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Meenu’s journey has been one of discovery, both personal and professional. Hailing from Kerala in southern India, she grew up surrounded by a rich cultural landscape. Her path has taken her across the globe, from India to the U.S., the Netherlands and now the U.K. Along the way, Meenu developed a love for photography and a knack for solving Sudoku puzzles, blending her analytical skills with creative expression. Both of these activities can be done whilst travelling, which Meenu loves, especially when taking advantage of the Booking.com travel benefits.

Her career has seen just as much evolution. After eight years working in tech in India, Meenu was eager for more than just financial stability. She craved work-life balance, and the fulfilment of being a part of something more meaningful.

After relocating to the U.S. and then the Netherlands to support her husband’s education and career, she took a career break, and then became a mum of two. After some time, she was eager to return to work. When they finally settled in Manchester she came across an article about the new Booking.com Manchester campus, and decided to explore further. This is when she discovered the Tech Returners UK programme. “I immediately knew I had to apply!”, she recalls. Though the process was daunting after a career break, her determination paid off.  “There were of course moments of imposter syndrome creeping in where I really worried ‘is this for me?’ but it was essential for me to up-skill myself in preparation for my dream role at Booking.com, and Tech Returners made that possible.”

Reflecting on her experience, Meenu observes that “working at a product-focused company like Booking.com has been different from previous roles. The fact that so many customers get to see what I build is really cool. We’re constantly monitoring, especially after releasing a change, and quickly act if something doesn’t look right. We are always experimenting with features, analysing data and adapting to ensure customer satisfaction.”

For Meenu, the culture of continuous learning within the Tech Returners programme was a driving force in her growth. “The Booking.com Tech Returners programme changed my life, so the connection I feel to Booking.com is quite an emotional one. My colleagues genuinely care about my development, it’s not just another tech company.” This sense of belonging and the supportive environment has been instrumental in shaping her career. “One of the components of the programme was guest speaker sessions, where every Friday, colleagues from different departments presented to our cohort on a broad range of topics, giving candid insights into different business challenges, career paths and ways of working. I was pleased to discover that this culture of openness and transparency is an important part of how we approach our work in our day-to-day – there is always something new and interesting to learn and fresh challenges to tackle.”

Meenu is a passionate advocate for women in technology, actively contributing to Booking.com’s B.Equal, our employee resource group which connects women and allies and promotes gender equality.  

She has also participated in events like the European Women in Technology conference in Amsterdam and as a B.Equal panel speaker during women’s week in Manchester. “I love the community created at these events, seeing all these women come together from different streams, talking about similar experiences and how they navigated different challenges – it is so empowering. It’s not just about learning, but about building a supportive network to surround yourself with.”