Shaping Her Own Story in Technology: Smriti Chopra’s Career as a VMware Cloud Foundation TAM

Source: VMware Blog

For Smriti Chopra, no two weeks as a VMware Cloud Foundation Technical Adoption Manager (VCF TAM) look the same. Working with different customers means each day brings new conversations, new priorities, and new challenges to navigate.

With more than 13 years in technology and over 4 years with Broadcom, Smriti supports multiple customers across the India region, partnering with stakeholders to understand their goals and keep business initiatives moving forward. It’s the constant shift between technical discussions and customer engagement that she finds most rewarding.

“The TAM role involves balancing both technical skills and interpersonal skills,” she said. “You don’t get the best of both worlds in any other role.”

A career sparked by early curiosity

Born in Lucknow and raised in New Delhi, Smriti traces her interest in technology back to the early 2000s, when her family brought home their first computer. She was fascinated by how so much could exist inside a single box and wanted to understand how it all worked.

That early interest shaped her choices in school. When it came time to decide on a track in high school, she chose computer science over biology, ultimately graduating university with honors in computer science. Smriti began her career at HCL Technologies in technical help desk support before advancing to a VMware vSphere server administrator. After HCL, she worked as an IT Analyst at Tata Consultancy Services, a Broadcom partner, and from there she made the move to Broadcom.

Working side by side with customers

Across her prior roles, Smriti supported global customers in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and South Africa. Today as a TAM, her focus is closer to home. Smriti supports some of the largest customers in India, working across a variety of customer environments each week.

Smriti acts as the strategic glue between her customer teams, internal stakeholders, and at times external vendors, ensuring no issue stalls and every project maintains its momentum. She views the TAM role as the ultimate central hub—a champion who remains deeply embedded in the customer’s daily reality to spark decisive action.

“We work closely with the customers,” she said. “It’s very enjoyable when you understand their business goals, their challenges, and their pain points, and you help them achieve their objectives.”Smriti demonstrates her dedication not only to her customers but also to the wider community. She plays an active role in the VMUG community in Delhi as a member of the planning committee, where the events focus on sharing practical guidance and real-world insights with the VMware community.

Driving impact with VMware Cloud Foundation 9 and VMware vSphere Kubernetes Services

Smriti is particularly enthusiastic about what VCF 9 enables for her customers. She has supported her customers with their VCF 9 journeys and saw firsthand the difference it made in how their environments were managed.

“I love how simplified the platform is,” she said. “VCF 9 brings everything together in one place. It’s easier to manage, even for customers who don’t have deep VCF expertise, and it’s helping them save significant time. My customers appreciate the automation available, reducing their manual operations and being able to manage everything from a single console.”

Smriti helped her customers see the advantage of using VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) to host containers directly on the same platform. This eliminates the need for separate vendors for crucial components. As a result, developers and platform teams can easily collaborate without having to manage various tools. A key focus for Smriti is ensuring her customers understand the full potential of Kubernetes on VCF which she achieves through dedicated enablement sessions.

For Smriti, the efficiency of VKS creates space for more meaningful work.

“When my customers reduce the overhead of managing their environment, they can do more,” she said. “My role is to help identify where those opportunities are, translate them into IT initiatives, while helping them control costs.”

Proving herself and paying it forward

Throughout her career as a woman in tech, Smriti has been shaped by both challenge and mentorship.

Years ago, she interviewed for a project team and learned they had never hired a woman. She went through multiple rounds and earned her place as the only woman on a team of 19 men.

“I had to prove myself to get where I am,” she said.

That experience continues to influence how she approaches her work. Smriti places strong emphasis on continuous learning. Certifications matter, she said, but they are only part of the equation. Staying curious, mentoring others, and understanding how to articulate the impact of your work are just as important.

She credits mentors who became trusted advisors and eventually close friends for guidance that extended beyond technical skills. One mentor in particular helped her recognize the importance of making her contributions visible and connecting them clearly to tangible results, internally and externally.

“You have to prove to the customer that whatever work you’re doing, it is benefiting them,” she said. “It’s not something you are just doing for your KPIs.”

When asked what she would say to a young woman considering a career in technology, Smriti spoke candidly about doubt.

“People will make you doubt yourself, your skill set,” she said. “Don’t let others negatively impact your confidence.”

Smriti’s perspective is shaped by her own career journey, specifically the realization that staying in one role for too long stalled the professional evolution she could have achieved through earlier risk-taking.

“Tech is not something which is gender specific,” she said. “If you have the correct knowledge, if you are upskilling yourself, and if you are very curious to learn, you will be successful.”

One phrase that guides her, both personally and professionally, is a Latin quote: Astra inclinant, sed non obligant.

“It essentially means the stars align us, but they don’t bind us,” she explained. “Whatever the circumstances or background we come from may be influenced by fate but it’s our choices that determine where we are going to go.”

Beyond the office

Outside of work, Smriti is drawn to experiences that challenge her in different ways. She loves traveling and described Switzerland as a favorite destination. While visiting the country of Georgia, Smriti embraced the thrill of the outdoors, taking to the air for an unforgettable paragliding experience. “Next time, I plan to take on skydiving and ziplining,” she said.

She stays active through lifting weights and yoga, and enjoys reading fiction.

“These days, I’m learning French,” said Smriti, “just for the fun of it.”

In honor of International Women’s Month, we are proud to spotlight Smriti. Her approach to customer partnership reflects what makes the TAM role so valuable: technical depth, consistent learning, and a commitment to helping customers find a path forward.

To read more stories from women across VCF TAM and Professional Services, explore Libby Shen’s story and other International Women’s Month features on our blog.

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