International Women's Day: Seven tech leaders give their two cents on breaking into the industry

Seven female leaders offer their advice on how to not be intimidated by a career in tech

As International Women's Day approaches, CRN shines a spotlight on the voices of women offering their candid advice on entering the technology world.

According to the Diversity in Tech report 2024 from the Tech Talent Charter, only 29 per cent of UK tech employees are women or non-binary.

The not-for-profit group surveyed 708 organisations in the UK, employing close to 977,000 people, and found that the figure for women in senior tech roles shrinks again at 21 per cent.

As the gender gap in the IT workforce persists, seven women in tech leadership roles share their advice to those who don’t see the sector as a viable career option owing to its perceived complex nature.

Kristie Grinnell, executive vice president and chief information officer, TD SYNNEX

Look at the land of opportunity of IT.

There are so many different facets to IT, it doesn't mean that you have to be this technical geek, nerd, whatever stigma you want to place in it.

I actually don't know a lot about technology. I could not code for you, I could not draw an enterprise architecture.

But what I can do is add value through technology for a business.

There's so much opportunity. It could be creating apps, creating strategies, sales. There's all sorts of roles in technology.

There's all sorts of roles in technology, so don't underestimate the opportunity that exists here.

My whole career I’ve heard, “Kristie, you're really good with people. Maybe you should go back to business school.” That's a good idea. I'm going to take that opportunity.

Or, “Kristie I'd love to have you come work on this new eBiz bubble that's growing.” Sure, I’ll do that.

“Kristie, I would love to have you come and help us lead this global IT transformation at PwC.” Okay, I'll give it a try.

Not knowing if I could do it or not, but it's a land of opportunity that landed in my lap. Now all of a sudden, I am the CIO of TD SYNNEX.

That's it's because I took all those little opportunities that landed in my lap.

Dr Adaora Dagogo, managing director, STECHAD

Tech is broad.

When people talk about tech it’s not just coding. There is cybersecurity, data analytics, UX design, IT project management.

You don't need to have a computer science degree to get started.

Nobody is born an expert. Every tech professional that you see all started as a beginner.

So start small, be consistent and keep learning.

If I let fear and self-doubt stop me I would not be here today.

Linh Lam, chief information officer, Jamf

Give it a shot.

The worst that can happen is you don’t end up in tech. Well, that's where you are right now.

I definitely advise people to leverage their network. It doesn’t hurt to reach out.

But also try to learn more about the industry. Information is so easy to obtain now. Use AI, listen to podcasts.

Tech is not just the person that's building the tech. There's so much more to it, so learn about the different roles that facilitate what it means to build a good product.

How will you know enough about it, unless you actually extend yourself to learn?

Something I'm trying to do is influence and change that environment for girls before they become young women, so that they can see that they don't need to be that way, that they can see these opportunities can be open to them.

Ghazal Asif, VP of global channels, alliances & inside sales, Rubrik

I would say the industry is very broad, and yes, while challenges exist, companies are actively working towards inclusivity, and diverse perspectives are more valuable than ever.

I would urge women to look into an industry which is shaping every aspect of our lives nowadays, and women should feel inspired to be part of it.

Explore different roles, both technical and non-technical. There is such a huge variation. Seek mentors and find companies that align with your values. Whether you want to build, innovate, protect, or connect, there’s a place for you in tech. Your voice matters, and the opportunities are limitless.

Hannah Wright, VP EMEA partners & alliances, Zscaler

We need to tell women that IT is not just beards and sandals in a dark room doing coding.

If you are creative, there's marketing. If you want to do legal, there's legal. If you want to do communication, we have all sorts of different communications in this industry.

It's around telling the people that are close to you and trust you more about what your job entails.

We could also do more in the educational sector.

For me, it really is about educating the younger generation, which is why I mentor and coach a lot of people myself, and so do a lot of my colleagues.

It's around sharing as much experiences as we can.

We need to explain to young women that the industry is broader than just the technology itself.

We need an army of diverse individuals across to sell it, to support it, to market it, to communicate about it.

It's about giving everybody a place to speak, a place to have coaching, a place to be able to understand what they need to do better, to progress, start, and continue.

Jenny Latimer, operations director, Highgate IT Solutions

Skills are transferrable.

We have a finance team. We have an operations team, just like so many other industries do. Therefore, like with every job, you need to go in and learn certain aspects of a role.

However, there isn’t anything in the tech industry until you get into the much more technical roles that actually require knowing a significant amount about IT.

So don’t be put off if you think you don’t have knowledge around the ins and outs of computers.

Just strip it away and realise it’s the same job as any industry. It just can feel a bit more technical, but don’t overcomplicate it.

Jess Kingham, channel sales director, strategic accounts, EMEA, Barracuda

Stepping into any new industry is daunting. And with cybersecurity, there's a lot to it, and it is always changing.

Look at it from a different angle in the sense that you'll never be bored, there's always something new to learn, and it's always adapting and changing, and it's not going away.

You can constantly evolve and learn with the challenges that are in the industry.

Looking back to when I first started, I always remember doing my first firewall training session and thinking, “I'm absolutely never going to learn this”.

Over time, it becomes second nature. Don't be put off because, like anything, it’s practice and learning.

With time, you pick things up and before you know it you know more than you thought you ever would when you initially started.