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Friday 3rd June 2011 - Update from Maggie Berry, Managing Director, Women in TechnologyThe team has been so busy with our ever increasing calendar of events some of which we hope you've been able to attend. May saw the return of our drop in drinks co-hosted with European Professional Women's Network (EPWN), a networking event 'Internal Networking - How to Make it Work' in conjunction with RBS Global Banking & Markets and our first major event in Scotland 'Moving Beyond the Boys' Club' which we co-hosted with Girl Geeks Scotland and Shell. The feedback from these events has been overwhelmingly positive, for which we are glad, as it re-affirms that we continue to provide a valuable service to our network! We are always interested in spreading the word of what we do and encourage you to pass on our emails and event invites to your colleagues (male and female!) in order to help us do that. Our newsletter is back for June (a bit like the sunshine!) and as you'll see from the number of items, there are lots of activities you can get involved in over the coming weeks. As ever, please get in touch with the relevant contacts directly and if you have any questions about Women in Technology or would like to make a submission for the next newsletter, please don't hesitate to contact me - thanks so much! 1. Mentoring at Work: A Masterclass - Wednesday 8th June 2011 at 9.30am to 5pm, London2. EPWN London event: An Evening with Amanda Wakeley on Thursday 9th June 2011, 6pm to 9pm, London3. Success in the City, Thursday 9th June 2011 at 6.30pm, London 4. The City Women's Network Annual Conference: Women Leading in a Global Economy, Friday 10th June 2011 at 8am , London5. UK Government Consultation - Strengthening Women's Voices in Government: closes 10th June 20116. Reaching into the Boardroom, Thursday 16th June 2011 at 6pm, London7. Workshop - Working with Difference: The impact of difference on workplace behaviour, Wednesday 22nd June 2011 at 9.30am - London8. Webinar - Managing Your Maternity Leave with Dr. Suzanne Doyle-Morris, Thursday 28th July 2011 at 8pm9. A new way to think - Integrative Thinking, 21st to 23rd September 2011 - an executive programmes from the Rotman School of Management10. Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011, 7th to 10th November 2011, Spain11. Have your say... Female talent in the IT world - online survey to complete12. Dissertation survey about women in STEM13. Looking for female technologist in the name of research!14. Book - The Definitive Guide to Networking and Speaking in Public - '...and death came third!'15. The L'Oréal Foundation for Women in Science - call for guest bloggers!16. Java Magazine - Looking for Female Technical Contributors17. Interested in contributing to a LinkedIn Group on "Women Role Models"?18. Are you a cloud computing guru?19. Top Employers for Working Families - Benchmark and Awards 201120. The UK IT Awards 2011 are open for entries!21. Wardrobe Friendly
1 - Mentoring at Work: A Masterclass - Wednesday 8th June 2011 at 9.30am to 5pm, LondonWhile many organisations recognise the benefits of mentoring, currently only a small number are really maximising the potential of their mentoring programmes to enhance employee performance, loyalty and satisfaction. This is attributed, in part, to lack of mentoring skills and training. This thought-provoking, skills-based programme is designed to explore the essential skills mentors need. You will get practical guidance on setting up or developing existing mentoring schemes and learn the pitfalls to avoid. This is an interactive, practical day packed with insights and learning. Some the highlights are: gain an insight into the key skills required to be a good mentor; approach mentoring in a way that helps ensure optimum success is achieved; establish and develop mentoring in a way that is right for your organisation; deliver a sound business case for mentoring in your organisation; learn from guest speakers who have set up successful mentoring programmes; appreciate how businesses profit by developing managers' mentoring skills and understand how mentoring forms a key part of professional and personal development. Who should attend? Anyone seeking to develop their skills as a mentor and those wishing to develop a mentoring programme within their organisations. Tickets cost £395 but we have negotiated discounted tickets of £345 for Women in Technology members - enter the code 'wit' when booking! More information can be found here.
2 - EPWN London event: An Evening with Amanda Wakeley on Thursday 9th June 2011, 6pm to 9pm, LondonThe worlds of both business and fashion can be fraught with challenges, relationship conflicts and legal disputes as well as the highs of launching your own brand, celebrities wearing your collection and commenting on the wedding dress of a very high profile Royal Wedding on national television. Join EPWN London at a prestigious evening and hear the story of one of Britain's most successful fashion designers, Amanda Wakeley, on the challenges that have been thrown at her, the significant successes throughout her career and the lessons learnt. Amanda will be interviewed by one of the most successful magazine editors in the UK, SHE Magazine Editor, Claire Irvin. The event will be hosted at Amanda's flagship store on the Fulham Road giving all attending the opportunity to view her collection in the comfort of a select evening for EPWN London. Price for EPWN members - 29.50 Euro (€). Price for non-members - 44.25 Euro (€). More information can be found here.3 - Success in the City, Thursday 9th June 2011 at 6.30pm, London On the 9th June, an original and inspiring event called Success in the City is being held in Canary Wharf. This reception-style event is a unique opportunity to entertain your colleagues and clients alongside other well-known business professionals from across the corporate arena. All efforts go into raising funds for Women’s Aid, the UK domestic violence charity. All-inclusive tickets to the event include the chance to hear a live panel of Britain’s most successful athletes discuss the secrets to their success. Live entertainment and a silent auction will follow, whilst guests enjoy Pommery champagne, drinks and canapés. It includes complimentary beauty gifts from Jurlique, tips and advice from Virgin Active and the chance to bid for exciting prizes from Tiffany’s & Co, holiday experiences and more – all in the name of charity! The host is Charlie Webster, Sky Sports Presenter and the panellists are Sir Matthew Pinsent (4x Gold Olympic medalist), Liz Yelling (Olympian, long-distance runner), Anna Hemmings (6x World Champion canoeist) and Maggie Alphonsi (female rugby player - won Rugby Player of the Year beating both men and women). The sponsors are Thomson Reuters, Virgin Active gyms, Tiffany & Co, London City Airport, Marriott Hotels, Charbonnel et Walker and Pommery Champagne. The event promises to be a rewarding experience for both you and your clients, by inspiring and empowering professionals in a celebratory setting. Each £50 all-inclusive ticket entitles your guest to event access, free gifts and unlimited refreshments. There’s some great momentum building in the Canary Wharf community and they’ve currently sold almost 200 tickets so they hope you can get on board, bring your clients and colleagues to help them to reach their 1,000 target! Buy tickets at www.amiando.com/successinthecity.
4 - The City Women's Network Annual Conference: Women Leading in a Global Economy, Friday 10th June 2011 at 8am, LondonThere is great momentum around the development of senior female leaders in the global economy. Though much of the work that is garnering media attention is focused around the inclusion of women on boards, there are a number of other dimensions of the leadership agenda that are as important in helping to create a robust pipeline of talent, both male and female to shape the future of business enterprise in the UK. CWN's conference 'Women Leading in a Global Economy' is being held to not only debate and address the practical issues around achieving gender parity at the most senior levels of organisations, but to discuss the issues that affect all business leaders. Their challenging business agenda features some of the most prominent executives in the UK and will debate the resolution of the complexities that will continue to impede progress of all of businesses if not addressed and resolved. This conference is appropriate for senior women and men from the private and public sectors who wish to engage in the debate around gender balance and parity, discuss the challenges around the extreme environments in which senior leaders work and who understand that failures often form an integral part of successful business processes. Speakers include Anna Ford - Formerly of the BBC, Non-Exec Sainsbury’s; Tom Kalaris - Chief Executive, Barclays Wealth, Helena Morissey - Chief Executive, Newton Asset Management (BNY Mellon) and Amanda MacKenzie - Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Aviva PLC, Non-Exec, Mothercare. Women in Technology promotional offer - we have negotiated a discounted rate of £225 +VAT for all Women in Technology members. For more information, please click here.
5 - UK Government Consultation - Strengthening Women's Voices in Government: 7th March 2011 to 10th June 2011Following Lynne Featherstone’s recent statement to Parliament relating to the Government Equality Office’s publication of the 'Strengthening Women's Voices in Government' consultation and the Government’s proposal for a new approach for engaging and listening to women, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) would welcome your views and feedback on their new proposals. You can access the consultation document on GEO’s website and you can respond to the consultation questions via this link. The consultation runs until the 10th June 2011 and is your chance to influence the GEO’s proposals about Government’s new approach for engaging and listening to women in the UK.
6 - Reaching into the Boardroom, Thursday 16th June 2011 at 6pm, LondonOnly 12.5% of FTSE 100 company directors are female. The Davies Review Report recommends that FTSE 100 companies aim for a minimum of 25% female board member representation by 2015. But how do you manage to reach into the boardroom and stay there? The Hoxton Apprentice Professional Women's Network and Aquitude have teamed up to bring you 'Reaching into the Boardroom' on Thursday 16th June 2011 from 6pm to 9pm. Their special guest Antony Jenkins, CEO of Barclays Retail Bank, will share his personal advice on what a board would look for in a female NED or board member. You'll gain top tips followed by practical working exercises: building and implementing your personal credibility plan - ensuring that you are not just excellent at what you do but are also publicly seen as credible and authentic. Managing and aiming upwards: techniques for strategically networking on your way up; ways to create your Mentoring Mesh, your support group to impart expertise and resource to make sure you stay on track. Building your arsenal: strategies for obtaining directorship / advisory roles before seeking board positions. This event is £45 which includes the seminar, a two course meal (main and dessert) plus a welcoming glass of wine. To book, please call 020 7749 2809 and pay £45 by credit card giving your name, email and contact number. There are limited places left so please book asap if you're interested in attending. More information about the Hoxton Apprentice Professional Women's Network can be found here.
7 - Workshop - Working with Difference: The impact of difference on workplace behaviour, Wednesday 22nd June 2011 at 9.30am - LondonThis one day workshop, on Wednesday 22nd June 2011 from 9.30am to 4pm at Metanoia Institute, 13 North Common Road, Ealing, London, W5 2QB, will be interactive and dynamic (no PowerPoint) and designed to take participants on a journey towards a greater understanding of how personal difference impacts on their lives at work. It will: enable people to explore more about their own diversity and the impact it has on them in the workplace; examine why people respond the way they do; show how, in spite of differences, people can forge strong bonds between each other; demonstrate how working relationships are strengthened when personal difference is recognised and explain how equality best practice and legislation compliance can be achieved by “Working with Difference”. After the workshop participants will: understand what their own diversity means and how it affects them at work; gain a deeper insight into other peoples’ differences and how to respond to them more positively; learn to make connections through difference and improve one-to-one relationships with managers, colleagues and customers/service users/clients. This workshop is ideal for people looking to increase their understanding about the impact that diversity has in the workplace. It is particularly for those who want to develop their role as best practice practitioners. “Working with Difference” is a proven tool in management, human resources and team and leadership development. The facilitator, Michael Lassman, has over twenty-five years experience as an equality and diversity practitioner, coach and trainer. He has developed a dynamic approach to this complex area of work, blending both his experience and creativity. The course costs £145 including refreshments and a buffet lunch but Women in Technology members can book for £70 - please quote 'WIT' when booking - please email michael@equalityedge.org.uk or call 020 8445 8447.
8 - Webinar - Managing Your Maternity Leave with Dr. Suzanne Doyle-Morris, Thursday 28th July 2011 at 8pmAre you starting a family and thinking how you will juggle being the main breadwinner with being a new mother? Or perhaps you are wondering how you can best temporarily transition out of and then back into the workforce, to enjoy your new child but with a minimum disruption to your career? There is no doubt about it, making the switch from working woman to working mother is one of the biggest professional challenges you will ever face. However, there is plenty you can proactively do to make the process as streamlined as possible. This webinar will focus on: addressing the truth and myths around what career options are best suited for working mothers; explore how to balance the dual roles of being a mother and the main breadwinner for the family; look at childcare and working options tailored to your individual values; discuss how to talk about childcare options with your partner; ensure your career stays on track and you retain credibility with your colleagues and boss; create a strategy for maintaining professional relationships whilst setting appropriate boundaries and look at how to use technology to maintain your profile whilst on leave. The webinar costs £29 and will last one hour with time for your questions and a recording will be available after the event for participants to use. More information can be found here.
9 - A new way to think - Integrative Thinking, 21st to 23rd September 2011 - an executive programmes from the Rotman School of ManagementThe University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management is offering its renowned Integrative Thinking Programme for the first time in London from the 21st to 23rd of September 2011. The programme, designed by Rotman Dean, Roger Martin, author of The Opposable Mind and Fixing the Game, is built on the results of his intensive research on how successful senior leaders think. Rotman’s Integrative Thinking Programme is an intensive three-day executive programme designed to help you make better decisions more of the time. Integrative Thinking meets the challenges of a changing global environment by recognising that today’s business leaders require new approaches to tackling problems. Rather than choose between existing, often opposing models, integrative thinkers build new ones. More information about Integrative Thinking can be found here. We have negotiated a 10% discount on the three-day programme - please quote EP10DISC when booking. Executive Programmes at the Rotman School of Management is committed to delivering open-enrolment and customised programmes that create sustainable impact for business leaders worldwide. With innovative programmes based on Integrative Thinking and Business Design, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. For more information, click here.
10 - Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011, 7th to 10th November 2011, SpainThe world’s most important gathering of CIOs and senior IT executives - 7th to 10th November 2011, CCIB Barcelona. Re-imagine IT: Leading From the Front. The rise of new technologies has given IT a seat at the strategy table — offering a new context for your organisation’s infrastructure, investment, innovation and growth. This sets the stage for CIOs and senior leaders to re-imagine IT in ways that challenge assumptions and fuel transformation from the inside out. Learn how at Symposium/ITxpo in Barcelona this year. Special discount available for members of Women in Technology! Save €600 on the standard delegate rate by using code MPSYM2 when registering. www.gartner.com/eu/symposium or 020 8879 2430 or emea.registration@gartner.com. More information can be found here.
11 - Have your say... Female talent in the IT world - online survey to completePlease spare 5-10 minutes to complete this survey aimed at identifying current situations, trends as well as issues and success stories of female talent in the IT world! Heike Hennig, a Masters student of Human Resources Management (CIPD) at Middlesex University, is currently conducting research for her dissertation on the retention and engagement of female talent in the IT industry. In addition to leveraging existing academic research, Heike is conducting her own survey and one-to-one interviews with women at all career levels working in IT as well as thought-leaders in the HR sphere to both identify current experiences of women in the IT industry and to understand what businesses are doing to retain and engage their female talent to gain competitive advantage. Have your say here. Should you also be interested in more in-depth one-to-one interviews, please contact Heike directly: heikehennig@ymail.com
12 - Dissertation survey about women in STEMRachael Robnett is a graduate student in developmental psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, USA. She is currently recruiting participants for her dissertation, which examines the experiences women have in fields related to technology/computer science. She's collecting her data through an online survey. Participants will be entered into a raffle to win one of several $50 gift certificates to Starbucks. The survey takes about 30 minutes to complete. For women who are currently technology/computer science students click here to complete the survey. For women who are currently working in fields related to technology/computer science click here to complete the survey. 13 - Looking for female technologist in the name of research!Josie Lewis is currently conducting research into the reasons why the figures are showing a decline in women entering/leaving the information technology sector. It's a well discussed subject but one close to her heart. There are just 10 simple questions to answer and it's all done anonymously. Please contact Josie directly - josie.lewis@googlemail.com - if you require further information. Her survey can be found here - please complete it by the end of June 2011.
14 - Book - The Definitive Guide to Networking and Speaking in Public - '...and death came third!'Do you dread going to networking events? Do you hide at the back of the room when you have the opportunity to present your business? In 1984 a New York Times survey on social anxiety placed death third in the list of people's biggest fears. The top two responses were walking into a room full of strangers and speaking in public. Facing these two fears head on, ‘…and death came third!’, written by Andy Lopata, Business Networking Strategist and Peter Roper, The Natural Presenter, rocketed straight to Number Two on the Amazon UK bestseller lists on publication of its first edition in 2006. Since then thousands of people have turned to its pages to help them network and present with much more confidence. In this updated second edition you can discover how to: walk into a networking event and approach people with confidence; structure a talk so that you can get your key message across powerfully; engage people in conversation and get them interested in you; focus on the results you want from networking and achieve them easily; stand and speak with conviction and authority and much, much more... Watch this video to find out more. The book's normal price is £15.99 however we have negotiated a discount for Women in Technology members who can buy the book for £11.50 - more information can be found here.
15 - The L'Oréal Foundation for Women in Science - call for guest bloggers!The L'Oréal Corporate Foundation is looking for new contributors for their blog Agora. Their blog is changing and is going to be more and more about contributors and what they have to say. The tone of the blog is for everyone to understand science as they think that a lot of people are interested in science but don't discover more about it because it is too difficult to understand and they are not experts. So they would like Agora to become a cross roads of science and for everyone to be concerned by new discoveries and to be curious about different fields that they don't know about. They would be happy to hear from any Women in Technology members who might be interested in writing a blog for them. If this is of interest, please contact Thibaut Branger, their community manager - 4womeninscience@gmail.com or +33 1 53 67 12 63 or +33 6 35 40 25 62. More information can be found on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube and on the L'Oreal website.
16 - Java Magazine - Looking for Female Technical ContributorsOracle is issuing a new Java Magazine and Yolande Poirier, Oracle's Outreach Manager, is looking for women contributors to the community section called "Java Nation." It could be about your work with Java or community activities (training, meet ups...). The format could be a podcast, a video or a short written interview (less than a page long) and they pay for technical articles. If this is of interest, please contact Yolande Poirier: yolande.poirier@oracle.com
17 - Interested in contributing to a LinkedIn Group on "Women Role Models"?As an outcome of the "Women in Science, Innovation and Technology in the Digital Age" conference held in Budapest in March, a Gender Action Plan for the Digital Agenda with eight focus areas was drawn up. In this context, Commissioner Neelie Kroes has decided to include a "Women for Smart Growth" workshop at the Digital Agenda Assembly in Brussels in June, at which the Gender Action Plan will be discussed. To explore the Gender Action Plan topic "Creating positive images through role models, awareness campaigns, TV programmes, video games & the World Expo 2015 in Milan," a virtual working group has been established and they have launched the first in a series of short surveys on "Female Role Models" and would like to encourage your participation. Please join their LinkedIn Group, follow them on Twitter, visit them on Facebook or read their blog. Take the first survey on "Media & Women Role Models" and join in the discussion! Let your voice be heard! 18 - Are you a cloud computing guru?We're currently looking for potential speakers for a 'cloud' conference in London on the 13th and 14th July 2011. The conference organisers would love to have some female speakers so if you are, or you know anyone who is, an expert in all things cloud, then please have a look through the conference programme and if you could speak on any of the topics, please get in touch with Adam Malik, Content Director & Founder - 079 7677 7361 or 020 3137 6545 or adam.malik@maven-cast.com
19 - Top Employers for Working Families - Benchmark and Awards 2011The search is now on for this year’s Top Employers for Working Families. Enter the benchmark survey to find out how family friendly you are - closing date: Friday 10th June. Working Families has launched its annual benchmark survey and awards - Top Employers for Working Families – and invites UK employers of all sizes and from all sectors to enter. Following the success of the 2010 Benchmark and Awards, Working Families has again worked with the Institute for Employment Studies to produce a timely and robust benchmark survey that will help employers to develop new insight and a practical action plan for integrating family friendly policy. Employers are invited to complete the benchmark survey to find out exactly how family friendly they are. All entrants will receive a 25 page aggregated benchmark report against which to compare their own data. In completing the survey, top scoring entrants will have a chance to be in the final Top 10 or Top 30 A-Z list of Top Employers for Working Families. Optional special award categories for 2011 are: Best for Flexibility; Best for Carers; Best for Mothers; Best for Fathers; Best for Career Progression and Best for Recruitment and Innovation and Engagement. In 2010, the Top 30 Employers for Working Families included organisations of all sizes from the public and private sector and from across the UK. The winning initiatives which impressed the judges and resulted in a Special Award in 2010 included policies for fathers, carers, recruitment and emergency childcare. Employer feedback from winning organisations underlines the importance which successful, agile organisations now place on developing and embedding family friendly policy. The official list of Top Employers for Working Families and Special Award winners will be announced during Working Families National Work Life Week in September 2011. For more information click here or contact Elizabeth Whitehead, Marketing and Media Officer - 020 7017 0064 or Elizabeth.Whitehead@workingfamilies.org.uk
20 - The UK IT Awards 2011 are open for entries!Entries for the UK IT Industry Awards 2011 are now open. Setting the benchmark for excellence throughout the IT industry, the prestigious UK IT Industry Awards provide a spectacular opportunity for the entire IT profession to showcase and celebrate best practice, innovation and excellence within the UK. The 2011 categories are: INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS (CIO of the Year, Young IT Professional of the Year, IT Manager of the Year, Systems Professional of the Year, Service & Support Professional of the Year and Business Analyst of the Year); ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS (Large IT Department of the Year, IT Department of the Year, IT Supplier of the Year, Small IT Supplier of the Year, IT Employer of the Year and IT Project Team of the Year); TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE AWARDS (Security Innovation of the Year, Business IT Innovation of the Year, Mobile IT Innovation of the Year, Infrastructure Innovation of the Year, UK Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award and Embedded Software Award); PROJECT EXCELLENCE AWARDS (Business Project of the Year, Small Business Project of the Year, Public Sector Project of the Year, Community Project of the Year and Environmental Project of the Year). The entry deadline is 5pm on Friday 15th July 2011 and the winners will be announced at the glittering award ceremony at the Battersea Park Arena in London on Thursday 10th November. For more information, please email ukitawards@incisivemedia.com or click here to visit the website.
21 - Wardrobe FriendlyHave you ever wanted to go through your wardrobe and throw out some of your old clothes and other items, but can't because of: a) the thought; b) the time; c) the energy and/or d) the long-term friendship? Are you stressed getting dressed - especially for important occasions? Do you have too much black/grey/beige everything? Are your expensive shoes and dresses being worn by the wardrobe? Are you entering a new phase of life – career, marriage (pre/post), motherhood, milestone age, body change - and need help? If you answered yes to one or more of the above, then Wardrobe Friendly is a new service for you. Because they understand how daunting and private your wardrobe can be, they've set up a confidential service aimed at supporting busy women to find and present their best selves. They'll help you: sort through your wardrobe, structure your items, style and groom yourself out of what's left and sell off unwanted high-end items at an agreed target price (or advise about a charity shop). Fee: £99.99 for two hours (or £199.99 for half a day) plus 50% of achieved sale price of unwanted items. About them: Paula Robinson has a background in building brands, marketing and communication. She was head of marketing and PR for Ted Baker, has worked for Burberry and M&S and has a passion for helping people become their best. For more information and to book a private appointment, email Paula Robinson on info@simna.co.uk with the heading 'wardrobe' in the subject line.
