'The survival of so many companies and the ultimate success of our industry rely on us embracing women in tech' - Columbus' UK MD

The latest channel leader to be unveiled as one of CRN's Women in Channel judges explains why she's taken on the role

The UK MD of services provider Columbus Global, Mary Hunter, says that channel-wide initiatives are needed to better address the needs and views of women.

"The survival of so many companies in the tech sector and the ultimate success of our industry rely on us embracing women in tech," she said.

"As a female leader in the tech industry I believe I can influence change and I see it as an important part of my role to make a difference to support our sector and the next generation."

Hunter joins twelve other channel leaders - including Dell VP of enterprise channel Sarah Shields, Cisco's UK partner boss Angela Whitty and Softcat CEO Graeme Watt - as a CRN Women in Channel judge.

"I'm honoured to be invited to take part as a judge for CRN and these prestigious awards.

"I want to stand as a figurehead in the channel to help bring about change and being a judge is an enabler for that."

As a former winner of the Women In Technology 2018 Leadership award, Hunter knows from experience that celebrating the achievements of peers can have a knock-on-effect on galvanising others.

"I love recognising and rewarding people's success as well as sharing and showcasing great achievements to inspire others to make a difference.

"As a community pulling together we will be stronger and therefore able to drive change faster. These awards will raise awareness of the opportunities in our industry, showcase initiatives and people that are driving change and inspire others, all of which will strengthen our community further. I'm thrilled to be part of this."

Hunter puts a lot of focus internally in her business on mentoring, citing it as being a strategic investment.

While the initiatives are for both genders, Hunter points to the continuing inequity between the number of senior women and men the UK tech sector as being a potential long-term weakness for businesses.

"50 per cent of the population is female," she said.

"Today we have a skills shortage in the tech industry, and if we want to solve this and appeal to the wider population we need to make sure we have an industry capable of the highest creativity and innovation.

"That only comes from having a diverse team."