WITsend

This is a guest blog from Louise Strong, Senior Test Consultant at FDM, who discusses the company's event last night. The Women in IT event attracted 60 attendees.

Last night we held another successful Women in IT event in London. We were lucky enough to have three wonderful speakers in addition to our own COO Sheila Flavell, and got a chance to view our latest Women in IT video on the big screen!

The purpose of these events is to inspire younger generations to take the leap into IT. It is widely known that IT is severely male dominated, with only 14.4% of women taking on IT roles in today's industry. It is therefore the aim of FDM's women in IT campaign to encourage more women to consider an IT career and to create a supportive environment for them.

Our first speaker was Charlotte Keens, who has spent the last two years working as an FDM Consultant placed with UBS. Charlotte gave us an insight into her world as a young female Project Manager in a heavily male dominated environment, and how she has made a success of her career to date.

Next up we had Louise Weale who is currently the Release Manager at Business Link, but has held numerous technical positions in IT over the years. Louise gave us a great insight into how the world of programming and software development has changed over the years, along with changing attitudes; not only towards women in the industry but also to the idea of the 'typical geek'.

Last but by no means least, we had the incredibly motivated Dr Sue Black. Sue has recently won the PepsiCo's Women's Inspiration Network Award, was acknowledged as the 7^th most influential woman in UK IT by Computer Weekly and was responsible for saving Bletchley Park and keeping it open for future generations to visit and enjoy. Sue gave us a great talk about how she has achieved so much and got to where she is today, and I'm sure every woman that attended will agree what an inspiration she was and will continue to be for future generations of Women in IT.

The evening was concluded in style with a little champagne and cupcake based networking, where members of FDM's internal staff were on hand to talk to women looking to start their career in IT, and chat to our guest speakers.

Overall, speaking as a self confessed techie, there is nothing better than nerding out with a few like-minded women over a good cupcake or two, and I can't wait for our next event.

Oh and did I mention there was cake?

This is a guest blog from Elena Shishkina, chief financial officer at SAP UKI, who discusses the much debated EU boardroom quotas, and what else needs to be done to achieve gender equality

During the last week, I've been trying to keep up with the saga surrounding the European Commission's plans to force mandatory quotas for women in the boardroom.  

The proposals, delivered this month to force listed companies across Europe to ensure that 40% of non-executive board seats are occupied by women, were certainly a bold move. And clearly, given the British response, they were a step too far.  Britain spearheaded the opposition, assembling a blocking minority with eight other countries who strongly criticised plans for the legislation. 

The whole issue got me thinking about the wider topic of gender equality in the boardroom, and in the technology industry specifically.  According to the EU proposals, at present, women make up a mere 14% of board seats - something which must be rectified.  There is agreement across the UK that such a disparity between men and women in business must be combated, but we're yet to find one clear strategy to get there.

Clearly, gender legislation is vitally important to equal opportunities, creating cracks in the glass ceiling preventing women from reaching the top.  However, in this instance, I found myself asking: should businesses really be forced to choose a woman over a man for the board, just so they fulfil a quota?

Surely, the whole basis of equal rights is that reward and progress should be a result of merit, and finding the right man - or woman - for the job.

Legislation is undoubtedly crucial, but I feel that there is a much wider challenge which needs to be addressed.  We need to start at the root of the problem, which means engaging women at a young age in historically 'male' careers, such as technology and finance.

There are so many opportunities in these industries, something which I've had the pleasure of experiencing firsthand, and I feel strongly that the battle should be focussed on changing perceptions and dispelling myths around women in business (as well as legislative efforts).

Fortunately, there are already some great initiatives out there which aim to do just this.  The UKRC and WISE, offer services to help businesses and organisations ensure gender equality and diversity in science, engineering and technology, whilst STEMNET holds events tailored to encouraging young women to pursue careers in these industries. 

However, there is still work to be done.  According to recent research conducted by the UKRC men in the UK are six times more likely than women to work in science, technology, engineering or maths. With such great prospects out there for both men and women in these areas, I really hope to see an improvement on the statistics in the coming years.  We need to see more women going into these careers, and I truly believe heightened engagement and raised awareness are vital in making this happen. 

Belinda Parmar, better known as Lady Geek, has released a new book which will be launched at the Apple Store on Regent Street next Wednesday.

The book Little Miss Geek outlines practical steps for bridging the gap between women and technology.  Through her book Parmar aims to inspire girls everywhere to be tech pioneers.

The event will include lively discussions from industry figures, about women being part of the next technological revolution.  

According to their flyer only 17% of technology jobs are held by women, with that number continuing to shrink.

The event takes place Oct 3^rd from 7pm. For more information you can visit www.ladygeek.co.uk

FDM will be holding a women in IT event, in celebration of Ada Lovelace and the achievements of women in technology.

Ada Lovelace, 19th century British mathematician (1836). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Taking place Thursday 11^th October, 17:45-20:00, at FDM's London Bridge office, the event is designed to inspire, inform and build valuable professional relationships.

Speakers will include Louise Weale, release manager at Business Link, Dr Sue Black, senior research associate in the computer science department at University College London, and Charlotte Keens, FDM PMO consultant placed at UBS.

Cake included.

To find out more and secure a place visit http://assets.fdmgroup.com/Women-in-IT-11th%20October.html

Members of the IEEE and the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) have announced a three step plan, which can be used as a solution to close the gender gap in STEM careers.

The steps are designed to inspire, encourage and empower women worldwide, into pursuing a career in engineering.

According to WIE, and therefore reflected in the three-step plan, females need early and constant exposures to engineering and the sciences. This should commence when a child starts school and follow her through until university. WIE also believe that existing social obstacles need to be broken down, within the business world, and more role models are needed to inspire females into engineering.

The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Expose girls to STEM fields at a young age

Ensuring that parents and teachers are playing a bigger role in motivating girls to consider engineering, as they're growing up. Introducing young girls to the various field available to them and teaching them what impact engineers have on society.

Maura Schreier-Fleming, IEEE senior member and member of WIE, said: "Children are surrounded by engineering innovations every day and it rarely occurs to them to think that engineers were responsible for any of them.

"Girls need constant exposure from parents and teachers to the more technical side of the world around us and how they can grow up to be a part of creating things that positively impact our daily lives."

Step 2: Focus on engineering careers

In most parts of the world fewer women enrol onto undergraduate engineering programmes than men. Chemical and biological sciences are the most popular STEM subjects with women, however electrical and mechanical engineering is lagging behind.

"The disparity between men and women enrolled at universities as engineering majors globally underscores the importance of a targeted recruitment program, especially towards the less popular fields of electrical and mechanical engineering," said Dr. Karen Panetta, IEEE fellow, past Worldwide director of the IEEE WIE and U.S. presidential awardee for engineering education and mentoring.

Step 3: Break down social barriers

Attracting and retaining women into engineering jobs by breaking down the barrios upon entering. This means making sure women are on track for management and have the necessary methods in place to preserve a work-life balance.

 "Women who graduate with engineering degrees are typically stereotyped and moved into 'girly' jobs, like sales, consulting and marketing," said Teresa Schofield, IEEE member and member of WIE in the UK.

"We need more women, like Diane Greene, Ursula Burns, Marissa Mayer and Virginia Rometty, to generate excitement for our young women to pursue STEM careers," she added.

Live community chats all this month

In a bid to introduce mote women into the field of engineering, IEEE members will be hosting live global chats over the next four weeks. These WIE Live Community Chats will consist of one hour long, interactive video discussions hosted by female IEEE experts.

You can find out dates and times of the chats here.

Zambia's Women in Technology organisation Asikana Network has created a map of the continent's Women in Tech organisations, projects and initiatives.

To strengthen the network of Women in Tech groups, in Africa, the project identifies sister organisations across the continent including the likes of Akira Chix in Kenya and WITU in Uganda. The Asikana Network is housed at Bongohive, Zambia's Technology & Innovation Hub.

Satellite image of Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

"It's extremely difficult for females in ICT to land their dream ICT jobs because it is still considered a male dominated field," said Ella Mbewe, co-founder of the Asikana Network.

According to Mbewe to be successful, in technology, women have to work twice as hard and be extremely resilient: "We formed the Asikana Network for women facing these challenges to come together to support one another.

"We aim to change perceptions and behavior towards women in ICT and to level the playing field for those young women who come behind us. Hopefully they will not have to face the same obstacles and we will help them to succeed."

The Network was founded last year by three Zambian women working in the ICT sector in Lasaka: Ella Mbewe, Regina Mtonga and Chisenga Muyoya.

Through the use of Ushahidi CrowdMap, an online mapping platform, created by Kenyans, finds and references African Women in Tech groups through social media and crowdsourcing.

Regina Mtonga, co-Founder, Asikana Network, said: "This is a very positive story about Africa that directly contrasts the negative stereo-typing of Africa as a continent dominated by poverty, corruption and hopelessness. The technology sector is booming in Africa and we want women's participation to be recognised and valued."

On why they chose to use a mapping initiative Chisenga Muyoya, co-founder said: "We think that crowd-mapping is the perfect way to make visible the wealth of women's talent and enterprise springing up all across Africa.

"We want Women in Tech organisations out there to put themselves on the map, make themselves visible and help us to build a supportive and strong community of African Women in Technology."

To see the map you can visit the Africa Women in Technology website here: https://womentechafrica.crowdmap.com

Ada Lovelace continues to inspire women 160 years after her death, as musician Emily Howard has created three compositions entitled The Lovelace Trilogy based on her life's works. For those who don't know, Lovelace was a mathematician and the only legitimate daughter of poet Lord Byron.

Watercolor portrait of Ada Lovelace (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dubbed the world's first computer programmer, one of Lovelace's projects aimed to create a mathematical model for how the brain gives rise to thoughts and nerves to feelings called 'A calculus of the nervous system.' One of Howard's pieces is called 'A calculus of the nervous system' and is based on a sequence of memories with each memory being associated with a line from Sir Geoffrey Hill's Clavics.

Last year the piece was commissioned by the music festival Wien Modern for the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, conducted by James MacMillan. It premiered in the Wiener Konzerthaus last November.

After studying mathematics and computation at Oxford University, Howard started composing professionally. Her first orchestral piece was played by the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra when she was seven.

About her work Howard says: "Music that is important to me moves me emotionally and intellectually. My work is often informed by ideas from psychology, philosophy, poetry, science and the history and myths associated with scientific phenomena. 

"Frequently I use techniques and processes derived from mathematical principles to create musical structures on which to base compositions and increasingly, questions about memory processes play an important role in my music."

Howard currently teaches composition at the Royal Northern College of Music, in Manchester where she lives.

Michelle Perkins, director schools Outreach Programme at Capgemini writes a guest blog on how Paralympian Oscar Pistorius got her thinking. 'Blade runner' Pistorius' outburst made news after he took silver and claimed his Brazilian rival used longer carbon fibre prosthesis than should be allowed.

Oscar Pistorius during 2011 World championships Athletics in Daegu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Oscar Pistorius' outburst after taking silver divided the sporting fraternity.  However, Oscar's untimely comments, got me thinking. It's debated often in this forum that not enough women are joining the IT industry.  Are we missing a trick?  Is this the time for us to showcase the role that science, technology, engineering and maths played in hosting such a great games and generating champion performances from Victoria Pendleton, Ellie Simmonds and friends?

From the Velodrome to Eton Dorney, technology has supported the Olympians and Paralympians to glory, whilst on the courts of Wimbledon the crowds held their breath waiting for the results of challenges.  Technology has actually dictated the direction of the pole vault and javelin - making one higher and curtailing the other.  One could even say that without the precision of the timing equipment Clare Balding and Chad's dad would still be strangers!

What about Danny Boyle's creative vision?  Without technology he may be suffering from unfulfilled nightmares and not be in line for a knighthood!

And now, we know the engineering and technology that go into those incredible blades - seriously if you had the ability who wouldn't want to make Oscar Pistorius go faster?

The Olympics and Paralympics are of course all about elite athletics.  But the mantra of "inspire the next generation" should fuel interest in both participating in and watching live sport - a hotbed for using technology.  From pedometer and nutrition apps, to ticketing databases and supporter updates and diagnostic equipment (for those injuries!) this is a time for technology to shine too.

So, let's make sure young girls take to the judo mat, their bikes, the pool and the track but let's remember that for those who won't be Jess Ennis or Sarah Storey - maybe a career supporting the next generation of elite athletes is just as valuable!

The 2013 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards are now open for entries! Designed to recognise the achievements of women working within the sector, the awards will be presented at a glittering ceremony at The Savoy on 19 March 2013.

The awards, hosted by everywoman and in association with womenintechnology.co.uk are sponsored by FDM Group for the first time this year.

Entry to the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards is free and the categories for 2013 include:

·         Rising Star of the Year - awarded to a woman under 26 who is excelling in her technology career and is the one to watch.

·         Team Leader of the Year in an SME (with under 500 employees) - awarded to a woman whose team leadership has greatly contributed to the organisation's success.

·         Leader of the Year in a corporate organisation (with over 500 employees) - sponsored by Cisco - awarded to a women operating in a senior technology position making a contribution to the strategic direction of the business.

·         Innovator of the Year - sponsored by IET - The Institution of Engineering and Technology - awarded to a woman designing, developing, researching or implementing technology in an unconventional and innovative way.

·         Entrepreneur of the Year - awarded to an owner/operator of a technology business whose vision and talent will inspire others.

·         Inspiration of the Year - awarded to an individual (male or female) for their active commitment to encouraging, advancing or championing the progress of women working in technology.

·         Woman of the Year - sponsored by FDM Group - awarded to an exceptional woman whose vision, innovation and success makes her an outstanding role model for future generations.

Females currently only make up 19% of IT managers and only 14% of IT strategy and planning professionals.

Despite these figures the GCSE results, released in August, revealed that more girls than ever are starting to choose ICT and science based subjects.

Maggie Berry, managing director of womenintechnology.co.uk expanded on women currently making up less than 20 per cent of the UK's IT workforce: "We want to actively champion the women who are already doing great work in this sector and who, through these awards, will become inspirational role models for a future generation of female technologists."

Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman explained: "These awards celebrate the extraordinary talent in the sector and uncover the women who are excelling. We want to get the message out that IT offers diverse and creative opportunities, particularly to a new group of tech-savvy women that have grown up with consumer technology as part of their every-day lives.

"What's more, those companies that nurture and develop their female talent are most likely to achieve success."

Winner of this year's awards 'Leader of the Year in a Corporate Organisation' Sheila Flavell, chief operating officer and founder director of FDM Group said: "The FDM everywoman in Technology Awards are a fantastic platform to showcase and celebrate the efforts and successes of so many high-calibre women in such a male-dominated industry.

"We are delighted to be sponsoring the 2013 Awards and support everywoman in their determination to raise the profile of women in technology."

Entries are open today and run until 19 November 2012. Full details are online at www.everywoman.com/techawards.

This is a guest blog by Karen Gill, entrepreneur and founder of everywoman.com

What puts women off starting up a technology business - and what can we do to change the situation? 

It's surprising, because whenever I attend technology-focused events or awards, as a mentor or as an observer, my mind is always fizzing with the possibilities for days afterwards. At these events, you really do get a feel for the way that smart technology changes our lives for the better.

Sadly, research backs up what I have seen at the everywoman and other awards for some years: women are under-represented in technology, particularly when it comes to starting their own business. Yet, when they do, they make very good and often visionary bosses.  

Only 18% of technology industry personnel are women. Even that figure is down from 22% ten years ago.  All of us, schools, employers, business organisations and government, need to do more encourage girls into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.  

I would like to see women harness their creativity and employ technology innovations to change more of our lives, and not regard technology, as many successful businesswomen do, as a means to an end in their career or business.

However, things are starting to change.  I'm again acting as a mentor to technology entrepreneurs at the IBM SmartCamp KickStart in London on October 5. This accelerator aims to help entrepreneurs including women from the UK and Ireland to nurture their early stage firm to next stage growth and success. 

At the event, entrepreneurs put their company's business forward for scrutiny by a panel of technology experts, venture capitalists and IBM's technology leaders.  The winning entrant is then nurtured over an entire twelve month period - accessing global networking circles, technology support and, potentially gaining access to next stage funding.  Past winners have included an analytics system for mobile applications and pricing software for retailers.

This year, the programme, with its tie-in to IBM Smarter Cities Summits addressing urban sustainability issues, is particularly seeking ideas to help build more intelligent infrastructures for our cities, contributing to more sustainable living. 

As a judge, you are particularly looking for the reason why the entrepreneur set up the business; did they see a particular market niche? Are they on a mission to change the way things are done?  I'm very interested too in how our start-up CEOs got their business off the page.  Too often, people forget that for every start-up that is successful, there are quite a few failures.  The founder's passion for their invention or idea is as big an indicator of the overall resilience of the business as a clear market niche or well-researched business plan. 

The mentoring process sees the judges challenge the start-up's business model. That's when entrepreneurs start reaching out for ideas and advice and get support from their mentors.  It's fascinating to watch this process: even the cleverest, most creative people always need input and ways to maintain that brand and the entrepreneurial spirit that drives it. 

IBM SmartCamp KickStart isn't the only technology programme for young start-ups. However, this event - influenced by the Smarter Cities agenda - is focused on using technology to address issues such as sustainability and smarter use of the planet's resources - and do so over the longer term. 

As a result, the programme combines both insight from business leaders with financial support.  Together with the judges' expert advice, the event also opens the door to longer term financial support for winners: since November 2010, programme finalists have raised more than £30 million in VC funding between them.   

Events like this act as a vital catalyst for early stage businesses.  If there is a fault with some start-ups that I see, it's the owners not really taking the risk, accelerating the product launch or getting expert help to drive the business forward. 

IBM SmartCamp KickStart naturally wants innovations from the UK and Ireland's sharpest young companies but I believe it also offers the opportunity to women entrepreneurs to redress the gender imbalance in business start-ups. After all, from working with thousands of female entrepreneurs over the last few years, I know that women are just as practical about and interested in saving the planet as men.  

Entry to IBM SmartCamp KickStart is open until September 14. Details at:

http://bit.ly/IBMSmartCamp2012 

This is a guest blog from Linda Deleay, Awards and Prizes manager, The Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Reading the reported figures from this year's A-Level results, I was pleased to read that subjects like science and maths are becoming increasingly popular choices of study for students, particularly among young women.

The issue of women in subjects such as science, engineering and technology continues to be a pertinent issue in the UK. The recent 2012 skills survey from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) highlighted a significant gender gap in engineering roles specifically, with only 6% of roles in the UK held by women, a figure unchanged from 2011. It is therefore encouraging to see an uptake in the number of girls studying science and maths which are subjects that many young women have traditionally shied away from.

These subjects have for too long been viewed as predominantly popular amongst men, with women opting for softer subjects such as English and Art. Not only does this contribute to the wider gender gap we are experiencing in these industries, but it means that many women are missing out on valuable and rewarding career opportunities.

Addressing the problem

With the rise of University tuition fees and many students now expected to graduate with debt levels of above £40,000, it is clear that many women are now opting for courses they believe will lead to better prospects for employment, such as science and engineering.  This year, of all the eligible IET Undergraduate Scholarship applications (students about to start University in Autumn 2012 on IET accredited courses) 27% were women. However, continued support is needed in order to maintain this momentum.

The IET itself invests a great deal of time and resources into attracting more women into engineering and promoting STEM careers and subjects, to address the current gender gap, but more support from industry and government is needed. We have come a long way in the last 20 years and have seen some good progress, but there is clearly a lot more can be done to further close this gap.

Awards such as the upcoming IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year awards, recognise the achievement of young women in engineering, as well as providing enhanced career opportunities and cash rewards. It is initiatives like this that will help encourage adoption and provide an achievable career path for women within these fields.

Laurie-Ann Benner, one of last year's winners, has spent several years using her passion for the industry to influence more women to take up careers within engineering, and she hopes that winning this award will help her further her outreach work.

The challenge may be great, but with an emphasis on raising awareness, recognising talent and promoting key ambassadors in these fields, it will be possible to inspire women to pursue a career in these sectors for years to come.

As well as playing our role, the IET will continue to encourage others to play theirs, in particular by insisting that the gender imbalance in engineering remains high on the government's agenda. It is clear that there are already a number of great women in science, engineering and technology and by pulling together we can ensure that this number only continues to rise for generations to come.

This is a guest blog from Maggie Berry, managing director of WomeninTechnology.co.uk.

I recently came across an interesting article which outlined the results of a survey on the differences between the career preferences and expectations of men and women.  

The results were based on a poll of 15,000 university students across the UK and it seems that women are more likely to be driven by 'serving a greater good', whereas men want to be seen as technical or functional experts. Disappointingly the research, which was conducted by employer branding specialist Universum, also identifies a sizable gap of 17% between the salary expectations of male and female students. 

It's no surprise that there are significant disparities between what drives men and women professionally. Women in Technology's latest report on Women's Careers in the Technology Industry found that almost three quarters of women are more likely to apply to a firm with a good benefits package, a third consider the brands commitment to corporate social responsibility, and over half are swayed by the availability of flexible working.

This latest report on career preferences and expectations confirms the gender differences that Women in Technology has observed. It seems men tend to prefer 'macro' employers with women favoring medium sized orginisations. And males want to work in companies they perceive to be constantly innovative, offering high levels of responsibility and rapid promotion schemes. Females want to work for organisations with high ethical standards, opportunities for international travel or relocation, respect for their people and a good basis for a future career.

Universum surveyed the respondents on their ideal employers. Within the technology sector: Apple, Google and Microsoft ranked first, second and third across both genders. This suggests that the employer brands of these companies give the perception of offering perks which are universally attractive.

However organisations which are renowned for their ethical or equitable approach to business rank significantly higher amongst women. L'Oreal is ranked forth by females but 53^rd by male students, while John Lewis takes 19^th place in the women's list and 59^th in the men's.      

Studies have shown that companies with women at board level outperform those without - and it's encouraging to see that organisations are now gaining a better understanding of what attributes attract female applicants.

Although women account for 50% of the workforce, less than 20% of people working in IT are female. Employers need to take a look at what factors attract diversity in applications to entice women into their organisations. By tweaking the culture of businesses to create a more holistic environment, companies will ultimately be rewarded with a broader knowledge base and more varied skill-sets across their teams.       

This is a guest blog from Liz Reynolds, HR Director at Trustmarque Solutions

In June, Facebook announced it was making COO Sheryl Sandberg an official board member - its first female addition to the team. The social networking juggernaut has taken considerable flack on its rise to the top for its all-male line up and over the last few weeks, I've given that a lot of thought. Why is it that companies are still so hesitant to promote women to this level in business?

I've been lucky enough to find myself at an organisation which bucks the trend with a rarely seen even split of male to female board members. The chair person is also a woman. I firmly believe that having an equal split of perspectives is not only more representative of the workplace, but in fact makes more business sense, and I'll explain why.

Study after study has shown a positive link between women in leadership and business performance. Last year, a government commissioned report found organisations with more women on their boards outperformed rivals with a 42% higher return in sales, 66% higher return on invested capital and 53% higher return on invested capital.

In contrast, companies that overlook women seriously limit their potential by ignoring the different perspectives and problem solving abilities women bring to the table. It needs to be more widely recognised that it's not just about what women add to the dynamic. It's also about what's missing when they're not included.

There has been some progress in recent years: The proportion of female directors at FTSE 100 companies rose in 2010 from 12.5% to 15%. When compared to Sweden, however, the UK seriously lags behind. In Sweden women hold a quarter of boardroom posts and in Norway, where quotas were introduced in 2008, they hold 40%.

Companies must take into account what a lack of female representation at the top means for how in touch they are with their workforce. Greater representation can mean better outcomes for a company and, as the IQ of women has now surpassed that of men, businesses would be mistaken to not tap into the talents of its female employees.

Professional women have fought for a place at the corporate board table for many years now. It must be understood by now that women need representation for the right reasons and not because it looks like the correct thing to do. It simply makes the most sense in 21^st century businesses. Failure to unlock such potential will not only fail individuals, but our economy as a whole.

This is a guest blog from Erica Driver, strategist at QlikTech, who looks at how women can apply the rules of the poker table in the business environment to remain grounded and get ahead.

At times, working environments can seem like battle fields or amphitheatres in their ability to bring out both the best and the worst in people. I believe a healthy amount of competition amongst employees can definitely be a positive thing, but once in a while people let it get the better of them. With so much hanging on our ability to be collaborative and flexible in business these days, how can women ensure they remain professional and collected in high-pressured or stressful situations?  A world-class blackjack player may provide some food for thought.  

Recently, I had the pleasure of listening to a speaker well-versed on the subject of keeping calm and carrying on. Jeff Ma was one of six MIT students who became experts in card counting and subsequently made millions in Vegas casinos. Think it sounds like the script of a Hollywood movie? You'd be correct, as his experiences were adapted for the big screen in the film 21 which stars Kevin Spacey. Jeff went onto write a book called The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big in Business in which he takes concepts from blackjack into the world of business. There are some valuable lessons women can take from this.

Emotions play second fiddle. Every decision Jeff made at the blackjack table was based on mathematics and he makes the point that it should be the same for business. Try not to let your emotions sway the decisions you make. I asked Jeff whether anyone can truly detach themselves from their emotions in business and was glad when he replied, "No, of course not." Because in my view the bigger the business decision, the more important it is to work with, rather than ignore, emotions. Why? Because making the decision is just the beginning. Executing on a decision is when the real work begins. Successful execution requires participation and buy-in from multiple people, and buy-in comes from not just hard data but the relationships and communication among participants - all of which have emotional underpinnings.

Indecision is still a decision. Jeff talked about omission bias - the tendency to think that harmful actions are worse than harm that comes from inaction. But he said in blackjack four times the number of mistakes are made due to inactivity vs. mistakes due to taking action. Jeff gave an example from his own life in which his mother had a stroke and the medical professionals laid out the odds, based on statistics, of recovery with surgery vs. without. She had a 22% chance of living beyond 60 days if they did not operate. So Jeff's family took action and his mother had the surgery with a positive outcome.

When you know you're right, stick to your guns - At some time in our lives, we've all had to make a difficult decision. Jeff discussed one time in an important game when he took a risky decision to split tens. Generally, splitting tens in a blackjack game is not a good idea, but in this particular instance, he thought it through and knew it was the right thing to do. He announced his move and got stares and groans all around. He acknowledged that it was hard to do something that would buck the trend. In an age of Big Data and with access to new insights, you will come up with recommendations people won't have considered before. You may come up with recommendations they don't want to hear. But if you have the evidence to back it up, have faith in your own abilities.

The right decision doesn't always have the desired outcome - This is quite profound as I usually think of the "rightness" of a decision being determined by how the situation turned out. But Jeff says this isn't always the case and sometimes, even when you make a decision that's based on lots of knowledge that should turn out well, the outcome isn't what you wanted. This is where the unpredictability of being human, the importance of timing, and the complexity of economics and business come into play. Because something doesn't turn out the way you hoped doesn't necessarily mean you made the wrong decision.

It is widely known that there is a lack of women in IT - in fact women only make up 14.4% of the computing industry with only 9% of women studying a computing university course.

IT service provider FDM Group has put together this video highlighting the shortage of women, in the industry, and what can be done to encourage more females to consider a career in technology. At FDM Group over 50% of its senior management team is female.

Team GB's exceptional achievements in the Olympics show us that the UK can transform its performance on a spectacular scale. The approach used  success at sport could be applied to the technology industry to spot, nurture and develop talent to boost innovation and to attract more women into the sector.

The Government now has the opportunity to learn lessons from the success at the Olympics and to apply the approach to the industry.

Great Britain has transformed its sporting achievements since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when we managed to win only one gold medal thanks to Redgrave and Pinsent. Only one woman out of the GB squad managed to win a medal then and that was Denise Lewis who won Bronze in Women's Heptathlon.

Compare that with Team GB's performance in this year's Olympics and, in particular, our women who have so far won the majority of the gold medals haul: 11 out of 19 to date.

This stellar transformation has been achieved through:

·        Funding

·        A coordinates approach to spotting, developing and nurturing talent

·        Promoting role models to inspire young women e.g. Denise Lewis, Kelly Holms.

The same can be applied to the technology industry.

The situation that we currently have in the technology sector is similar to the one that we had in the field of sports before the Atlanta Olympics:

·        Women are underrepresented

·        Only the most outstanding talent or the few lucky enough to get funding manage to perform to world class standards.  

Failure to attract young people, lack of incubator funding and difficulties in protecting IPR continue to hamper opportunities in the industry.  Efforts made by successive governments have so far failed to make a difference but we have seen that we have the ability to transform performance.

So can we do it? Yes we can.

This is a guest blog from Vicky Godliman, Group Finance Director, Trustmarque Solutions

It's fair to say that the financial industry has been getting a bit of a bad reputation recently. Bankers have long been lampooned in the media, however, with a recent chain of events leading to high profile resignations for CEOs and chairmen of the UK's leading banks, I can understand why workers may not consider a career in finance such a viable option.

In my opinion, finance still offers a hugely viable and promising long-term career. Finance is not restricted to banking - that is but one segment of a huge industry - and it offers far more than what you might expect it to.

It is also important to highlight finance as a favourable option for women. Finance, along with technology, science and IT, has been a male-dominated career choice for too long. While this is slowly changing, with the likes of Christine Lagarde appointed MD of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) thanks to her strong economic background, more can still be done to help educate on why finance should be more frequently considered by school-leavers, graduates and those looking for a new career move, both male and female. 

Firstly, research has shown that since the beginning of the financial crisis, CEOs of FTSE 100 companies increasingly have financial backgrounds, with the number of CEOs with a financial background appointed in the last four years increasing by 67%. I can testify to this, I  have seen over the course of my career how those in financial positions often move up to take the CEO's role in succession planning. It makes perfect sense as the FD or CFO often knows more about a business than any other senior member of staff. We have to truly get under the skin of a company or organisation, constantly look to the future and make decisions that aren't always easy. In addition, I have noticed that my colleagues tend to come to me for general business advice, as well as finance-related queries.

Secondly, finance has a reputation for being mundane, but it can open many doors and opportunities - it's all about taking the chance when it is on offer. By continuing to evolve and invest in your career (with professional qualifications, taking an interest in the wider business as well as your industry) and working in a supportive environment where your company might give you study leave or pay for your exams, there is no reason why finance cannot be an exciting career path that can take you on many paths.

My background is in accounting but I set up my own business once I had qualified and learned a lot on the job. From there I also explored corporate finance, working for a renewable fuels company. I now head up the finance department here at Trustmarque Solutions and endeavour to give my own staff the varied experience - from entrepreneurial to corporate - that I benefitted from so they can fulfil their potential.

I've always trusted the fact that being yourself is the most reliable means of being heard. In an industry such as mine - finance in technology - where you expect to find a higher density of men in the workplace than women, being congruent and consistent has been the simplest and most effective means of fitting in and getting on. That and maintaining a good sense of humour of course.  In my experience, men always respond favourably to a woman who can take a joke or, better still, give it back with (compound) interest. 

In recent times, I have noticed a sudden influx of articles, blog posts and tweets about getting more women into IT. Allow me to mention that this isn't a bad thing; I think showcasing the lack of women in the sector is of great importance, but as Computer Weekly's Editor-in-chief, Bryan Glick, mentions in his latest blog, he doesn't want to write about this topic anymore. His point is this: he is hoping the IT workforce becomes more diverse and gender equal in the coming years, and as such we will no longer need to highlight the bleak statistics that surround the sector. 

Only 14% of the UK IT industry is populated by women despite them playing such vital roles in today's technological development and to the future of the sector. It is therefore imperative that others in industry celebrate them, which is exactly what Computer Weekly did last week at their inaugural Top 25 Most Influential Women in UK IT Awards.

I had the pleasure of attending the event and I was blown away by just how many inspiring women there are in the male dominated industry, and even more so when I considered what they have done and are continuing to do in the UK's technological landscape. The day saw 25 women commended, celebrated and applauded for their influence in IT throughout various sectors including government, education, media and banking amongst many others.

FDM's COO, Sheila Flavell had the pleasure of sitting on the judging panel with other respected women in the field including Maggie Berry (Women in Technology) and India Gary-Martin (Global COO and Managing Director for technology at JP Morgan). Of those women shortlisted, Flavell said, "It was so difficult choosing the top 25 most influential women in IT as there was such a plethora of choice - although what a problem to have!"

The fact is, networking is absolutely key to creating a supportive network within any industry, whether male dominated or not. With women holding such an acute minority in this sector, it is great to see Computer Weekly and other companies for example, everywoman, taking such active roles in supporting and promoting women in IT. Moreover, it became clear during the presentations that role models and mentoring are essential in order help with professional growth, and this is why I believe wholeheartedly in FDM's Women in IT campaign and Female Champions initiative.

These initiatives may not be an instant resolution to the lack of females considering IT as a career path or even young women considering what to study at GCSE, A-level and university, but it is certainly one step forward in contributing a positive change to the 14% statistic. We have seen a rise in female applicants and consultants, and we are retaining the women we have because we lead by example with over 50% of the management team being female, and we are passionate about supporting our female workforce.

These are just some of the reasons why it is still necessary to write about women in IT - so if you do, keep doing it and if you don't - start!

Recently Computer Weekly held its Most Influential Women in UK IT event, which attracted over 90 women to the Doubletree Hilton hotel in London.

The event included several charismatic female speakers who discussed their experiences, within the industry, and the role that women play in IT.

Denise McDonough, IT director, Home Office, director of G-Cloud programme said her moving into IT was 'not by design, but by 'happenstance.' She said more females need to be encouraged into making a move into the industry out of choice, instead of by chance, because they can envision a viable career route for themselves.

"Once we get people in, there is no biasness in women being able to race to the top," she said.

Baroness Pauline Neville Jones, former UK government cyber security chief supported this by asking: "Where are all the graduates? They are not being produced, both male and female."

"There is not a well mark career path. Instead IT is considered as a dull job instead of young people realising that it can be a route up to serious management responsibilities."

The benefits of having more women in the tech department

McDonough said women bring a different skills set to men both in business and in their personal lives: "Organisation, communication - these are skills that women deploy every day."

Jennifer Rigby, CIO, department of energy and climate change agreed and mentioned a survey which highlighted skills that are normally more likely to be seen in women. These included: The ability to be in someone else shoes, empathy, persuasive, attentive, collaborative, less competitive and fairness.

Another woman who said she has always had a passion for technology, but started out her career elsewhere was Sarah Winmill, director, IT support services, University College London. Winmill said she start out as a musician before taking care of ticket sales as various London locations including several Royal Palaces. She pointed out the fact that the youth of today are native users of technology, and that the majority of social networkers are women, however still the industry is regarded as an unattractive place for a young female.

Winmill drew attention to the fact that the industry does not always arrange events, with women in mind. Places she had been invited to include football and cricket grounds, as she joked: "They never hold events for afternoon tea." Furthermore most tradeshows focus their competition prizes around driving cars or planes: "They never offer a cake decorating experience." She also mentioned the 'Battle of the Booth Babes' at InfoSec 2010 and 2011.

Regardless of gender Winmill feels we should: "Just get on with technology and do the things we can do with it."

As with Winmill, stereotyping genders was raised by Fiona Capstick, vice president of Blue Harmony IBM who said when she started out her career as a computer operator management would only allow one girl working per shift: "Because more than one woman can't work together, because we chat," she said sarcastically.

The importance of role models

Carrrie Hartnell, associate director at Intellect admitted to loving technology and everything about having a technical career, however said this is not discussed enough. According to Hartnell this means young girls do not know the full potential of working within IT: "We need to get to parents and teachers and make them children's roles models. We need to get them at the age where they start to consider their careers, and get them excited and passionate about the idea."

India Gary Martin, managing director of investment banking technology and operations at JP Morgan, addressed the room by saying those present should start to look upon themselves as roles models, to encourage other females alike: "When I was first asked about a mentoring role, I thought I don't know if I'm ready for that. But when I thought about it, it's something you do without realising. You are all roles models to females every day. The statistics are painful, but we are here."

Sue Black, creator of the Save Bletchley Park Campaign and The <go to> Foundation said many girls do not know of any females role models that they can look up to within technology. For example Stephanie (Steve) Shirley, who in 1962 set up the software company F.I. Group and later sold the company for £150 million. Another example Black gave was Dina St Johnston, who set up the first software house called Vaughan Programming Services.

Catherine Doran, CIO, Royal Mail said to ensure we do not miss another generation, the women present at the event should remember that they are role models: "We should go into schools and tell them what our jobs are about. Explain that it's not about boring things like spanners."

Elizabeth Sparrow, former BCS president shared some interesting research, which showed the range of jobs available within the IT industry. However, women only outnumbered men in database assistant/clerks roles. She mentioned one her favourite quotes: "Women who seek to be equal to men, lack ambition."

The day also recognised the most influential role models and the top 25 most influential women in IT. Find out who came in pole position and view the full list here.

This is a guest blog from Pam Maynard who is GM of Avanade UK & Ireland.

At the very end of last month Real Business announced the winners of the 2012 First Women Awards. Designed to recognise pioneering women whose achievements open opportunities for others, the awards showcase the wealth of career opportunities available for women in the science and technology sectors, aiming to inspire more women into the profession by highlighting the success of leading women in the field.   

This year I was one of the lucky ones to be honoured with a win in the First Women of Science & Technology category.

I have been in the technology industry for over 15 years and can truly say that I enjoy my work and always look to push myself beyond the boundaries - both real and perceived - of being a female in the sector. The sad fact however is that despite ongoing efforts, technology remains a less-thought of career path for female graduates.

The key misconception out there is that women simply can't have a successful career in technology. This is absolutely not true and is something that we should all be working to change. We need to get more women into technology at an early age but to do so we need to be able to highlight powerful examples of women who are excelling in their careers. If you look at organisations in the UK like Capgemini, Accenture and Microsoft, and other FTSE 100 companies you can find very successful females with technology-focused careers - the challenge now is to make sure we are raising their profiles as high as they can go.

Another misconception about technology as a career is that it is very narrow in scope. In fact, a career in technology is so much broader - it is not just about developing technology solutions and technology companies do not have to be full of technologists. There is a huge set of different roles that sit around the delivery of a technology solution and require different skillsets. Whether it is project management or business analysis, these types of roles often come with an increased requirement for collaboration - one of the softer skills found more in women than men. If companies want to start bringing in more female talent, they need to get better at recognising and defining the skillset they require from employees and reflecting this back in their recruitment efforts.

If I were going to use my recent win as a platform to speak to girls considering a career in technology my first piece of advice above all else would be for them to have confidence in their value. Today's young women need to have more self-belief and recognise the value in the unique skills and experience that they can bring to the sector. Males and females bring different skillsets to any work place and a balanced gender mix is optimal for the success of any business.