By Niamh Whelan-Reiter, Avanade North America CMO, featuring insights from; Angela Varner, Bain & Company; Claire Sisson, Microsoft, Caterina Alf, National Air Cargo and Kathy Vazquez, JM Family Enterprises.

50%...

Women in technology are probably pretty familiar with this percentage. It’s a common benchmark for many of our organizations in elevating the number of female employees broadly and/or in leadership ranks.

Unfortunately, what we currently see is much lower than that. And even though at Avanade we’re lucky enough to have Pam Maynard as our first ever female CEO, she’s certainly more the exception than the rule in the technology sector.

So, as we celebrate another International Women’s Day, I wanted to hear from other female leaders about the misconceptions, the successes and the passions that lie behind their experience in the technology industry. I’m grateful to Caterina Alf (National Air Cargo), Claire Sisson (Microsoft), Angela Varner (Bain & Company) and Kathy Vazquez (JM Family) for their thought-provoking insights. Happy International Women’s Day!

Inspiring the inclusion of women: Let’s start with some misconceptions

Let’s start with misconceptions about including women across the business and how organizations can overcome them.

Angela Varner, VP Knowledge Management Systems, Bain & Company, believes that the socialization of boys and girls from a young age often diverges significantly, resulting in distinct communication and leadership styles and distinct propensities to foster inclusive participation and idea sharing. (As the only sister to three brothers and as a mom of boys, I agree!) She’s noticed that some women may not readily express their opinions unless prompted directly and said this: “I’d love to see more training for managers to act as facilitators and to make them more adept at uniting diverse groups and eliciting valuable input from all participants.”

Caterina Alf, Global Director, National Air Cargo, points out that in spite of a monumental change in the way the business community perceives the role of women in business, there’s a prevalent storyline that women’s inclusion is solely to meet diversity quotas. “That often leaves us playing defense rather than offense - continuously focused on establishing our credibility, gaining trust and acquiring allies.” Caterina would like to see organizations promote women to steering committees and leadership roles to advocate for their strategic opinions and gain recognition.

Misconceptions about women in the workplace indeed exist, but they’re not irreversible. Sometimes, it just takes one simple thing to make a large impact, and that brings me to…

We tell clients to start small and scale. Can the same be said for inspiring the inclusion of women?

Sometimes one simple thing or one meaningful program can make a large impact when inspiring the inclusion of women across all leadership levels and functions. I asked my fellow women leaders to reflect on something they’d like to see done or something that’s proven successful in their organization.

“Opted in by default.” That’s how Claire Sisson, Principal Group Product Manager, Microsoft, describes a powerful step that any organization can actively take to ensure women have the opportunity – whether in leadership, management or as a project team member – to thrive and contribute to organizational success. She believes that we’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go for female representation to be balanced at all leadership levels.

Angela Varner, VP Knowledge Management Systems, Bain & Company, agrees. “I’ve observed organizations boasting about their IT teams being more than 60% female, yet upon closer examination, the majority hold lower-level positions, while all senior roles remain dominated by men.” She believes that having female leaders in senior management positions is paramount because young women require role models who epitomize the possibilities of achievement. Furthermore, establishing an open and transparent promotion process with equal access for all to apply for vacant roles is imperative.

Kathy Vazquez, VP Information Technology, JM Family, recommends leaders provide opportunities for women to advance their careers together. “The simple concept of looking at your table and finding ways to bring a new member of the team along can be very impactful. If I intend to influence diverse thought and leadership, then I need to bring a few people with me. It is particularly important to invite women or other underrepresented groups or generations to the table.”

At National Air Cargo, Global Director Caterina Alf  has indeed seen the intention to promote from within. That approach has given more women a seat at the table, cultivated a healthy work environment and created a culture that honors hard work, efficiency, communication and resilience (essential qualities in the aviation industry). Says Caterina, “Each day it’s our collective duty to empower women for their voices to be heard and to stick up for each other. Together we can accomplish just about anything.”

Now that’s a mantra to be passionate about. Which brings me to my final question…

What makes you feel most passionate about being a female leader in technology?

Caterina Alf, Global Director, National Air Cargo, started her career in software product management, developing a skillset for identifying business needs and translating them into technical solutions. She’s since leveraged these software-centric methodologies and practices at National Air Cargo to solve problems across the business. “Post-COVID, we saw the rise of technology-driven operations and service offerings across the aviation industry. As National Air Cargo enters the fourth decade of global operations, the ‘digitalization of our ecosystems’ is one of our leading visions for our future, and my passion is driven by the growth, possibility and opportunity it provides.”

Claire Sisson, Principal Group Product Manager, Microsoft, adds that women have often lived in an environment that was not designed by them or with them in mind. Changing that dynamic and taking an active role in the most challenging new spaces is energizing to her. “I simply love being a woman leader in technology! Now is an especially magical moment as we collectively shape the future of AI. Having not only the opportunity to be a part of this era but being able to lead the way and ensure that we can create a future that will enable everyone is quite special.”

“When we enhance efficiency, cut costs and empower employees to direct their focus toward tackling more complex challenges, it’s incredibly inspiring,” says Angela Varner, VP Knowledge Management Systems, Bain & Company. She feels joy in leveraging technology to drive meaningful business transformation and witnessing the seamless automation and streamlining of once manual or arduous processes. Angela is also passionate about nurturing individual growth and development. “Guiding others to recognize and seize opportunities for personal and professional advancement, thereby enhancing their professional brand, serves as a profound source of motivation for me.”

“Although as a woman I am grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate to other women rising in this industry that success is absolutely achievable, the most important action is having people of diverse backgrounds in leadership roles who support and propel inclusion naturally among their teams,” says Kathy Vazquez, VP Information Technology, JM Family.

What makes me feel most passionate about being a female leader in tech? It’s about the opportunity to bring my diverse perspective (not just female, but Irish and American!) and skills to the table to shape the conversation. It’s about being able to do what matters for our clients, making sure that we’re “translating” the technology into outcomes that make a difference in the way we work, live and play. And importantly, it also provides me the opportunity to inspire and empower others, particularly women, to excel and make meaningful contributions in their areas.

My article may be ending here, but the annual rallying cry of International Women’s Day will continue until inclusion of women across the business no longer needs inspiration; it’s simply status quo. I’ve learned a lot from Angela, Caterina, Claire and Kathy, and I’m grateful for their candid, spirited and insightful responses. We should all take great pride in being women in technology during such a dynamic time.

Note: For more background and context on these topics, Kathy Vazquez recommends the following resources

• STEM Education for the Future - 2020 Visioning Report.pdf (nsf.gov)
• Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023 | NSF - National Science Foundation
• NSF's NCSES releases report on diversity trends in STEM workforce and education | NSF - National Science Foundation