AN INTERVIEW WITH
Rosira Palmer
PS Business Analyst II | LATAM | Sao Paulo, Brazil
AN INTERVIEW WITH
Rosira Palmer
PS Business Analyst III | LATAM | Sao Paulo, Brazil
Tell us a little about your career journey. What is your role at NCR?
I am originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
I grew up in a middle-class family and attended public school. At the time, there wasn’t equal education access, scholarships or student loans, so I began working at the age of 15, completing high school and college through night classes. My career journey is about not waiting for jobs to be given to me, but proactively seeking them. Through NCR, I have been able to work in a number of different departments, roles and countries. Here we go!
At 15, I got an internship at the Brazilian IRS and when it ended, I was hired by Hewlett-Packard Brazil. I started as an intern and later became a software and hardware maintenance specialist and marketing assistant.
In May of 1991, a former HP marketing director contacted me to let me know that the NCR marketing director was looking for a marketing event coordinator (RBX 1992 picture left) and that was when my journey at NCR Corporation began!
A few years later, I was able to move from the marketing team to the LA/ME/A CMD (Alliances) Team as an Alliance Assistant. This was during the exciting time we started signing agreements with partners for POS products in Brazil.
This was 1991, and also the time the merger with NCR and AT&T was signed. During this time of change, I decided to invest in myself and improve my English. I moved to Washington D.C., lived with an American family and attended an English as a Second Language (ESL) school.
Since I was in America, I thought I would take advantage of it. I reached out to a leader of the NCR Quality team I knew who lived in in Dayton, Ohio, and I was able to spend three weeks interning with the Quality team. This experience was approved by both NCR U.S.A. and NCR Brazil, so in 1993 when I returned to Brazil, I became the Quality Assessor of Brazil. In this role, I played an important part in the ISO 9000 certification and Customer Satisfaction Annual Surveys (you can see the photo of my interview in Quality Magazine).
In 1997, I was already working with the Sales Support Team as Project Coordinator for Finance and Retail products and was able to complete my Project Management training (ESI). I was part of the implementation team for Unibanco (ATM deployment and security kits distribution/installation) and McDonalds (POS). Due to the positive outcomes (a $2M networking project with Unibanco), I was granted an Award of Excellence during the award celebration in Barcelona. The award was given by Lars Niberg CEO, you can see in the photo.
In 1998, I moved to America and got married. There wasn’t an opportunity to transfer my role, so I began working at Verizon, then ITK Technologies.
Finally, in 2016, due to a major life change, I was able to return to NCR as a contracted project coordinator (contractor). A year later I was hired as Global Entitlements Analyst.
In 2020, I started my current position as a Professional Services (PS) business analyst. I’ve been thrilled to be back at NCR for the past 4 years!
"NCR is a place where people bond around shared values. For more than a decade, I’ve had the privilege to work with wonderful leaders. Leaders that encourage strategic thinking, innovation, and action.”
What brought you to NCR most recently? Why did you consider coming back to NCR after leaving?
NCR is a place where people bond around shared values.
For more than a decade, I’ve had the privilege to work with wonderful leaders. Leaders that encourage strategic thinking, innovation and action. Strong leaders that consider the ethical consequences of the decisions that they make – for both their customers and their teams and they practice effective cross-cultural communication. Optimistic leaders who show that they believe the organization is working toward a better future.
This is the place where we understand the importance of the customer voices (internal and external). It’s an organization that has offered me the opportunity to add value, to learn and grow. It was an easy decision to come back once I had the offer.
What about the type of work you would be doing for NCR impacted your decision to return?
As a Professional Services business analyst, I’m able to create, innovate and perform tasks that allow me to bring value to the table using skills from my previous experience in sales support and project management.
I love data analysis and I’m a process improvement-oriented person, so I knew it would be a good fit for me.
Outside of the job description, what other important questions did you seek to have answered prior to making your decision?
I always do my own research prior to accepting an offer.
I normally ask if there will be room for career progression. I ask about short-term and long-term goals, engagement and strategy.
How do you describe NCR now? Is it different than how you described NCR previously?
The company still has the same strong culture.
In the past, we were known for our hardware products in the Finance and Retail industries. Now, we are one of the top solution providers in Banking, Retail, Hospitality and Telecom. It’s been exciting to see this transformation journey!
What should NCR highlight to new/returning employees to ignite interest?
The solid foundation, all the new initiatives and acquisitions made to meet the needs of our business framework and the global opportunities.
What is your favorite part about working at NCR?
I love this industry and being exposed to innovative technologies.
Because I have lived in different countries, I really appreciate the opportunity to work and interact with people all around the world.
What has been your favorite project you’ve worked on, or the one you are most proud of?
My favorite projects are always the ones I’m working on! Right now, ITM Benchmarking and Optimization and Branch Transformation Advisory.
What’s your hobby outside of work?
I enjoy photography (photojournalism).
What advice do you have for prospective candidates?
Do some research to learn about the company's history, products and customers.
This is a fast-paced industry, and we need to continuously delight our customers. It is a good workplace for those who want to succeed and grow in their career.