I’ve specialised in marketing, PR and comms in a company of 25 people, chalked up five years in corporate finance, struggled to get my voice heard in a Catalan start-up, and grappled with the autonomous system in Spain ever since, just so I could live and raise a family under blue skies most days of the year. Now, as mother returning to work, I am determined to inspire and impact big change so more women can thrive, not merely survive.
Back when I graduated with a degree in English and America Literature, of course I thought I’d become Andi Andersen and go into journalism. Instead, I landed a role in communications in a desperate graduate employment economy, in a tiny (very gorgeous) rural village in Cambridgeshire, and became ensconced in the world of information security. I downplayed it to my friends and family, but soon found a real sense of purpose dreaming up original and unexpected ways to turn people on with why they really should be protecting their info online. Oh, and yes, I did stand out as a very young blonde woman attending majority old white male industry events. I loved that stunned look whenever I had the chance to show I knew my stuff – they didn’t expect it back in 2011 from the 22 year old wearing kitten heels.
As another generation steps into those shoes, the world is almost unrecognisable. That’s why the time to ignite a brighter future for our kids using the tech, for women who could be more fulfilled in tech, and for us all who simply can’t resist our tech, starts right now.More...