NEW YORK TIMES - When Texas lawmakers this summer passed a restrictive abortion law, Shar Dubey, the CEO of Match Group, confronted it head-on. "As a Texas resident, I am shocked that I now live in a state where women’s reproductive laws are more regressive than most of the world, including India," she said in an email to employees, while announcing she was creating a fund to support Match employees affected by the new law. For Ms. Dubey, who has maintained a relatively low profile, it was an unusual foray into political activism, and a reminder of the power she wields as one of the few top female executives in the technology industry.
Q: You were one of the only women in your class at I.I.T. Was it a welcoming environment?
A: I happened to become the only girl in my class of ~100 boys. I almost quit in the first week. A girl who was a couple of years senior to me told me, "If you're going to quit, who else is going to lose out? Grit it up and go figure out how you're going to survive this." And I did.
Q: How did you make your way to Ohio State for grad school?
A: After I graduated, I went back to my hometown and got a job with the steel company. I saved up $800 and took my first plane ride of my life to Columbus, Ohio.
Q: What was the first job that you got after graduating from Ohio State?
A: It was at an aerospace engineer manufacturing company in rural Pennsylvania.
Q: What was the hardest thing you're dealing with as CEO right now?
A: Maintaining the trust equity that comes with building relationships.
Q: Match has been more welcoming of some online regulations than many of the big tech companies. Can you explain where your positions diverge?
A: For most of Big Tech, privacy comes first. Apple famously doesn't unlock a phone, even for a terrorist. We've always known that safety was existential for our category, because we're introducing strangers on our platform who eventually go meet in real life.
Q: Do you feel like the big tech companies are taking enough responsibility for the real-world consequences of what happens on their platforms?
A: It's super challenging, and in the absence of real laws and enforcement, we're all making stuff up. One of the things which is easier for us, as a one-on-one introduction platform, is that we have a much harder stance on bad behavior. A cuss word is enough for us to kick you out of the platform.
Q: How has dating changed during the pandemic?
A: People became more realistic and honest about themselves and who they were looking for.
