DIVERSITY4TECH SUMMIT 2023: DAY 1

Chairperson: Mary Patterson Clarke, Astra Capital Management & Board Member, CTS Communications

 

As the world relies on the tech sector to enable positive transformation, a lack of diversity and equity is compromising the sector’s capacity to innovate. According to the EY Tech Horizon 2022 survey, more than a quarter of technology transformation leaders acknowledge that insufficient progress in creating a diverse and inclusive workforce poses a significant challenge. Yet, less than half of organizations (44%) include diversity targets in their transformation strategies and initiatives. In this panel we discuss how organization’s all have different starting points, circumstances, backgrounds and identities, experiences and needs, which we all need to better understand:

• Why an enhanced focus on diversity and equity is critical to solving today’s most complex business issues

• Participation in the digital world and benefit from its efficiencies in terms of inclusion

• What can the Tech sector do to build more inclusive and equitable environments 

• Closing the digital diversity and equity divide and spur innovation.

 

SPEAKERS:

MODERATOR: Karyn Twaronite, Global Vice Chair, Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness, EY 

• Errol Gardner, Global Vice Chair, Consulting, EY  

• Justina Nixon-Saintil, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and ESG, IBM

• Caroline Casey, Founder of Valuable500

• Elizabeth Tchoungui, Executive Director CSR, Diversity and Solidarity, Orange Group

 

 

Gender equality is not a female issue. It is a social and economic imperative

Embracing purpose and taking action to empower diverse talent in the workplace means conscious leaders advancing equity. As we now emerge from the pandemic, the pressure for companies to embrace ‘everything digital’ has intensified. How do we incorporate the best of human within organisational transformation.  How do we make gender parity come about? Why the work/life balance is a myth so how do we reframe our mindset for success?

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Shelley Zalis, Founder and CEO, The Female Quotient

Interviewed by: Mary Patterson Clarke, Astra Capital Management & Board Member, CTS Communications

 

To make a rapid shift to a more strategic DE&I approach your vision needs to be clearly defined and articulated. A strong business case has to be made so everyone understands that this strategy is not merely a reaction to social or political issues or for HR departments only, but a proven and powerful, way of gaining a greater edge on competitors.  It is therefore important to secure buy-in from senior managers across the organisation:

• Managing DE&I throughout the talent cycle in telecommunications

• Making sure senior managers have training and a clear understanding of how DE&I is a business growth enabler

• Leverage KPIs and performance management systems to embed DE&I: Setting workforce diversity targets

• Ways to increase reporting and growth tracking attached to DE&I across functions and teams 

 

SPEAKERS: 

MODERATOR: Adriana Gascoigne, CEO, Girls in Tech

• Kristen Nichols, Senior Vice President Global Business Operations, Cisco

• Amy "Amy H-R" Hanlon-Rodemich, Chief People Officer, Nokia

 

Companies that not only embrace but champion grassroots diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are also well positioned to deliver outstanding customer and employee experiences at every level and touch point. Regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, appearance or ability, customer service teams must be provided with the training and tools needed for their own success.  What are the key ways to ensure that DE&I is a vital component of your customer services, products and customer-facing employees.

• Diverse customer experiences can help brands enable customers to have more faith and trust their products and services

• Creating a customer facing DE&I mission statement

• Optimising customer services for accessibility, equality and inclusion

• Employing and retaining DE&I champions across your business

 

SPEAKER:

Namrata Sharma, Principal Partners Segment Leader – Semi Conductors, Amazon Web Services

 

 

Because the biases that perpetuate workplace inequality are largely unconscious and automatic, shifting an organisation’s talent management paradigm from ‘cultural fit’ to ‘diversity and inclusion’ takes time, data and accountability. Employee feedback is a useful data source for measuring the success of your DE&I programmes especially when leaders can use a “pulse,” a quick survey, to check in with employees without adding to distractions. 

• Aligning your business strategy to specific diversity and inclusion initiatives you are implementing

• Legal and ethical requirements regarding the capturing and storing of sensitive information

• Building metrics around representation, retention, recruitment and promotion

• Setting up employee DE&I focus groups and data focused checks and balances 

 

SPEAKERS:

MODERATOR: Radhika Gupta, Director, Head of Data Acquisition and DE&I Champion, GSMA

• Margarete McGrath, Seniore Director, Global Advisories, Dell Technologies

• Simeon Quarrie, BIMA 100, Changemaker, LORCA Cyber and CEO/Founder VIVIDA

• Ariel de Fauconberg, Winner, Financial Times and McKinsey’s Bracken Bower Award & Co-Founder, Director of Research, Good Data Initiative

 

 

This panel session looks at how we connect innovation with inspiring internal and external communication strategies to maximise the impact and engagement with your companies diversity, Equality and inclusion (D&I) strategy. A diversity and inclusion communications strategy has a critical role to play.

• Where are the best examples and forces of collective innovation and which maximise engagement for DE&I.  How to push for change which scale DE&I

• Sparking conversations and identifying ways: which methods, channels and communications strategies work best

• The application of DE&I to internal communications: stand out tactics

• Social media and harnessing technological innovation to enhance, excite and speed up DE&I

 

SPEAKERS:

MODERATOR: Mary Patterson Clarke, Astra Capital Management & Board Member, CTS Communications

• Iris Meijer, Chief Marketing Officer, SVP Revenue Operations, Verizon Business 

• Keri Gilder, Chief Executive Officer, Colt

12.10 Closing Remarks: Accelerating Change, Driving Value and Purpose