There are times when being a female leader in a male-dominated industry “really bothers me”, the female CEO of one Microsoft partner acknowledged.
Another female leader said the industry should be striving for a 50:50 gender mix, urging that “until we get there our job isn’t done”, meanwhile.
When IT Channel Oxygen contacted a number of the UK’s top female IT solutions provider leaders to canvass what they really think about the industry’s gender diversity progress, we asked them to be as candid as possible.
And they duly obliged.
They ranged from the newly installed interim CEO of a £1.4bn-sales software reseller to the founder of an Aberdeen-based IT service provider who was recently honoured with an OBE.
It’s been six years since the government introduced mandatory gender pay gap reporting for medium and large firms, in a move that was designed to move the needle on gender diversity in industries including technology.
So, on the 53rd International Women’s Day, what progress, if any, do our female leaders think has been achieved?
We also asked them what it’s really like to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry, whether the industry is as welcoming and accessible to women as it could be, and what tip they have for younger females following in their footsteps.
Read the full views of our eight partner leaders on the following pages…
Sam Mudd, Interim CEO, Bytes Technology Group
How would you summarise your role?
As of 21 February 2024, my role has changed from being the Managing Director of Phoenix Software (which I have been for over nine years) to having now assumed the role of Interim CEO for Bytes Technology Group.
As part of my succession plan, Clare Metcalfe has been appointed Interim Managing Director of Phoenix Software. With Clare having over 30 years’ experience in the IT industry, serving 26 years at Phoenix in senior roles, latterly as Operations Director, it’s great to see such a strong leader in our industry getting a well-deserved promotion.
Do you feel the industry’s gender diversity deficit is something that needs to be highlighted and addressed?
Yes. I continually work with people across our business to attract more females into roles at all levels within our industry, and more recently into our technical teams. The more awareness we create that females can thrive and have wonderful careers in IT the better. They do, however, need role models to inspire them and help them see what is achievable.
I hope in my new role that I can do this and help reduce the deficit long term – I certainly do not intend to be apathetic about diversity at all levels of our organisation.
What is it like being a female leader in what remains a male-dominated industry?
I have worked for, and alongside, some brilliantly talented males and I continue to do so. I love the mix of gender and diversity that we have in our business, and while we can agree it is male dominated, I actually find we are equals striving for the best outcomes – jointly working to get more females into our business and improve their career progression, and opportunities through awareness, support in the workplace for females, and generally having DEI as an open conversation that means equity for all talent in the workplace.
Is the Industry as welcoming and accessible to women as it could be?
“We need better management training programmes to help male managers understand menopause, childcare challenges, and support to the elderly – just a few variables that can be going on alongside a busy career. Affording flexibility is quite key.”
Sam Mudd, Bytes Technology Group
We have a long way to go to get women’s work life balance really understood, from childcare through to parental care. The fact of the matter is it is mainly women that still take on the lion’s share of these responsibilities, and we do not want to be losing talented females from their careers in IT because we don’t support and understand these additional duties they have in life.
We need better management training programmes to help male managers understand menopause, childcare challenges, and support to the elderly – just a few variables that can be going on alongside a busy career. Affording flexibility is quite key.
Do I think the industry has made any headway on recruiting, retaining, and promoting women over the last five years?
Yes I do, but we still need to strive for a 50:50 mix. Until we get there our job isn’t done!
“The ratio of women in technology positions has not improved as much as I had hoped”. See next page for European Electronique’s Yolanta Gill’s views…
