Almost two centuries ago, British mathematician Ada Lovelace designed the world’s first programmable computing machine. While so much has changed since then, today’s female tech leaders are still in the minority – making up just 31% of Australia’s technology workforce. Gender equality in the C-suite generally is also lagging on our shores, with women in just 28% of all senior roles. As the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Thoughtworks Australia, I know how important it is to accelerate female leadership representation. I recently sat down with MYOB’s CFO, Caroline Rawlinson, to reflect on her experience, and where she sees opportunities for positive change.
Embracing a female style of leadership
Having worked in male-dominated sectors – from fishing and construction to manufacturing and now tech – Caroline says she has enjoyed every one of those environments.
“I enjoyed the cut and thrust of it. I was fairly outspoken and confident given how young I was in my career,” she tells me. “Providing a female perspective was beneficial, at a time when gender diversity was just starting to get some focus.”
However, Caroline acknowledges this wasn’t the experience for all women at the time, and many found it hard to be heard.
“I think societal shifts have occurred such that you can show up more authentically now as a female. We’re getting better at embracing the true sense of diversity.
“Now I’m working in technology, I have found MYOB’s culture much more diverse, inclusive and welcoming. There’s a much larger variety of backgrounds, and everyone is invited to provide input,” she says.
Caroline notes she experienced a lot of visible female leadership when working in Asia, and in particular China, as CFO for Formica Asia. “I found there was more gender equality, in the visible leadership sense, than I had experienced before.”
Pressed on why this might be so, she observes, “I think it could have been societal. There was very much a normalization of women working and being equally valued in both public and private enterprise.”
Continue reading: https://womenlovetech.com/ada-lovelace-day-why-gender-diversity-matters-in-tech/
Embracing a female style of leadership
Having worked in male-dominated sectors – from fishing and construction to manufacturing and now tech – Caroline says she has enjoyed every one of those environments.
“I enjoyed the cut and thrust of it. I was fairly outspoken and confident given how young I was in my career,” she tells me. “Providing a female perspective was beneficial, at a time when gender diversity was just starting to get some focus.”
However, Caroline acknowledges this wasn’t the experience for all women at the time, and many found it hard to be heard.
“I think societal shifts have occurred such that you can show up more authentically now as a female. We’re getting better at embracing the true sense of diversity.
“Now I’m working in technology, I have found MYOB’s culture much more diverse, inclusive and welcoming. There’s a much larger variety of backgrounds, and everyone is invited to provide input,” she says.
Caroline notes she experienced a lot of visible female leadership when working in Asia, and in particular China, as CFO for Formica Asia. “I found there was more gender equality, in the visible leadership sense, than I had experienced before.”
Pressed on why this might be so, she observes, “I think it could have been societal. There was very much a normalization of women working and being equally valued in both public and private enterprise.”
Continue reading: https://womenlovetech.com/ada-lovelace-day-why-gender-diversity-matters-in-tech/
