Vineeta Singh: Belonging through purpose

Vineeta Singh is a Senior Procurement Specialist at Eurofiber, and a dedicated RightBrains Ambassador. She is an unashamedly ambitious, endlessly tech-curious expat and mother. She sat down with us to unpack why she finds purpose in procurement as a critical element of innovation and risk management, and why she believes that she was always meant to land in the Dutch market. 

The intersection of business and technology has always fascinated Vineeta. In a world where change is the only constant, one thing is certain: throughout her career to date, she has never been bored. The past seven years are a testament to big life changes, as she moved to the Netherlands from her native India, became a mother, and took on a role as a pricing manager. But procurement was ultimately where she belonged, and she was delighted to join Eurofiber as a senior procurement specialist of technology in 2023, which encapsulates IT, cloud services, network and datacentre requirements. “Eurofiber is not a typical telecommunication provider, but a combination of connectivity as our core product, fibre and our datacentre business,” Vineeta explains. “This sets the stage for unique procurement needs, and I get the opportunity to work with both internal and external partners to align our tech investment with our long-term goals. My role isn't just about acquiring products and services, however, it's about leveraging innovation to create tangible value and foster commercial excellence through collaboration, transparency, attention to detail, and a positive attitude. And that is why I love it so much.”  

Positive impact and influence 

To Vineeta, the field of procurement is not just about cost-saving: it’s about building partnership and bringing long-term value. In the ever-evolving technology space, it holds a special place in enabling innovation and mitigating risk. Her analytical thinking and curious mindset are characteristics that serve her well in the execution of her everyday tasks, but procurement also calls for defined EQ and stakeholder empathy. These skills are not easily automated, and Vineeta is conscious of the human value in this process. “It’s a space where you can have a positive impact and influence even before you hold actual authority,” she adds. She relies on her academic background from her MBA and studies in Finance and Operations, but credits her unquenchable curiosity for tech to some supportive colleagues she has met along the way. She has found that being tech-curious and a willingness to constantly stay abreast of new technologies enables people from other disciplines to deliver great results in technical teams. “With this kind of mindset, half the battle is already won.” 

A powerful shift 

As the daughter of liberal parents who provided the best possible education and a call to their daughters to value independence, she felt a welcome shift in the power dynamics when she settled into the European market seven years ago. “I personally found India to be bureaucratic and hierarchical. And although Europe has its challenges in terms of gender balance, I feel at home in the great company culture at Eurofiber,” she says. Her advice to women starting out in the industry, is to choose wisely where they plan to grow and bloom. “Your workplace is your second home, because you spend such a big portion of your life there. It’s critical that you feel supported.” She has found that, unfortunately, unconscious biases are universal across markets in some way or form, with language being a common point of contention. “I have been in the situation where I needed to speak up in a roomful of people to ask the meeting host to switch to English. But all in all, I feel very comfortable in the Dutch society. That (in)famous directness suits me well, and I think I’ve belonged here all along!”  

Reframing feminism 

Vineeta is a proud and engaged RightBrains Ambassador since she joined Eurofiber and feels passionate about supporting other women within digital technology. Raising her own daughter has reframed her early definition of what she grasped feminism to be – and today, she finds it in being her authentic self and experiencing belonging wherever you are planted. She believes that hand in hand with that, should come the confidence to pursue your passions without overthinking and buckling under the fear of failure. “My worldview reminds me of a Dutch book I read to my daughter. On the one side, the title is ‘Olivia Rabbit is scared’, and on the other, ‘Olivia Rabbit is courageous’, with accompanying storylines that describe both emotions and illustrate how they can be interconnected. We can all be like Olivia – owning that we can be fearful and courageous at the same time – in finding where we belong. If we can develop confidence in that, we can belong anywhere.” 

This article was originally published in the RightBrains DIGIDIVA Magazine. Check out this year's issue for more inspiration or to get involved!