With International Women’s Day (IWD) taking place this Sunday, Angela Logothetis, CTO at Amdocs, a multi-billion-pound telecoms company shares her views on the growth of women in the tech sector.
Angela is also a non-executive board director of EXFO and a technology advisor to an ecosystem of technology companies. Working in a technical role in a male dominated technology industry, Angela has had to contend with female representation and diversity challenges throughout her career.
In her statement, Angela said, “International Women’s Day is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the achievements of women and to highlight what can be done to improve diversity in business and push for change. As a woman in a senior leadership role, I consider myself fortunate to be given a platform to discuss the industry and diversity issues that I’m passionate about. Not all women in similar positions are given the opportunity to become a voice for the company. This exclusion can influence the public perception of a company, create a gap in role models for the next generation, and can proliferate the lack of diversity in business."
She added, “However, I am encouraged by some of the recent initiatives that I’ve witnessed to help empower women in the workplace. In some Nordic countries, for example, maternity and paternity leave is divided equally between parents. Being on leave for nine months to a year can result in women falling behind their peers in training, development and promotion. By sharing parental leave, it ensures men get an equal opportunity to raise their families, and that women have equal opportunities at work. Meanwhile, it’s great to see more UK businesses supporting flexible working. This includes flexible hours and working four days a week while holding a fulltime role – opportunities that are now available to all employees, including those in very senior leadership roles."
Angela elaborated further on strategies that women can adopt to further their career in this challenging sector, “One piece of advice I always give to both my female and male peers who are aspiring to be leaders, is to network as much as possible and build relationships with successful people. Don’t be afraid to ask them how they’ve risen to the position they’re in, and how they’ve overcome challenges in their career. This advice can be invaluable. Asking for what you want can’t be overvalued – whether it’s for help or even a promotion – if you’re confident and direct in your ambitions, you are much more likely to get to where you want to be, faster."
