Cisilion and Cisco demonstrate how teamwork makes the Women in Tech dream work

It feels like women are more prepared than ever to speak up about their experiences in our industry, and that can only be a good thing, writes Sara Yirrell

I was fortunate enough to attend the inaugural Cisilion/Cisco Women in Tech: Confronting Conversations event in the city this week and saw many examples of what makes me proud of how far the industry has come.

The IT channel has historically been male dominated, but luckily that image is changing as we see more women taking on senior management positions and women joining the industry from both a grassroots level, and from other industries.

Hard work is being done at many levels to encourage young girls to consider IT and the channel as a career and shake off the image of tech as a ‘boys only’ club.

Encouragingly, mentoring as a concept is really taking off too, with both men and women keen to give back and help people advance their careers.

When I started my career at CRN 26 years ago (yes, really that long ago), this just wasn’t a subject that was spoken about. Women had to accept they were in a minority and all the casual sexism that came with it. Fun times. And I use the word ‘fun’ very loosely indeed. But I have to say the one benefit was there was never a queue for the ladies at events!

Joking aside, this was a point covered in one of the key sessions of the day in a fireside chat between Cisilion’s head of marketing Stacie Hill, and Cisco’s UK&I chief executive Sarah Walker (pictured above).

Walker shared a story of when she was a team leader, and one of her junior team members accompanied her to a customer meeting. The person they met addressed her colleague saying he “didn’t realise he was bringing his PA.”

“Most of the bias I have observed over the years was from customers,” Walker said. “They were often surprised to see a young female in a tech sales role.”

But things changed when her overall attitude changed, Walker said.

“I know that I got to where I was because of my capability, and people’s behaviour towards me changed when I stopped explaining myself,” she said.

The conversation also touched on motherhood and juggling the two roles. Walker’s advice was to set boundaries and always stick to them – such as being present for school plays or parents evenings, and the importance of switching off work devices at weekends and holidays.

It is also vital to be human and be prepared to show vulnerability as a leader, Walker said.

“We are not immune to what the rest of the workforce goes through. We have to deal with the same issues that everybody else does and there is nothing wrong with showing that.”

Another key point covered in the discussion was the importance of male allyship and the need to build a culture of safety within the teams you manage and ensuring you are the voice for people who don’t always have a voice themselves.

The event also featured sessions led by Katherine Lord, client development director at Tenth Revolution Group, who explained how the mentoring initiative her firm had set up was as much supported by men as it is by women.

“You have to invest in yourself because no-one else is going to do it for you,” Lord said.

Cisilion account director Georgia T bravely shared her experiences in building a personal brand through social media.

“This is not always an easy road to travel because even on a professional platform you open yourself up to trolls. Developing a thick skin is essential,” she said.

“Worrying about what others are thinking can be detrimental to achieving your potential. “Back yourself and be visible. Don’t let fear of judgement hold you back.”

It really was great to see women of all generations joining the conversation, and I had some great discussions with people after the event too at the drinks reception.

The more we talk about this issue now, the less of an issue it will be in the future. Whether you are a man or a woman, we all have a role to play in making our industry a better, more inclusive place for everyone to work.

Well done to all at Cisilion and Cisco for a great event. I’m already looking forward to the next one.