mother of two, she is balancing a busy corporate life with a close-knit family, all in a day's work.

We interviewed Eeman in our series of young professionals as a recognition of her abilities, and also to learn from her professional and personal experience.  Read on to see what Eeman has to share.

Where are you working and what do you do?

I am working for INTTRA, a global e-commerce shipping platform. INTTRA’s e-commerce platform offers a comprehensive range of e-commerce tools, including: Tender, Sailing Schedules, Booking, Shipping Instructions, Bill of Lading, Track & Trace, and Reports. We have a number of solutions: INTTRA-Link (EDI-based, system-to-system connection), INTTRA-Desktop (off-line PC application), or INTTRA-Act (web-based application). The INTTRA carrier network represents over 61% of the container capacity among the world’s top ocean carriers. We have offices in all continents and representatives in over 17 countries. I am the Global Marketing Manager for INTTRA and have been with INTTRA for about two years.

How easy or difficult was it to make a switch to Corporate America after studying and working in Pakistan? What were the challenges?

As far as making a switch to corporate America is concerned, it really wasn’t a big difference for me since in Pakistan I was working for Standard Chartered Bank – a multinational corporation. IBA itself is very much in keeping with the standards of well-reputed international educational institutions. The difficult part in the US really is the lack of job security but then that’s one of the best things as well. The lack of job security forces you to do your best at all times. The challenge in the US lies in the pace and quality of work required. Everything has to be perfect and done within record breaking speed! Deadlines are made to be met and time is of utmost essence at all times.  Also, America is all about standards whether you are working for a big group or a small proprietary concern. In Pakistan work environments can differ greatly when it comes to multinationals versus ‘seth’ owned organizations.

How do your colleagues perceive you given you are a woman from Pakistan, a country which is not getting much positive publicity since 9/11? Are there any roadblocks of negative perception or do you think that you (and people like you) are making a positive change in the way Pakistani people are perceived?

INTTRA being the global company that it is has employees from all over the world and I am just another employee. It doesn’t really matter where you are from. All that matters is the work you produce. As long as you are giving your 101% to your work, you’re a star! However, when it comes to changing people’s perception, yes, I and others like myself absolutely make a difference. I have people showing utter surprise all the time when they find out that I’ve been in the US for only 5 years. They can’t understand how people like me born and bred in Pakistan have such great communication skills, excellent international exposure, had actual schools to go to, wore the same kind of clothes that they do here ...…the whole shebang. I love their surprised looks and gloat at all such opportunities where I get to boast about my country. I have pictures of my family and house in Pakistan in my office and my colleagues find it amazing to see how cool our houses and country actually is. Exotic pictures of Bhurban, Nathiagali, Abbottabad, camel rides on the beach, funky restaurants in Karachi, the beautiful red brick architectural Lahore and of course the most beautiful people (inside and out…too bad they can’t see the inside) are awesome images and based on these pictures I alone have boosted our tourism industry! (Laughs)

On the other hand, I have heard horror stories of people from Pakistan being discriminated for being from Pakistan. More so in the not so educated sector of the US. People in the US live in their own little bubble and don’t know much beyond that. Their information is strictly media based and unfortunately, that is not always the best.

What are the biggest plus points from your perspective of working and living in the US? What are some of the things you cannot imagine doing/getting in Pakistan which you can get here?

You are your own person. Your family connections, background etc don’t count at all. The bottom line is the productivity of your work and your work ethics. A couple of years ago, I met an elderly Pakistani person at a dinner. He said something to me that I quote to this day. He said that America is the place for honest and hardworking people. You work hard and reap the benefits with your family, and really that is the American way of life. Pakistan is much different from that aspect. If you have the connections and a strong family backing you up, you have it made for everything. For someone with equal if not higher credentials, but fewer connections, it would be an uphill struggle not always resulting in success. That is an idea I cannot fathom in the US and is a definite plus. It’s a fair game all along.

Even in my personal life, there are hidden talents that would have always been hidden in Pakistan. I love cooking and from what I hear am not bad at it! However, I would have never discovered my love for the culinary arts living in Pakistan. It was totally a ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ road that led me to this unfound talent, if I may call it that. (Laughs)

As a working mother, what are some of the biggest challenges and how do you overcome them?

The biggest challenge for me is childcare, more so because my two kids are eight years apart and what may suit one doesn’t work for the other. We’ve been through a series of nannies …thankfully no bad experiences but it’s just an ordeal training and trusting them. I really miss the support system that I would have had in Pakistan, but am able to wear many hats professionally and domestically because I have my husband's support.  Other than that, yes, balancing home and work is hard but both are rewarding in their own capacity. For someone like me, high on life in general, cooking a meal, keeping a good house (I love the domestic stuff especially doing interiors), raising exceptional kids and having a challenging job is really an achievement and one that makes me feel good about myself. For me this isn’t enough though.…I want to write and my father always encouraged me to do so and soon I will take that up…just as soon as my two year old guy starts sleeping a little more than 6 hours each night!

As a Pakistani working in the US, how do you think you are benefiting Pakistan in general, and particularly the Pakistani community in the US?

Let’s talk about being a Pakistani in the US in general first…you don’t have to be a working woman in the US to benefit your country. You can do it regardless. However, many of us women choose not to. I mean for me, the more I do, the more charged up and energetic I am to do more. For instance, for Eid, I make it a point to schedule some time with my son’s school and with his help, we set up a presentation for his class. In that we explain the festival of Eid, the philosophy behind the month of Ramazan, the celebration of Eid, we show them slides of Muslims greeting each other, saying their prayers and kids having a good time with their friends and families. I also take mehndi to involve the kids and draw henna tattoos on their palms. (I have had some interesting requests…one kid wanted a monster truck!) I take our traditional mithai to distribute it amongst the kids and we have a little Eid party. It has been a great success each year and the kids actually look forward to it now. Arhum and I also dress up in our traditional shalwar kameez, khussas, and me with choorian and all. It’s so much fun! I got this idea as Arhum would be learning about international festivals like Kwanzaa and Hanukkah and no one would ever mention Eid. So if no one mentioned it, it meant that no one knew about it and as a Pakistani, it was my job to educate my town. It makes my son feel proud of his background and teaches the kids in his class to grow up with a global mindset. We all need to do that little something for our country whether we work or not.

As a working woman, however, as discussed earlier on, the idea is to educate the world to treat all human beings equally and not to have pre-conceived notions.

To quote Shakespeare, we all have the same:

‘Organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions,

fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,

subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means,

warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer”

Anything about Pakistan that you cannot experience or obtain in the US?

Pakistan is my home and home is where the heart is. I can never get that anywhere in the world let alone the US!