Celebrating International Women’s Day
In honour of International Women’s Day, we are highlighting IDC’s “Women in Tech”, who for many years, have been playing an active role in shaping the technology research business. In this series we will be sharing views from our best and brightest IDC women on issues such as gender gap and diversity in tech world.
Marta Muñoz
Research Director, IDC EMEA
1. Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?
I lead IDC’s European IoT Practice, which involves coordinating our research and consulting vision and opportunities across the region. My days typically involve speaking to customers on IoT Trends, advising them on their vision and strategy; being briefed by technology vendors on their latest products and announcements and ensuring I keep up to date with the latest changes in what is a very changing market.
2. Why – and how – you got into the tech industry?
My father worked in the Telecommunications Ministry in Spain, so I grew up surrounded by technology conversations and I developed an early interest for the tech industry. My mother was a senior director in the Public Sector and I realized early on that there were other skills equally important to a good technical background in a professional environment. I’ve always tried to combine both.
3. What do you enjoy outside of your work at IDC?
Travelling and learning about other cultures, spending time with family and friends… and escaping the busy life of the city and spending time with nature!
4. Do you notice a lack of women in technology compared to other workplaces? If so, why do you think that’s the case?
Yes, this is pretty obvious. I remember giving a presentation with a technology client to an audience of over 200 people recently, where all the presenters were women – there was an overall sense of amazement and incredulity about this. 90% of the audience, however, were men, and those were the ones making the technology decisions! We certainly need more girls going into technical careers, and an educational system that supports this – I read an article recently which explained that girls brains understand mathematical problems in a different way than boys, yet we are still trying to teach them all maths in exactly the same way in their early years!. But we also need a system which encourages women to return to work if they decide to have a family. Many women drop out because their salaries are not enough to cover the expenses of childcare.
And of course, creating a mentoring structure that understands the importance of fostering women onto senior levels of the organization is equally important. And we need this attitude to be a continuous and integral part of the organization, not just a one off action once a year or a nice statement to have on Annual Reports!
5.What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in the tech industry?
My advice to any girl or woman going into the tech industry, including my own daughter, would be to persevere, to not give up. To try and not take things too personally when it comes to gender discrimination and to prove their value. And not be shy. There are also, of course, loads of ways to work in technology that do not necessarily involve being an engineer, this is also important to understand!
Hannah Breeze
Senior Research Analyst, IDC Channels and Alliances in Europe
1. Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?
Every day is different, but I am usually found doing one of three things: on calls or in meetings with vendors and clients, sharing information about all things partnering; writing research and reports; or presenting in some form. It varies!
2. Why – and how – you got into the tech industry?
Completely by accident! I am a trained journalist and wanted to write for a B2B title. My first job was as an IT channel reporter. My career developed from there and now I still focus on the channel, but from the analyst side.
3. What do you enjoy outside of your work at IDC?
I’ve always loved making things – so crafting and baking are among my favourite hobbies, as well as spending time with family.
4. Do you notice a lack of women in technology compared to other workplaces? If so, why do you think that’s the case?
Personally, places I have worked myself have always been fairly well balanced, but you only need to walk around a tech conference to notice how male-dominated the industry is. I think some of the most appealing elements of the tech industry – flexibility, travel opportunities, variety of available roles, and ability to meet interesting people – are not always immediately obvious until you’re here.
5. Would you say from your own experience, that you’ve seen improvements in gender diversity over the years?
In terms of numbers of women in the industry, it’s hard to measure. However, I think the Women in Tech movement more widely has certainly gained momentum, helped along by some senior figures (men and women) and high-profile female appointments in tech. There’s always more that can be done though, such as ensuring male-only panels or event speakers are a thing of the past.
Marta Fiorentini
Consulting Manager, IDC EMEA
1.Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?
As a consultant I follow several projects, from proposal to production. I work on different areas of technology, with different clients and colleagues, all on the same day. So there is no typical day and this is the best part of my job.
2. Why – and how – you got into the tech industry?
By chance. And I’m glad it happened because technology is so pervasive in our lives and progressing so fast that sometimes I feel privileged that I am able to follow its developments so closely, as an insider rather than a passive consumer.
3. What do you enjoy outside of your work at IDC?
I enjoy being active, trekking especially, and I love learning new things. I’m currently doing an MBA so that’s pretty much all my time outside work taken for the next two years
4. Do you notice a lack of women in technology compared to other workplaces? If so, why do you think that’s the case?
First, the good news. When I joined IDC one of the first things I noticed was that I was no longer the only woman during meetings. I was coming from the building services industry, which is almost completely male-dominated. Most of the times the only other women I would meet were receptionists. I had stints in other non-tech sectors and women were always a minority. This is not to say that the tech industry doesn’t have a problem, because it does and we hear and read about it all the time, and it becomes worse as you try to progress your carrier and as you become older. Female presence declines dramatically in senior or executive positions. But it is not only about gender, it is about diversity in general. I think that in my life I have been discriminated against because of my age, or my accent, as much as or more than because I am a woman. Most of the times it is so subtle and it may well be unintentional, an unconscious bias engrained in society. The good thing about a lack of women in tech is that we are talking about it, society has become aware and decided that that’s not how it should be and is trying to actively address the problem.
5. Does the tech industry help support women to have a family and job?
I’m not sure the tech industry makes it easier to have a family and job, technology certainly does. Thanks to technology work is no longer confined to a place, we say this constantly in IDC, but also creativity and ideas are not confined to the office walls. The tech industry should be the natural place to find a better work-life balance, for women and men, for employees with a family or without. Finding a balance between work and life outside work is never going to be easy, especially as the boundaries between the two are increasingly difficult to draw, but technology and flexible working policies can definitely help.