Can you tell me some of the challenges of being a female in a generally male-dominated field like tech?
I’ll answer this question with a story: one of the biggest moments of my career thus far has to be working on the Women Leaders in AI programme at IBM. AI is an actual reflection of who we are as people. These systems are trained by human beings, but the field is largely dominated by men. As the technology becomes more pervasive, there is greater opportunity for bias that could impact anything from HR and recruiting, to customer service. To me, it was very important to voice the value of making sure this technology is developed with a diversity of thoughts and perspectives. This is a challenge that I, because of my gender, was acutely aware of and, as a result, passionate about solving. More than anything, it highlights the need for diversity in leadership – we need equal representation.
How can women break that stereotype and attain these senior leadership roles?
In my experience, there are keystone skills that unlock access to myriad others. For example, there is tremendous value in adopting a growth mindset. Seek continuous development, look for new opportunities, and open up to new ways of thinking. From there, the possibilities are endless. For marketers specifically, I would say some of the best skills to foster are curiosity, listening and awareness. Ask questions; don’t make assumptions. Really listen to customers; be aware of what they want and what they need. All of this is critical to ensure marketing is done side-by-side with them, not pushed towards them. Especially in times like these, where so much is uncertain and changing every day, it’s important not to create problems and present your brand as the solution. Instead, take the time to uncover their true needs and understand how you can help.
Inclusion sounds like it’s an important topic to you, personally and professionally.
It definitely is. And I think business leaders are starting to understand that diversity, equality and inclusion is not an isolated issue. It really needs to be addressed systemically. We’re all on a learning journey right now, and it’s so encouraging to see how many people in positions of power and privilege want to address it and – finally – achieve real and lasting change. When we scheduled our first DEI Leader Camp, more than 12,000 people from 36 different countries registered to attend.
It’s not just a racial issue or a gender issue. All marginalised groups, whether those are people of colour, women in STEM, the LGBTQ+ community, or people with physical or intellectual disabilities, deserve a seat at the table. What many business leaders don’t realise yet, however, is that DEI doesn’t just benefit otherwise underrepresented groups. It greatly benefits the organisations that commit to it. Welcoming a more diverse workforce – and including them in more meaningful ways – adds valuable new perspectives to project and people management, the research and development process, sales and service, customer engagement, and more.
