The following blog post was written by Avanade alum Mahnaz Javid.

As I think about the many initiatives and programs we sponsor at Avanade, the one that most excites me is our investment in Diversity and Inclusion. We are fortunate to have leadership that wholeheartedly supports our efforts, especially our CEO Adam Warby, who has expressed his sincere support, energy and excitement at continuing our journey to promote diversity. Our focus is on making Avanade one of the most attractive places for both men AND women to work and build their careers.

I am thrilled to say that with Eddie Pate, Avanade VP of Diversity & Inclusion helping lead the charge, we are now connecting with various organizations that encourage the growth and development of women leaders. One such organization is Women in Technology International (WITI), a global network that empowers smart, talented women in business and technology to achieve their goals through knowledge sharing, fostering connections, and opening doors to new opportunities. WITI hosts an annual gathering of women executives, entrepreneurs, and technology thought leaders from around the world for the Women in Technology Summit. This year it will be held on May 30 through June 2 in San Jose, California and the theme is “Build. Empower. Inspire.”

Avanade is proud to be a Diamond sponsor of this year’s WITI Summit. And we’re excited that Eddie will be part of a panel discussion on, “Why IT Is Losing Smart Women and How Workforce Diversity Can Help.” In addition to Eddie, we also have several Avanade leaders in attendance including Erika King, SVP HR NA, Stefanie Hill, Regional Executive, Suzanne Williams, VP, Healthcare and Cheryl Dewar, Senior Director, Change Enablement. If you’re at the event, stop by and say hi.

As our business grows, so does our focus in creating a culturally rich and competent workforce. Diversity and inclusion produces out of the box creative thinking, innovative ideas and solutions, promotes collaboration and individual growth, and enables Avanade to deliver the best results to our globally diverse clients and their customers.

We look forward to the opportunity to learn and connect with remarkable women from around the world at WITI - and we are excited to share why diversity and inclusion makes good business sense.