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Originally from Amalfi, Alessandra Sala’s go-to replenishing activity is a cultural shout-out to her Italian heritage – cooking. “Sharing meals is such a way to recharge,” she laughs as she acknowledges that with her diverse professional projects recharging is important. Alessandra is Shutterstock’s Senior Director of AI and Data Science, a role that allows her to bring the many international discussions in which she partakes to her leadership position in the organisation.
She joined Shutterstock after spending meaningful time with Nokia’s Bell Labs following her PhD and time in Berkeley, California, moving from a research role on what was then called “big data” to Team Lead and onwards Global Head of Analytics Research. “I had people in my path who recognised something different and gave me opportunities,” she says. “Then Bell was consolidating to have fewer labs globally, but for me, it was important to stay in Dublin at the time,” she explains. “I was already leading Women in AI as an ambassador; I was working with the government and with a research organisation and it felt like the wrong moment to leave the country because I was so invested in the programmes I was involved in. So Shutterstock came at the perfect moment.”
Her work with the stock photography, footage and illustration organisation was professionally fulfilling from the start. “The journey was unchartered and they gave me the possibility to bring in all the international discussion I’m tapped into and translate into a practical, a practical ethical framework,” she says.
“We launched shutterstock.ai as a new brand and bought three start-ups. We are one of the first companies that laid out a way of building and bringing generative AI to our customers by paying contributor artists, not using scraped content but only licensed content, investing in underrepresented artists and underrepresented content.” This was about 18 months ago and Adobe have since done the same thing and Getty followed suit earlier this year. “Competitors actually joining a movement to bring this technology to the customer in a safe way and trying to implement ethical principles” is something Alessandra is justifiably proud of.
When it comes to gender diversity in tech, she was supported in Bell Labs to “hire more women”. “I was told from an early stage to ‘hire more women’. The problem was that there were none. The problem was the pipeline and it is the same today – merely asking companies to hire more women is insufficient. Instead, a comprehensive approach is necessary, one that involves creating educational programmes and mentorship opportunities tailored specifically for women to support a pipeline of talent.”
As with most things, Alessandra does not just talk about this problem, she is tackling it through work with the Irish government and ML Labs, a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research Training in Machine Learning (ML), aimed at addressing the urgent industry demand for ML talent. She helped to launch Ireland’s first national AI master’s programme and a micro-credential programme aimed at providing women with accessible training.
“Working with the Irish government, we launched the first programme but I noticed a problem – the expectations placed on women, particularly those juggling family and career responsibilities, discourage them from pursuing full-degree programmes. They simply could not commit to a two-year part-time course within their already busy lives. So, instead, we created a three-month micro-credential programme.” The programme has been successful in attracting a significant percentage of female participants – 40% this year – and fostering their inclusion in the tech workforce.
Alessandra views leadership as a fluid concept, emphasising that the most effective leaders adapt their style to meet the needs of their teams and the organisation. She believes that understanding the delicate balance between company interests and personal core values is vital. As someone who is often seen as not fitting the traditional mould of a leader, Alessandra uses her unique voice and approach to inspire others rather than resorting to authoritative measures.
It is her unique and individual style and approach to problem-solving that is evident throughout our interview. Her career exemplifies this approach alongside the power of determination, adaptability and compassion in driving meaningful change in the tech industry. Through her advocacy and initiatives, she continues to empower women and contribute to the ethical evolution of artificial intelligence. As the conversation around AI grows increasingly critical, voices like Alessandra’s are essential in envisioning a future where technology serves all of humanity equitably, fostering a new generation of diverse leaders ready to tackle the challenges ahead.
The “Women in Tech” series, sponsored by PwC, spotlights seven inspiring leaders who have carved out remarkable and diverse careers, while contributing to the advancement of Ireland’s technology scene and empowering other women to excel in the sector.