Five of CompTIA’s industry-leading members were recently recognized in PCR’s influential list of Top 50 Women in Technology, marking a major leap forward in the campaign to transform the image of the industry among women.
The CompTIA members who locked down 10 percent of the list are:
Victoria Bell, Director & Co-Founder, Bell IT Solutions Ltd. A former Oracle business analyst and finalist for the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards, Bell founded her own bespoke IT consultancy in 2012 to help businesses take advantage of the ecommerce revolution.
Elizabeth Gooch, Founder & President, eg solutions plc. Gooch founded a groundbreaking workforce optimization software business that became a £5 million — $6.8 million in USD — company with a client list that includes Nationwide and HBOS. In 2012, she was awarded an MBE in recognition of outstanding contributions to the UK financial services sector.
Irenie White, Managing Director, credativ Ltd. White fell into IT accidentally — but liked it so much she stayed. After six years working at credativ Ltd, she was named managing director. White also chairs the Open Source Consortium.
Hollie Whittles, Director, Purple Frog Systems Ltd. Whittles performs high-level IT consultancy work for major enterprises. She is also the founder of the defiantly nongeeky web design innovators Fraggleworks, a firm that creates unique websites to kick-start new businesses.
Tracy Pound, Managing Director, Maximity Ltd. At just 21 years old, Pound was already managing her own helpdesk team supporting 500 clients, before rising to become the first ever female manager at a division of BTR Industries with a turnover of £8 billion ($10.9 billion USD). With almost 30 years in the industry, she is currently managing director at Maximity, which uses IT to transform business processes and boost efficiency.
Improving IT’s Image Problem
The diverse group shares this sentiment: Especially in the early days, women in IT weren’t always easy to find. Bell, for example, was one of just three women in a computer science degree class of more than 30.
Though they were in the minority, none of the women in this group experienced prejudice — even in the early days.
“Yes, there aren’t as many women as men in the industry but I have never experienced any prejudice,” Pound said. “I was the first female manager at Dunlop Topy Wheels when I started there, but it was a very supportive environment.”
The greatest barrier to getting more women in the industry is an inaccurate perception of an IT career. In short, IT has an image problem.
First off, many traditional IT roles don’t appeal to women, according to White. “A lot of women have skills and interests in areas which you wouldn't necessarily associate with the technology industry,” she said. But outside those traditional roles, there are huge opportunities for women in IT, even for those without math and science skills.
“There is a persistent stereotype of the IT professional as a geeky programmer, which ignores the fact that the industry includes a range of roles,” said Gooch.
Too often, Bell said, women don’t realize IT is about much more than coding. “It also draws upon the full range of human abilities from people skills to the ability to understand every aspect of a business,” she said.
The industry is in dire need of excellent project coordinators, managers, consultants and trainers who excel at roles that are built around engaging with the customer. These are roles that women have excelled in. As White pointed out, women are “particularly needed for leadership roles.”
All of the women found a path to success when they discovered that IT was about people, not programs, from Gooch, who created a business with the ideal of bringing technology closer to the needs of people, to Bell, who quit her corporate job and started her own business to help hospitals, care homes and SMEs communicate their visions online.
Encouragement for the Next Generation
When adults have misperceptions, children don’t get a good sense of what IT is all about, either. “The IT curriculum is just too dull, and it has little business relevance,” said Pound. “It doesn’t help people to understand what a career in the sector would be like.”
The women agree there is work to be done to improve IT’s image, and show people the breadth of the industry.
“It is imperative that women are made aware of the variety of outlets for their talents and interests,” said Gooch.
To women out there looking for a change, the group offered encouragement. If you find something you’re talented at and passionate about, just go for it.
“Don’t be afraid to try things out. Give it a go. It can be easy to make assumptions about where different paths will take you, but if you have an interest in something, pursue it,” said White. “Get your foot in the door, and if you’re interested and work hard, the opportunities will come.”
Never underestimate the power of personality and attitude, added Whittles. “There are always glass ceilings but the right person can shatter them,” she said.
If these messages can be communicated by schools, universities and recruiters, then there is nothing to stop women advancing in the industry. And with a global skills gap in IT, there has never been a better time to start.
CompTIA’s Advancing Women in IT Community
Coincidentally, all five women are part of CompTIA’s Advancing Women in IT Community, founded as a collaborative launch pad for female IT talent. The AWIT community recently launched its Dream IT campaign and related AWIT Career Resource Center. The group is working to reach 10,000 people this year with a message that IT is a great place for women. The program also connects its members to speaking engagements, and provides mentorship to women pursing IT careers. Read more about AWIT and join a community today.
