In October 2022, I joined the board of Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT), a charity which aims to champion, celebrate, and invest in women in the technology sector in Scotland. To secure this position, I went through an extensive interview process to be selected as SWiT’s new trustee and board member, and I have been an active member for a few months now.

Why I joined SWiT

I decided to join SWiT to combine my passion for technology, diversity and Scotland to help make a difference through the incredible initiatives that SWiT are driving. I am excited about the prospect of being able to put my own experiences in tech to help and inspire other women to explore careers across the various areas available, while aiming to change the perception of the role of women in this male-dominated industry.

What SWiT does

SWiT launches great initiatives to help put gender equality at the forefront of the technology industry in Scotland. For example, SWiT has launched “Woman Do Cyber” – a fully funded course to encourage women to learn new skills and move into a new role. Additionally, SWiT hosts several events across the year to bring their wide network of recruiters, industry leaders and women looking for new opportunities together, to network and explore what’s available to them. Each year, SWiT also runs awards to celebrate the fantastic women in technology, while simultaneously enabling technology companies to tap into this talent.

My role in SWiT

My role on the board is to focus on events, beginning with the organization of the 2023 SWiT Awards. Additionally, I am involved in helping with the day-to-day tasks within the SWiT scope, such as helping define the future strategy, helping and being present at the various networking events and helping to promote the mission of the charity.

How Avanade is supporting my role

I am so grateful to be able to take advantage of Avanade’s alternative work week, enabling me to take a day back every second Friday. This set up allows me to spend considerable time on my role at SWiT, which is great! I am always on the look out for opportunities to get Avanade involved in SWiT’s initiative, especially with our growing presence in Scotland.