Celebrating Success: Three Ways IGEL4Women Excelled in 2024

2024 has been an incredible year for the IGEL4Women Employee Resource Group!

As the year draws to a close, we have many accomplishments to celebrate. These include hosting panel discussions during the IGEL DISRUPT 2024 events in Miami and Munich. We also sponsored activities around International Women’s Day in March and Ada Lovelace Day in October and actively participated in women in technology-focused events across the U.S., UK, and Germany.

We are also excited to announce that the IGEL Mentorship program has thrived, with over 30 participants from different departments within the company. This collaborative initiative has not only promoted personal growth but has also reinforced our commitment to helping women advance their careers in technology.

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2024

To celebrate International Women’s Day, which this year is themed “Inspire Inclusion” and focuses on diversity and empowerment, the IGEL4Women Employee Resource Group published a blog highlighting two inspiring female leaders at IGEL: Andrea Illing, Senior Marketing Manager for the DACH region, and Divya Saggar, Director for IGEL Ready.

In the post, Andrea and Divya shared important leadership lessons from their careers and emphasized the importance of women supporting each other in the workplace. Only by working together we can forge women’s equality and create a world that values and celebrates differences.

Recognizing Women in Technology at IGEL DISRUPT 2024

The panel discussions we hosted at the IGEL DISRUPT 2024 events in Miami and Munich featuring female executives from IGEL Ready partner organizations were both lively and informative.

In Miami, we welcomed three exceptional women leaders: Patty Winzenread, Senior Director and General Manager for Healthcare at Lenovo; Stacy Scott, Senior Director of Microsoft Business Development at Citrix; and Maryam Alexandrian-Adams, Global Sales Leader for EUC at Nutanix, who shared insights on the rise of remote and hybrid work models and how that is changing workplace dynamics. The conversation also explored the critical role of AI development, emphasized the significance of diversity in the workplace, and delved into the distinct challenges and opportunities that women face in technology and leadership positions.

During the IGEL4Women panel in Munich, our panelists  Jane Ashworth, Worldwide Strategic Partnerships for Lenovo; Maryam Alexandrian-Adams, Global Sales Leader for EUC at Nutanix; and Sarah Swatman, Senior Director, Solution Engineering – Digital Workspace, EMEA for Omnissa, focused on important topics related to the theme of IGEL DISRUPT – “What’s Now and Next,” and how these topics impact our businesses, families, culture, and day-to-day work as women.

We appreciate our panelists and the insights they shared on the evolving role of women in leadership within the tech sector. Thank you also to Patrizia Fioretti, Vice President of Strategic Alliances, EMEA at IGEL, and Divya Saggar, Director for IGEL Ready, for moderating these panels.  The experiences shared during these two sessions left us feeling motivated and encouraged about what’s next for EUC and the important role that women play in shaping the future of work.

Focusing on Allyship in recognition of Ada Lovelace Day

In conjunction with Ada Lovelace Day, which celebrates women in STEM, IGEL CEO Klaus Oestermann hosted a webinar that explored Ada’s legacy. The webinar focused on allyship, or how we can support each other in our careers, foster strong networks, and create a more inclusive environment for women.

Leading the discussion was Orla Power, Senior Principal Consultant, Leadership Development for the UK & Ireland, at Lee Hecht Harrison, a global HR solutions provider. During the webinar, Orla discussed behaviors that help women excel and the benefits of being intentional allies in the workplace. She emphasized that while the journey toward gender equality in tech is ongoing, be we can all be inspired by the achievements of women like Ada Lovelace, formally known as Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, who was also the daughter of the famed poet, Lord Byron.

The insights shared during the webinar reinforce the need for sustained advocacy, mentorship, and leadership development to foster a diverse, inclusive, and innovative tech industry that supports women in STEM.

Playing an instrumental role in bringing new employee benefits to IGEL

In 2024, the IGEL4Women Employee Resource Group was also instrumental in the proposal submitted by the IGEL People Team to enhance the benefits for employees in North America and the UK. With the support of IGEL leadership, IGEL now offers paid maternity and paternity leave in NA and additional benefits for maternity and paternity in the UK.

Participating in industry events

In addition to promoting the advancement of women within IGEL, IGEL4Women has actively participated in external activities and events to advocate for women in STEM. Some of the events we took part in during 2024 include:

• Women in Tech USA, an empowering, inspirational gathering of women leading the way in technology
• Women of Silicon Roundabout, the UK’s largest technology event for women
• FIT Congress, hosted by the Women’s IT network and focused on diversity and visibility for women in IT
• The Channel Company’s Women of the Channel East, the meeting place for women from across the IT channel who are looking to advance organizational diversity

IGEL is committed to encouraging and supporting more women in technology and the IGEL4Women resource group is fully supported by IGEL’s senior leadership team. We are deeply grateful to all our panelists, participants, and supporters who have made 2024 a meaningful year for IGEL4Women.