Women in Identity spoke to Erdoo Yongo, Policy & Advocacy Manager at GSMA – the industry body for the mobile telecoms sector. Given the prevalence, and significance, of mobile phones and mobile technology across the globe, we wanted to know how she sees the development of ‘identity’ in this space – and whether policies and products really have the individual user at their core.
What do you love most about your job?
I work within the Mobile for Development department that explores how mobile technology can be used as a platform to create growth and reduce inequalities. To really understand the impact mobile can have on people, my role spans two areas: the Digital Identity programme and Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme.
My work involves uncovering the policy-related barriers that individuals face in accessing mobile services. Identity is a gateway to some of the most fundamental resources and services including healthcare. My responsibilities focus on high-level policy research. It is vital that we fully understand the different approaches governments around the world take to ID. We saw this year how COVID-19 released a whole new reliance on mobile technology. But in some countries, no ID meant no SIM – means no connection, not to family and friends and also, sometimes, not to school resources, financial support or healthcare initiatives. My research focuses on creating an evidence base that can be used to campaign for better access to all these vital services.
I am of Nigerian heritage but born and bred in the UK. I am very aware that we don’t connect with the concept of ID as they do in countries where a national ID is mandated by the government. In many of the countries I have researched, citizens value mobile services even more than they do basic things like food services or banking. It is a lifeline but, if it is tied to ID, it can exclude millions of people who – for whatever reason – don’t have a recognised identity.
So, to answer the question …. what I love most about my job is that it relates very much to the provision of vital life services. And, because very few people are involved in this kind of work, I really feel it is valued.
How did you get to where you are today?
It was an accident! I started within GSMA’s Digital Identity team as an intern. I stumbled across the internship through ‘The Brokerage’ – a social mobility network that focuses on providing opportunities for young people from disadvantaged communities, helping them take their first step into a professional career. Before seeing the internship, I had no idea who GSMA was or what they did. My internship lasted for just under a year but a number of opportunities arose which enabled me to progress from an intern to my current role. I feel it was a mixture of luck and positioning that got me to where I am today.
Luck???? Really ….?
OK…:) Maybe there was some hard work and risk-taking along the way! I studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Manchester University and was always interested in international development and humanitarian issues. So I guess being curious and not afraid to ask questions was a help! I think I was willing to take more risks too when I was younger – guess you have less to lose! I went for the GSMA internship even though it was initially advertised for 3rd year undergraduates – and I knew nothing about ‘identity’!! I’d just graduated but loved the sound of it so I went for it – and got a place!!
It is hard to do things that – on the face of it – look like there’s no chance of success. But what have you got to lose? I hope I retain that element of me, but it does get harder as your career develops :)
What is the most important lesson you have learned along the way?
Good question. I guess it would be “You are in control of your destiny”. When I first started at GSMA I was pretty timid. I didn’t really know what I was doing and tended to expect that opportunities would come to me from my manager. Now, 3 years in, I realise that I am the only person who can control and direct my career. If I want exposure to certain things, I need to carve out the opportunities myself.
To this end I now recognise how important it is to have a mentor who can help you – especially in the early years. I was one of the first interns within GSMA’s 2017 intake and it was pretty scary coming out of university and into a corporate role. I didn’t really have a mentor but do feel it would have been beneficial. I now mentor others within the GSMA and externally at Queen Mary’s University as I feel it is so important to have someone ‘safe’ who can help you chart your path.
I am the only person who can control and direct my career
What do you feel needs to change in the identity sector?
We need to attract more people into our sector. As yet, it is still a relatively unknown sub-sector of “technology” and I feel I sort of stumbled into it by accident! Most young people would just look at it and assume the only opportunities are in computing or coding. Yet here we are chatting – a Policy person and a Communications person, both working in Identity! :)
There are so many great ways you can develop your career in this sector – we just need to promote it better!
In a nutshell, why does diversity matter to you?
As individuals we are all unique in our own way with different skills, qualities and ideas. In ‘identity’, we are all about the individual, yet our teams often look very homogenous. This creates an underlying tone that you need to conform and it is better just to fit in than to challenge the way we do things.
Greater diversity in our teams will bring a different way of looking at the world – leading to different solutions for the problems it faces.
In ‘identity’, we are all about the individual, yet our teams often look very homogenous.
What book or film would you recommend to your fellow members and why?
After the death of her father, a young Spanish woman embarks on a journey to discovers generations of family secrets. Typically, movies show colonialism from a British or American perspective, so this it was really intriguing to see it from the Spanish perspective.
Also … as most of the dialogue is in Spanish, it was good to practise my Spanish listening skills, though I admit I did rely heavily on the subtitles!
Finally, what piece of advice would you give to the teenage Erdoo?
Keep on getting to know yourself.
We go through life prioritising situations and others and we tend to lose sight of ourselves.
Remember that as an individual you will change, mostly without even recognising it. I implore people to continue learning about themselves – their values, goals and ambitions – it’s the only way to stay true to yourself.
Follow Erdoo on Twitter or LinkedIn.