Volunteer Spotlight

In our latest Volunteer Spotlight, we delve into the inspiring story of Alena Placha, the lead of She Loves Data’s Dubai Chapter. Alena’s journey with She Loves Data began when she embraced the challenge of rejuvenating the Dubai chapter, a task that involved building the chapter from the ground up in a region new to her. This interview reveals not only the personal and professional transformations Alena has experienced through her involvement with She Loves Data but also highlights the broader impact of the organization on fostering data literacy and community engagement in the Middle East.

Interview with Alena Placha, the She Loves Data Dubai Chapter Lead

Q1: What motivated you to join She Loves Data as a volunteer, and how do you think your values align with the mission of the organization?

I was planning to move to Dubai, so when Jana (Co-Founder of She Loves Data) offered me the opportunity to restart the chapter there, I was incredibly happy and honored. I felt a great sense of responsibility in restarting the activities of SLD in a region that was entirely new to me, essentially starting from scratch. We had lost touch with the community over the years, so I had to start from the very beginning.

Q2: In what way/role have you been associated with SLD? Has your role changed, if so why and how?

I was asked to join as a Chapter lead right from the beginning, and I am still in that position.

Q3: Please share how SLD has impacted your life: a) personally and b) professionally?

I don’t know where to start. As I mentioned, I came to Dubai alone. The mission I took on with restarting SLD ME not only helped me build my professional network but also helped me find people who have now become more than just ‘work’ contacts. We have developed deeper connections and relationships because we aim for the same cause. Whether it’s overrated or not, doing good and helping others really connects people and brings them together. Having a positive impact on the people around you and society is so fulfilling and keeps me going. There are many inspirational stories here in the Middle East that need to be heard, and I believe SLD can provide the platform to do that.
So far, the feedback on SLD activities here has been amazing, and we are only at the beginning. The partnerships we have managed to create here are wonderful, and now I am facing a situation where we have so many plans but not enough people on the team. Fortunately, the team is already growing rapidly, and I know in my heart that this will accelerate even further.

Q4: Was there any challenge you encountered while volunteering with She Loves Data and how you or the team overcame it?

Yes, the biggest challenge was that we were completely unknown in the region, and I was here alone. I talked about SLD with literally everyone I met, telling them about the organization, what we have been doing for the past years, and encouraging them to join the community and work together. There are many women-focused initiatives in the region, so I had to create the right pitch to articulate what makes us different. But honestly, it was easier than I thought because SLD has done really amazing and impactful things, so it was ‘easy to sell’.

Q5: In your view, what has been the most significant impact of She Loves Data on the local or global community?

For me, the most significant impact is that we have a real, tangible, and measurable impact. This is something that sets us apart from other organizations in the region. Since we work with data, we know our community very well. We are bringing people together and offering free education, which is so underestimated and so important.

When I saw our signature programs, I was amazed. The curriculum is so well thought through that I felt like putting the creators on a pedestal because there is so much work, effort, and hours behind it.

In addition, I am honestly overwhelmed by the fact that people in SLD do this because they genuinely want to help others. The whole organization is volunteer-based; we don’t ask for any membership fee or premium subscription. It is free and for everyone. I feel that in today’s world, there are fewer and fewer things that are simply given for free with nothing but kindness and good intention.

Q6: Where do you see the role of She Loves Data in the future of data literacy and inclusion? How do you envision your continuing involvement?

I see there is enormous potential. We have already reached 17 different regions in the world, and I really hope we will continue to grow because I strongly believe that what we do could be incredibly beneficial to many regions where the impact would be unbelievable. For example, LATAM or Africa. The world is not just divided between the rich and the poor but also between the educated and uneducated, and the data literate and illiterate. If you look at the activities of UNDP and their World Data Forum program for sustainable development, the direction is clear.

Vietnam: Forge your career path in DATA and AI

Please note: This event is an offline, in-person gathering, and we will not be offering a virtual attendance option.

Details

Opportunities in Data and AI are booming and can lead to impactful and fulfilling career paths.
Join us for “Forge Your Path in Data and AI,” where we are proud to feature an esteemed panel of four female leaders from Vietnam. These trailblazers will share their personal journeys, insights, and experiences in the dynamic fields of Data and AI. This event aims to raise awareness about the abundant opportunities available and how to build a career path in these innovative industries.
Connect with our thought leaders, partners, and community members during the networking session in partnership with NFQ.
Learn:
– Different career paths available in Data and AI
– How to plan and develop your career to seize opportunities in these fields
– Insights into the evolving landscape of Data and AI industries and what recruiters are looking for in 2024

Whether you’re an aspiring data enthusiast, a seasoned professional looking to pivot into Data and AI, or simply curious about career opportunities in these fields, this event offers a unique opportunity to gain insights and network with industry leaders.

Are you ready to forge your path in Data and AI and seize the opportunities that await?
We look forward to welcoming you!

Agenda:

6.30pm – 6.45pm Check In

6.45pm – 6.50pm Welcome from She Loves Data Vietnam team 

6.50pm – 7.45pm Panel Conversation

7.45pm – 8.00pm Q&A

8.00pm – 8.30pm Networking & Refreshments

Nathalie Nguyen, Consultant at Boston Consulting Group

9 years of experience across strategy, data analytics, and high-impact project management at BCG, Shopee & PwC. Ardent in the pursuit of data-driven value creation & business excellence – anchored by empathy for all – to drive outcomes and not outputs.

Rebecca Joy, Founder and CEO Saigon AI

Rebecca is an experienced technology entrepreneur with a career spanning 26 years. She has co-founded six startups, including her current venture, Saigon A.I. Her expertise includes, statistics, analytics, blockchain and most recently data science.

Thao Nguyen, Purchasing Performance & Market Intelligence at Schaeffler

With background of Supply Chain Management, Thao devote herself to areas of Purchasing & Supply Chain Management in FMCG and Automotive manufacturing industries. With 3 years of experience in diverse data-oriented positions, her expertise includes optimization, data analytics and data storytelling. She plays the key role in applying data-driven insights into business strategic decisions and efficient problem solving.

Nguyen Hoang Phuong Nghi, Talent Acquisition Lead

Nghi Nguyen is the Talent Acquisition Lead at NFQ Vietnam, with nearly 7 years of experience in IT recruitment and over 5 years in the leadership roles. She excels in building recruitment strategies and teams from scratch, optimizing processes to attract top talent, and enhancing employer branding. At the She Loves Data event, Nghi will share her insights on data-driven talent acquisition and the importance of diversity in tech.

Anne-Cathrine Koch, Head of Digitalization & Operations

Over the past six years Anne Cathrine Koch has accompanied the digital transformation of a leading global Automotive & Industry supplier. She is currently heading the Digitalization & Operations IT for the region Asia Pacific, where she is responsible for a great team of software developers, product owners, solution architects and data scientists / engineers. Anne Cathrine is leading Shaeffler Digital Pilot Plant in Vietnam where she has the unique possibility to explore and pilot new technologies and to develop new digital applications in close collaboration with the shopfloor employees. Anne Cathrine joined the Vietnam Chapter of She Loves Data in 2024.

She Loves Data UK December Drinks-Postponed

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#SLDUK #Networking #Data

==UPDATE: EVENT POSTPONED==

In light of the recent U.K Government guidelines and our Venue’s COVID Policy, we will be rescheduling the SLD December Drinks to early 2022.

We’d like to say a big thank you to those who have already registered for the event! As a team and along with our event partners, we are keen to get this back in the calendar as soon as we can, whilst ensuring your COVID safety.

In the meantime, please keep in touch and check out our website for any upcoming virtual events you can participate in. You will be hearing from us very soon…

Have a great Christmas and stay safe!

SAVE THE DATE: Partnering with JDX Consulting and Wiserfunding, The She Loves Data U.K. Chapter are hosting an end of year meet-up to celebrate our Dashboard Foundations Course graduates and more generally to bring our data community together for our final event of 2021. Drinks and nibbles will be provided and we’ll also be running a raffle on the evening with some exciting prizes! So come clink a glass with us to celebrate and network with the She Loves Data community and industry leaders in Data and Technology – we look forward to seeing you there!

Tip: Bring some coins to enter the raffle!!

COVID POLICY:

In light of the rising number of COVID-19 cases globally, we are requiring all registered attendees, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers to provide proof of a negative COVID lateral flow test, taken within 24 hours of arrival to the event.

Upon arrival, please be prepared to present evidence (SMS text or e-mail) of negative lateral flow COVID test ready for verification.

Sponsors

SLD UK Chapter is excited to announce that they’re partnering with JDX Consulting and Wiser Funding for this event.

FAQs

Q. Is it free to join?

A. Yes! Participation is free, but slots are limited, so please register early!

Q. I’m based outside of Singapore. Can I still join?

A. Lucky for London, this is an in-person event and as such is only available for in person attendance in London. Please take note of the required Covid-measures listed above!

Q. Is it only for women?

A. Just like all our She Loves Data #MeetUp events, this programme is open to all genders. 

Q. Is this an interactive discussion or just a ‘listen-in’ event?

A. Definitely interactive! Your thoughts, feedback, and questions are most welcome and will be entertained during and at the end of the discussion.

Q. What if something comes up and I need to retract my registration?

A. Please be considerate and let us know if you won’t be able to attend the meetup in advance, so we can offer your place to somebody else.

Contact us and we’ll help you.

The email you need is prerna@shelovesdata.com.

By registering you understand that the details you provide during the registration process will be collected and used by She Loves Data. Photographs and/or video may be taken at the event. By taking part in this event you grant the event organisers full rights to use the images resulting from the photography/video filming, and any reproductions or adaptations of the images for publicity and/or marketing purposes. This might include (but is not limited to), the right to use them in their printed and online publicity materials, social media, and press releases.

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Middle East Chapter Launch at AI EVERYTHING x GITEX 2021

Middle East Chapter Launch at AI EVERYTHING x GITEX 2021

She Loves Data is coming to the Middle East!

This October 19, we are officially opening our Middle East Chapter in Dubai through a live, in-person launch event – “Women in Data and AI by She Loves Data” , at the AI Everything x GITEX Tech Summit 2021, the world’s largest global AI conference.

Visit us at Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre on October 19 (Tuesday), 2 to 5 pm to meet our She Loves Data Co-Founders Jana Marle Zizkova and Pavel Bulowski, as well as our new Chapter Co-Leads Begum Saygecelti and Komal Kaundal, and their ME volunteering team.

Find out more and register for the conference here: https://www.ai-everything.com/she-loves

#conference #MiddleEast #womenintech #womenindata

She Loves Data London Chapter networking event

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#shelovesdata #london #londonnetworking

A chance to meet the growing SLD London Chapter community to network and hear from speakers from the data industry and She Loves Data to discuss hot topics in data in an informal and relaxed roundtable event.

Speakers

Larice Stielow is a senior economist in PwC UK’s Strategy& consulting practice. She is passionate about using economic analysis to support and influence policy and spending decisions that improve peoples’ lives. She works extensively in government policy, infrastructure and transport, aid, trade and investment, skills and employment, and sustainability. Larice is the lead author of PwC’s Women in Work 2021 Index, which measures the OECD’s progress towards gender equality in work, and discusses the impact of COVID-19 on women’s employment outcomes. pwc.co.uk/womeninwork

Niamh Kingsley is a Data and Technology Manager at JDX Consulting, currently studying a masters in Neuroscience at King’s College London. Both Niamh’s professional and academic career has been no short of the ordinary, from reading a Bachelor’s degree in International Politics, to her extensive qualifications in Python, Swift, GitLab and many others, Niamh is a shining example of how to break into the data industry in style! As a frequent content contributor to ‘Towards Data Science’ publications, Niamh is passionate about understanding the depths and limitations of AI in both the natural and technological world. She is an avid gamer and has formed a series of panels in her career, including most recent Multiverse’s Women in Tech: Developing the Leaders of the Future.

Noaman Mangera is an Analytics Consultant at Bizatory who shares a strong passion for data. His day-to-day role has exposed him to the intricacies of data analytics, from cleaning, analysing and visualising data in a way that can communicate the most compelling stories using software such as SQL, Tableau and Python to name a few. Noaman frequently demonstrates his knowledge and understanding in this field by writing about the current trends in data visualisation, business analytics and machine learning for LinkedIn and is passionate about teaching others and sharing his own experiences of dealing with data.

Prerna Goel is not only a highly recognised leader and gamechanger in the payments technology industry and has taken on a number of senior positions in her career, she is also the She Loves Data London Chapter founder and lead. Prerna would love to discuss all things She Loves Data and how you can benefit from the organisation. It will also be a great opportunity to discuss and ask questions about her career, particularly as a female in the industry. The London Chapter is really excited to meet its community, register now and we look forward to meeting you in person to discuss all things data

Sponsors

SLD London Chapter is excited to announce that Tibco Software is a proud supporter of this event.

FAQs

Q. Is it free to join?

A. Yes! Participation is free, but slots are limited, so please register early!

Q. I’m based outside of Singapore. Can I still join?

A. Lucky for London, they are getting to run their first in person event and as such is only available for in person attendance in London.

Q. Is it only for women?

A. Just like all our She Loves Data #MeetUp events, this programme is open to all professional men and women. #HeLovesData too!

Q. Is this an interactive discussion or just a ‘listen-in’ event?

A. Definitely interactive! Your thoughts, feedback, and questions are most welcome and will be entertained during and at the end of the discussion.

Q. What if something comes up and I need to retract my registration?

A. Please be considerate and let us know if you won’t be able to attend the meetup in advance, so we can offer your place to somebody else.

Contact us and we’ll help you.

The email you need is prerna@shelovesdata.com.

By registering you understand that the details you provide during the registration process will be collected and used by She Loves Data. Photographs and/or video may be taken at the event. By taking part in this event you grant the event organisers full rights to use the images resulting from the photography/video filming, and any reproductions or adaptations of the images for publicity and/or marketing purposes. This might include (but is not limited to), the right to use them in their printed and online publicity materials, social media, and press releases.

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Female Leadership in a Data-Driven World

Interview with Three Powerful Women on their thoughts and Experiences on being Female Leaders in Tech: Jana Marlé – Žižková, Co-Founder of She Loves Data; Michaela  Lhotkova, CIO ČSOB; and Tania Le Moigne

Jana Marlé -Žižková, CEO and Co-Founder, Meiro and She Loves Data

What inspired you to create the non-profit organization ‘She Loves Data‘ and why did you choose this name?

Jana Marlé – Žižková

In the very beginning, we did not plan to establish such an organization. 

When launching another data organization 6 years ago, together with my co-founder Pavel Bulowski, we travelled across Asia and found that there seemed to be  a common problem everywhere. We realised that organizations do not have enough data and technology professionals. Whenever we spoke to our clients, they told us they were looking for capable data analysts. We knew from statistics that only 26% of women work in the Data & Tech field, which made it clear to us that this was an obvious target group. That’s why we came up with the idea to organize an event in Singapore, to attract more people to the IT industry and, specifically, to inspire women in particular. 

We know that about 50% of women study science and technology, but still choose careers more traditionally viewed as ‘female-centric‘. So we organized a one-day course targeted at women where previous technical or data experience was not a requirement and explained to them from the ground up that data and technology was not something to be afraid of. In a few days, we had 500 women who had registered for the course- we had found an incredible problem to solve!

After this event, we received positive feedback, and thanks to that, we knew right away that we could not stop training and we must continue to focus on educating women.

When our partners in Australia found out about us, they wanted to help us build on our success and there was no looking back. We have grown organically to this day, as the situation and demand for education is more or less similar everywhere. Thanks to this, 4 years after that first event, you can find us in 16 countries around the world, and we are proud to have trained more than 15,000 women globally to date. It’s also nice to watch a community of women and men form around the SLD who support and work with each other wherever they are.

What is it like being a female senior manager in a currently male-dominated environment? What roadblocks have you had to overcome in your career and which of those are still obstacles you face today? 

Michaela Lhotková

Michaela Lhotková, CIO ČSOB

I joined the banking sector at a time when the bank was still far from being a data-centric organization. Today it is 100% true, banking has become a technological field, so it has undergone an incredible transformation and I, of course, had to adapt my skills and develop my knowledge in IT. 

To give you an idea, I will share with you the key situations I had to go through at the beginning of my career. I never considered myself a technology-oriented person.  I focused more on soft skills and believed in qualities such as networking, insight, communication, the ability to connect with people and organize projects. I originally studied international trade and politics and did not want to hear anything about working with data, this field went beyond me, although paradoxically I didn’t have a single problem with quantitative subjects when I was studying. It was more about my self-confidence. I had created a stereotype in my mind that data and technology are not intended for women. However, my personal insight and ability to make logical decisions helped me navigate unexpected challenges in my career.

All my superiors were men and I believe they always thought well of me. That said, there was still an expectation that to grow into leadership roles, one needed to take a more masculine approach. This, as a woman, I did not always understand and appreciate.

However, it is fair to say that I was given the opportunity to work in management relatively early. Since 2004. I have managed my team and I will not hide the fact that there must have been some personal ambition in me that got me there. I am convinced that I had to work harder than my male colleagues throughout my career due to social stereotypes. I am grateful to those who were able to understand me, who were aware of the importance of diversity in teams, and although I, at times, did it in my own way, they were not afraid of my “otherness” in dealing with various situations and were able to support me. 

I am very happy and grateful that you have brought SLD across from Asia. I really appreciate it, because it is very important to be able to help women not only with education but also with their self-confidence.  I see it as a necessity to create diversity in intellectual fields, making the field of data and technology more diverse. That is the reason why I decided to start working with SLD and support this non-profit organization on the Czech market, I really believe in it and its ambition.

Tania Le Moigne :

Tania Le Moigne

Jana and I have known each other for more than 40 years, and 40 years ago I wouldn’t have imagined that Jana would run her own business in Singapore and I would run a Google office! It is unbelievable that this is happening but it is also beautiful to be a part of today’s reality, where we are all able to meet here at the same time, in different parts of the world, in a different space, in a different time zone. 

When I first listened to the She Loves Data story, I was fascinated by the thought of an individual who was not afraid to step out of the crowd and try something big. It’s amazing what is possible today – one person with a good idea is willing to go against the crowd and has the courage to start such a movement – for me, it is literally breathtaking. This is something we could not have imagined about 10 years ago.

First of all, I would like to thank and congratulate She Loves Data, because it’s unbelievable what you do and I love your story, how it all started.  The best things are the ones we don’t plan, which can sometimes be intuitive and not always data-based. In fact, it is the sixth sense that commands us and if we listen to our inner voice, we make the best decisions of our lives.

I have prepared 7 key moments from my 30 years of professional life, which I would like to share with you:

• Choice of IT in 1985

I was certainly inspired by my father, who already worked in IT during the time of deep communism and we used to talk about these things at home. One day, when I went to work with my dad, I was looking at all the huge screens in the workplace, I was helping him exchange disks and it was very interesting to watch the people around me. It is true that there were mostly men in the teams, which I didn’t mind so much because they were very interesting, smart people. It led me to become more interested in the whole environment.

When I had a discussion with my parents about what I would like to do in the future, I found it difficult to decide.  I was the kind of student who had no issues following the curriculum at school, but I also played a lot of sports. I can vividly remember how my dad said one memorable sentence to me: “Look, IT will one day be a key industry. And today, if you want to work with computers you have to graduate from college, then imagine that in 2000 everyone will be doing it.” It fascinated me, because at that time I couldn’t imagine how we would all work with those huge computers. So this was my first important decision I made – to go into an industry I didn’t really know much about. In fact, I knew very little about it, but it attracted me because it was new and it meant working with smart people.

• My first year of University

I suffered a lot at the University. I started my first year of University after the humanities high school which comparatively put me in a position where my classmates were a lot better at mathematics than me. 

My first year was really about great humility and great inner strength when I had to overcome a lot of my shortcomings. It took a lot of conviction, and courage to complete my first year of studies. This period was a huge learning experience for me and I am happy that I managed it. It never occurred to me for a moment that I would not graduate from University. 

• My first job after University

In 1989, I was given the opportunity to start a start-up company together with other colleagues. The company was called ‘Atacus‘ and it was one of the first IT companies in the Czech Republic. We started in a former dormitory in Nové Butovice, we had one computer on the ground and I, a girl with a fresh diploma, was part of a real team, real business and I didn’t know anything about it. But a young person has no inhibitions and has the right courage, so I did not admit that I could not do this job.

• Foreign experience

I left the Czech Republic relatively late. I went abroad with my boyfriend who is today my husband. I was 30 years old when I left for Germany, spent a total of 6 years abroad and then returned to Prague. If I could tell all young people one piece of my advice – it would be to go abroad as soon as possible to study or for a job opportunity, because I have undoubtedly returned to the Czech Republic as a different person. 

The Czech Republic is a beautiful country where we live well, but we are a small country, we need to open our eyes, change our thinking and look at things in a much larger context. Only then will you see how big the world is and we need to understand how it works, and this is not entirely possible just from the Czech Republic. So my advice –- explore the world, travel!

• Maternity

At the age of 35, my son was born and that made me reconsider my priorities in life. I left the corporation after 13 years and launched my own business and started doing consulting. My goal was to do my best and not to return to a corporation. You see, never say never.

• My overall experiences 

While on maternity leave, I also founded my own company “4 Bambini”, which was dedicated to children aged 4 to 7 years. I realised the importance of teaching young kids good behaviour when everyone was focused on teaching them capitals cities and counting. It was a wonderful period of my life, when I released 4 titles and games for children and these games are actually the 7th milestone in my life that led me to join Google.

After 5 years on my maternity leave, they called me from Google and asked me if I would like to join the team. They looked at my profile, where all the corporations I worked for were listed but my “4 Bambini” was not there. When they asked me what I am proud of in my career, I mentioned these games for children. They were impressed and we started talking about them and one thing led to another and you see, it’s now been  14 years since i joined Google. 

In conclusion, I would like to say that things don’t always happen as we plan, but the 7 life milestones have one common denominator, and that is I gave my 100% to everything I have done in my life. Because I enjoyed it, because I was interested, and because I was interested in people, and I wanted to learn more about the things I enjoyed.

Jana Marlé Žižková

I would just like to add briefly that my career was very disorganized, always evolving in the same way as She Loves Data. I never planned anything. I studied Computer Science in Sweden and America. At that time, I emigrated from Czechoslovakia, and what probably helped me in my career was not to be afraid to enter into something new.

I think that mentors, with whom I had the opportunity to work with during my career, also played a very crucial role for me. As Míša mentioned here, I had a boss who let me run the whole company and I was responsible for the PnL at the age of about 27. He simply said, “Jana, we need you to drive it until we find someone else, but we don’t have anyone here right now.” I really appreciated the trust he had placed in me. The great thing was that I could always ask him for advice when I didn’t know what to do. But when I messed up and I felt like resigning, he told me, “Jana, it’s not going to be easy. Spin it, Jana! ”. 

He explained to me that this is not how business works. It is simply not possible to just leave the work in progress, and that was a very valuable experience for me. When something tempting came up, I always gave it a test and if I didn’t succeed  at least I knew it wasn’t the right direction for me. Today, after a corporate career in large software companies, I have a technology startup in Singapore with my colleagues and I really enjoy it. I have to agree with Táňa that we need to listen to our inner voice, not be afraid to get out of the comfort zone, and go for what we enjoy.

From your point of view, what is the current situation regarding diversity in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, or abroad? Do you think this is just a current trend or is diversity really important from your point of view?

Tania Le Moigne

Diversity is a necessity. Not just gender diversity. Diversity is primarily, in my opinion, about the quality of our thinking. The world is very complex, and by being able to connect with people, we enrich our perspective on whether we really understand the reality and are able to ensure that everyone feels as good as possible. I generally believe in balance and common sense in my life. If we are talking about  diversity in the professional environment, specifically for me at Google, it has been an ongoing topic that is not necessarily something we have only been discussing as of recent We don’t just talk about gender, we talk a lot about diversity in education, background / where those people come from, we talk about generational diversity, we talk about people and their way of thinking – there are people who have more cognitive thinking and then we have people who have strong emotional intelligence, ie. diverse skill set. Diversity is the value we cultivate in the environment in which we live. It forces us to look at things differently, from different perspectives, it forces us to ask ourselves questions that we would not normally ask ourselves, and it forces us to learn and build relationships with people. Because in the past we might not even have a chance to establish such a relationship because we were not allowed to travel. And now, when we can travel, it can benefit everyone. 

I think we still have a long way to go in diversity, if I can speak for Google, for which I work, I would say that we are not at the very beginning of our journey, but we still have a long way to go. I would like to give an example from practice – in the hiring process we have a simple rule – I want to see 2 candidates for every open position – one man and one woman. Men tend to apply for certain jobs, but the moment we take the job and find a solid opponent, we know we have made an informed choice and that way we can offer the position to the one who is really the best.

If I speak for myself, someone from the Czech Republic living in the Czech society, we still have a lot of work to do. We still see very few women in management roles in the Czech Republic or in business. It is a topic that we need to focus on.  About 13 years ago I introduced a children’s book on diversity to the Czech market. It all starts with the children. We can start within our own families by leading children to respect diversity.

Michaela Lhotková

I fully agree that it all starts with the children. I can see it myself in my daughter, who is 9 years old. I see how IT is a completely natural part of her life and that is why there is seriously no reason for both men and women to equally participate in this field.

I also confirm that as a Czech living in the Czech Republic, it amazes me that whatever I participate in, for example, a more technical conference in the role of a speaker, I am usually the only or one of the few female representatives. These are some of the situations when male dominance is clearly visible. From this point of view, we still have a lot of work to do and I hope that She Loves Data will help women build self-confidence, because it is not as complicated as it may seem at first.

Jana Marlé Žižková

I firmly believe that She Loves Data can help with the topic of diversity. Here in Singapore, it’s such a mix of all cultures, nationalities, and races, people who come from different backgrounds and I think local life has taught me great humility and tolerance, to look at people not as they look and what they wear, but to listen how I can be inspired by the fact that they are different from me.

It’s mainly about accepting differences, and speaking of “men’s conferences”, I can’t help but mention that last year was crucial for the She Loves Data.

A huge Big Data World conference is held in Singapore every year and we as She Loves Data cooperate with the organizers. On average, up to 18,000 people come there, 90% of whom are men. The organizers wanted to change this, so they asked us to cooperate and we are helping them with the organization for the second year. We are talking about topics that may also be interesting to women. Thanks to this, we managed to double the number of women in individual workshops.

Last year I moderated a panel discussion on Cloud computing there and I got a list of 4 speakers – they were all men. I went back to the organizers, returned the list to them, and suggested that the women should be invited to the discussion as well. But they told me that they had trouble finding women whom they could invite to such a technological discussion. So I took the initiative, addressed several ladies I knew from the IT industry, and at the end the discussion was composed of 2 men and 2 women. It was a very enriching interview and I think it was interesting thanks to our suggestion that we organize the panel a little differently.

The Czech Republic is unfortunate in that it has not historically been exposed to similar cultural differences. I certainly have to agree with Tána that it is very important to have a view from the outside, try to live somewhere else, try to work with other cultures and nations, work with other generations, etc. This topic needs to be openly discussed and it is important to ask people what their opinions are and explain them to each other. We talk a lot about Artificial Intelligence, why we need to have diversity in the teams that create these algorithms. This is because the diversity of a given team creates a better product because there are different hypotheses, have different views on the problem they are trying to solve, and in fact, the result of a different team will be much better. I think this applies to all topics. If we have different people discussing different issues, the results will be better.

In terms of the previously mentioned HR recruitment processes, I am convinced that the whole system needs to be changed. I had the opportunity to talk to a large European bank with their Data Science Analytics team, where they had general job descriptions made and they used to ask people to mark on a scale 1-10, how the candidates see themselves on each point. And the result? Women underestimate themselves, although they knew much more than men, who, on the other hand, described themselves as complete professionals. The moment they changed this questionnaire, 20% more women applied for the positions, where only men originally applied. In fact, it was because they changed the system of communication with the candidates, and it is also because we women very often underestimate ourselves.

If you were to give the only advice women should take from today’s interview, what would it be?

Tania Le Moigne

My advice is simple – let women not be afraid, let them go for it, because one learns more by simply participating, even if they lose the test.

Michaela Lhotková

I’ve experienced many situations where I had to prove myself more than my male counterparts. Many situations, stupid remarks, unfair trials, or underestimation based on age, visage, gender? … These were (and are but with decreasing frequency) moments that sometimes stopped me from trying . So I agree with what has already been said here – not giving up, believing in yourself, taking the opportunity, and being able to make the right decision, which may not always be easy.

Jana Marlé Žižková

Ladies, I absolutely agree with you. I think women have more doubts about whether they can make mistakes. Mistakes are perfectly fine, mistakes are human, but it is necessary to learn from mistakes, go on and not be ashamed of it. A lot of things don’t work out, but that’s perfectly fine. We are definitely talking about curiosity, courage, it is important to broaden your horizons not only about technology but about anything that is happening in your industry and have the courage to raise your hand and go to new challenges. When you listen to your intuition and are not afraid of new things, raising your hand will definitely be the most difficult. Now is a great time to open up to new opportunities, new job challenges, such as Marketing Technologists, and this is an opportunity to go in a direction that will entertain you and you will continue to expand your horizons. Good luck.

Ženy ve světě dat a technologií

Jana Marlé Žižková, zakladatelka neziskové organizace She Loves Data; Michaela Lhotková, CIO ČSOB; and  Tania Le Moigne

Sep 2020

Co Vás vedlo k založení neziskové organizace She Loves Data a proč She Loves Data?

Jana Marlé Žižková 

My jsme na úplném začátku neplánovali takovou organizaci založit. Když jsem před 6 lety, společně s mým kolegou Pavlem Bulowskim, založila jinou datovou organizaci a s ní jsme následně vyjeli kamkoliv po Asii, tak jsme zjistili, že mají všude velmi podobné problémy. Zjistili jsme, že organizace nemají dostatek datových a technologických profesionálů. Pokaždé, když jsme se bavili s našimi klienty, sami se nás ptali, zda-li neznáme nějakého schopného datového analytika a tak jsme sami sobě řekli, že s tím něco zkusíme udělat. Ze statistik jsme věděli, že pouze 26% žen pracuje v oboru Data & Tech a nám bylo jasné, že toto je jasná cílová skupina. Proto jsme přišli s nápadem, uspořádat v Singapuru akci, abychom přilákali víc lidí do IT oboru a úplně nejlépe, abychom inspirovali především ženy, které by se nebály do tohoto oboru vstoupit zůstat v něm. Víme totiž, že cca 50% žen studuje vědecké a technické obory, ale stejně si následně volí tradiční ženské kariéry. Zorganizovali jsme tedy jednodenní kurz, zacílený na ženy, kde nebyla podmínka předchozí technické nebo datové zkušenosti, abychom jim od základu vysvětlili, že data a technologie není nic čeho by se měly obávat. Za pár dnů jsme zjistili, že je po tomto tématu neuvěřitelná poptávka, jelikož se nám zaregistrovalo více jak 500 žen.

Po tomto eventu jsme dostali neuvěřitelně kladnou zpětnou vazbu a díky tomu jsme hned věděli, že se školeními nemůžeme přestat a musíme se vzdělávání žen i nadále věnovat. 

Poté se o nás dozvěděli naši partneři v Austrálii, kteří chtěli na náš úspěch navázat a tímto přirozeným způsobem se rozrůstáme dodnes, jelikož situace a poptávka po vzdělávání  je všude více méně podobná. Díky tomu nás dnes, po 4 letech od zorganizování prvního eventu, můžete najít v 16 zemích světa a jsme pyšní, že jsme do dnešního dne proškolili více jak 15.000 žen z celého světa. Je také hezké sledovat, jak se nám kolem SLD vytváří komunita žen a mužů, kteří se navzájem podporují a spolupracují mezi sebou ať už se nachází kdekoliv. 

Jaké to je být vysoce postavenou manažerkou v ještě stále typicky mužském prostředí? Jaké nástrahy jste musely ve svých kariérách překonávat nebo ještě stále překonáváte?

Michaela Lhotková:

Já jsem nastoupila do bankovního sektoru v době, kdy se banka ještě ani zdaleka nepodobala datové organizaci. Dnes tomu tak 100% je, bankovnictví se stalo technologickým oborem, tudíž si prošlo neuvěřitelnou proměnou a já tomu musela samozřejmě přizpůsobit své dovednosti a rozvinout své znalosti v IT.

Pro představu se s vámi podělím s klíčovými situacemi, kterými jsem si musela na začátku své kariéry projít. Nikdy jsem se nepovažovala za technologicky orientovanou osobu, byla jsem spíše takový ten klasicky “softově” orientovaný člověk, který si věřil právě v typicky ženských vlastnostech jako je networking, nadhled / rozhled, komunikativnost, schopnost propojovat a organizovat projekty. Původně jsem vystudovala mezinárodní obchod a mezinárodní politiku a o práci s daty jsem nechtěla nic slyšet, tento obor šel mimo mě, byť jsem paradoxně na školách neměla jediný problém s předměty spojenými s čísly. Spíš se to týkalo mého sebevědomí, kdy jsem si i já jela ve stereotypu, že data a technologie nejsou určeny ženám. Nicméně můj osobní nadhled a schopnost logického rozhodování, mi pomohl i v pozicích, kam jsem původně neplánovala směřovat. Všichni mí nadřízení byli muži a věřím, že to se mnou vždycky mysleli dobře, ale je pravdou, že mě k výkonům, k tomu mít ambice být ve vedoucích rolích a dále růst, motivovali spíše klasickým mužským přístupem, který jsem jako žena ne vždy chápala a oceňovala.

Nicméně je fér říct, že příležitost pracovat v managementu jsem dostala poměrně brzy, od roku 2004 jsem řídila svůj team a nebudu zastírat, že ve mně musela nějaká osobní ambice být, ale mě upřímně práce především bavila. Jsem přesvědčená, že jsem si musela svou kariérní cestu odpracovat mnohem intenzivněji než by museli mí mužští kolegové v podobných situacích, kterým společenské stereotypy zvlášt před pár lety zcela jasně nahrávali. Jsem vděčná těm, kteří mě dokázali pochopit, uvědomovali si důležitost diverzity v teamech, a i když jsem si někdy šla spíše svou, ženskou cestou, nebáli se mé „jinosti“ při řešení různých situací a uměli mě podpořit. To bylo pro mě velmi důležité a přesvědčilo mě to o tom, že dělám správnou věc.

Jsem moc ráda a jsem vám vděčná za to, že jste SLD z Asie přivezly, opravdu to oceňuji, jelikož je velice

důležité umět pomoci ženám nejenom se vzděláváním, ale i s jejich sebevědomím a vidím jako nutnost

neustále pracovat na diverzitě v intelektuálních oborech, čímž oblast dat a technologií jednoznačně je. A

to je i důvod, proč jsem se rozhodla začít s SLD spolupracovat a podporovat tuto neziskovou organizaci

na českém trhu, opravdu v ní věřím.

Tania Le Moigne

My se s Janou známe více jak 40 let a před těmi 40 lety by mě nikdy nenapadlo, že Jana povede svůj vlastní byznys v Singapuru a já povedu pobočku Google. Je neskutečné, že se právě toto děje. Je krásné poslouchat a být součástí dnešní reality, kdy se tu sejdeme všichni pohromadě ve stejnou chvíli, a přitom jsme každá na jiném konci světa, v jiném prostoru, v jiné časové zóně. Když jsem poprvé poslouchala příběh SLD, tak mě osobně fascinuje role jednotlivce, který se nebojí vykročit z davu a zkusit něco velkého. Když si uvědomíme, co je dneska všechno možné, když se najde člověk s dobrým nápadem, když je dostatečně vnímavý k tomu, co dnešní svět potřebuje a je ochotný tomu jít naproti a má tu odvahu se do takových věcí pustit, to je pro mě doslova dechberoucí. To je něco, co jsme si ještě asi před 10 lety nedovedli představit. Úvodem bych chtěla SLD poděkovat a pogratulovat, protože je neskutečné, co děláte a miluji váš příběh, jak to všechno vzniklo. Nejlepší věci jsou ty, které si neplánujeme a vznikají z nějaké naší osobní reakce, která občas může být také intuitivní, a ne vždy daty podložená. Vlastně jde o takový ten vnitřní pocit a šestý smysl, který nám velí, a tak z mého pohledu vznikají ta nejlepší rozhodnutí. 

Já jsem si pro vás připravila 7 zásadních momentů z mého 30ti letého profesionálního života, o které bych se s Vámi chtěla podělit. 

• Volba oboru IT v roce 1985 

Já jsem zcela jistě byla tímto oborem inspirována mým tatínkem, který v IT již v době hlubokého komunismu pracoval a u nás doma se o těchto věcech hodně mluvilo. Svého času jsem za tatínkem chodila do práce a tam jsem pozorovala všechny ty obrazovky, vyměňovala jsem tam obrovské disky a bylo velmi zajímavé pozorovat lidi kolem. Je pravda, že tam byli v teamech většinou muži, což mi zas až tak nevadilo, protože to byli lidé velmi zajímaví, chytří a celkově mě nesmírně zajímalo celé prostředí.

Když jsem měla s rodiči diskusi o tom, co bych si jednou v životě chtěla vybrat za svůj obor, tak já jsem byla vzor toho dítěte, kterému vždycky všechno ve škole šlo, do toho jsem hodně sportovala a vlastně výběr mé budoucí profesní cesty, byl pro mě osobně velmi těžký. Dodnes si pamatuji, že tatínek pronesl jednu památnou větu: “Podívej, IT bude jednou klíčové řemeslo. A jestli je to dneska o tom, že pokud chceš pracovat s počítačemi a musíš k tomu vystudovat vysokou školu, tak v roce 2000 to budou umět úplně všichni.” A mě to fascinovalo, protože jsem si v té době neuměla představit, jak jednou budeme všichni pracovat s těmi obrovskými počítačemi, když jsem tam ve stejnou chvíli děrovala na děrovacím stroji diplomovou práci. Takže toto bylo moje první rozhodnutí, jít do oboru, o kterém jsem toho vlastně moc nevěděla, velmi málo jsem toho uměla, ale lákalo mě to, protože to bylo nové a znamenalo to práci s chytrými lidmi. 

• Můj první rok univerzity 

Já jsem v prváku na vysoké škole velmi trpěla. Nastoupila jsem do prvního ročníku po humanitním gymplu, ostatní spolužáci se fantasticky orientovali v matematice a já jsem o tom nevěděla vůbec nic. Můj první ročník byl skutečně o velké pokoře a o velké vnitřní síle, kdy jsem musela překonat spoustu svých nedostatků. Bylo to o velkém přesvědčení, musela jsem se kousnout, nevzdat se a dotáhnout studium ke zdárnému konci. Toto období byla pro mě obrovská škola života a jsem šťastná, že jsem to zvládla a nikdy mě ani na chvíli nenapadlo, že bych školu nedokončila. 

• Můj první job po vysoké škole

Psal se rok 1989 a já jsem dostala příležitost založit startup firmu společně s dalšími kolegy. Firma se jmenovala Atacus a byla to jedna z prvních IT firem v České republice. Začínali jsme v bývalém učňáku v Nových Butovicích na koberci, měli jsme jeden počítač na zemi a já, holka s čerstvým diplomem, jsem byla součástí reálného teamu, reálného byznysu a vůbec nic jsem o tom nevěděla. Ale mladý člověk nemá zábran a je zdravě drzý, proto jsem si nepřipouštěla, že bych tento job nezvládla. 

• Zahraniční zkušenost 

Já jsem z České republiky odcházela relativně pozdě. Šla jsem tehdy za svým přítelem, dnešním manželem. Bylo mi 30 let, když jsem odcházela do Německa, celkem jsem strávila v zahraničí 6 let a poté jsem se vrátila zpátky do Prahy. Kdybych mohla všem mladým lidem říct jednu svou radu – ať určitě odjedou co nejdříve za studijní nebo pracovní příležitostí, protože já jsem se bezpochyby do Čech vrátila jako jiný člověk. Česká republika je nádherná země, ve které se nám dobře žije, ale jsme malá země, je potřeba otevřít oči, změnit styl přemýšlení a dívat se na věci v daleko větším kontextu. Až pak uvidíte, jak je svět veliký a my potřebujeme pochopit, jak funguje, a to není zcela možné jen z ČR. Takže má rada zní jednoznačně – vycestovat. 

• Mateřství 

Ve 35 letech se mi narodil můj syn a to byl moment, kdy jsem věci ve svém životě přehodnotila, po 13 letech jsem odešla z korporace, založila jsem si vlastní živnost a začala jsem dělat Consulting. Představovala jsem si, jak budu dělat všechno na pohodu, že se do žádné korporace nevrátím. Vidíte, nikdy neříkej nikdy. 

• Vlastní živnost 

Na mateřské dovolené jsem také založila vlastní firmu “4 Bambini”, která se věnovala dětem ve věku od 4 do 7 let. Protože mě přišlo důležité naučit děti slušnosti. V té době všichni učili děti hlavní města států, vyjmenovaná slova a mě přišlo důležité je naučit slušnému chování. To byla nádherná etapa mého života, kdy jsem vydala 4 tituly a hry pro děti a právě tyto hry byly mým důležitým a vlastně 7. životním milníkem pro můj nástup do Google. 

Po 5 letech na mateřské mi zavolali z Google, jestli bych k nim nechtěla jít pracovat, dívali se na můj životopis, kde byly vypsány všechny korporace, pro které jsem pracovala a moje “4 Bambini” tam nebyly. Když se mě zeptali, na co jsem ve své kariéře nejvíc pyšná, zmínila jsem právě tyto hry pro děti. Oni si se mnou o tom začali povídat a vidíte, teď už jsem 14. rok v Google. 

Závěrem bych chtěla říct, že v životě je vždycky všechno jinak než si sami naplánujeme, těch 7 životních milníků má ale jeden společný jmenovatel a to ten, že jsem do všeho šla naplno. Protože mě bavily, protože mě zajímaly a protože mě zajímali lidé a já jsem se chtěla učit a poznávat věci, které mě baví. 

Jana Marlé Žižková

Já bych k tomu jen krátce dodala, že má kariéra byla velmi nezorganizovaná, vždycky se vyvíjela stejně jako se She Loves Data. Já jsem nikdy nic neplánovala. Vystudovala jsem Computer Science ve Švédsku a v Americe. Tenkrát jsem emigrovala z Československa a co mi asi pomohlo na cestách v klíčových momentech, bylo nebát se vstoupit do něčeho nového. 

Myslím si, že velmi zásadní roli pro mě hráli take mentoři, se kterými jsem měla možnost spolupracovat v průběhu mé kariéry. Jak už tady zmiňovala Míša, měla jsem šéfa, který mě nechal řídit v mých asi 27 letech celou firmu, jednu zemi a celou PNL. Zkrátka řekl “Teď to tu řiď, my časem najdeme někoho jiného, ale v tuto chvíli tady zrovna nikoho nemáme.” Velmi jsem oceňovala důvěru, kterou do mě kdysi vložil. Ve chvíli, kdy jsem si nevěděla rady, jsem za ním mohla kdykoliv přijít a požádat ho o radu. Když jsem ale něco zkazila, měla jsem pocit, že bych měla dát výpověď, ale on mi na to řekl “Jano, to nebude tak jednoduché. Spin it, Jana!” A já si říkala, jak já to mám vlastně přetočit? 

Vysvětlil mi, že takhle byznys nefunguje. Jen tak odejít od rozpracované práce zkrátka nejde, a to pro mě byly velice cenné zkušenosti. Když se objevilo něco lákavého, sama sobě jsem si řekla, že za zkoušku člověk nic nedá. A když mi to nepůjde, tak aspoň vím, že toto není moje cesta a správný směr. Dnes, po korporátní kariéře ve velkých softwarových firmách, mám spolu se svými kolegy technologický startup v Singapuru a nesmírně mě to baví. Musím souhlasit s Táňou, že je třeba poslouchat svůj vnitřní hlas, nebát se vystoupit z komfortní zóny a jít si za tím, co nás baví. 

Jaká je z vašeho pohledu v současné chvíli situace týkající se diverzity v ČR, na Slovensku nebo v zahraničí? Myslíte si, že jde jen o současný trend nebo je diverzita z vašeho pohledu skutečně důležitá?

Tania Le Moigne

Diverzita je jednoznačně nutnost. Nejen genderová diverzita. Diverzita je primárně dle mého názoru o kvalitě našeho přemýšlení. Svět je velmi komplexní a my tím, že se v něm dokážeme propojit, tak tím obohacujeme svou perspektivu o tom, zdali se skutečně chápeme realitu a jsme schopni zajistit, aby se v ní všichni cítili, pokud možno dobře. Já obecně v životě věřím na zdravou rovnováhu a zdravý rozum. Pokud se bavíme o diverzitě v profesním prostředí, konkrétně pro mě v Google, je to dlouhodobé téma, které interně nediskutujeme pouze posledních pár let. My se tu nebavíme pouze o genderu, ale bavíme se tu hodně o diverzitě ve vzdělání, backgroundu / odkud ti lidé pocházejí, bavíme se o diverzitě generační, bavíme se o lidech a jejich způsobu myšlení – jsou lidé, kteří mají větší kognitivní myšlení a pak máme lidi, kteří mají silnou emoční inteligenci, tzn. diverzitní skill set. Diverzita je hodnota, kterou kultivujeme v prostředí, ve kterém žijeme. Nutí nás se dívat na věci jinak, z různých perspektiv, nutí nás pokládat si otázky, které bychom si normálně nepoložili a nutí nás to učit se a budovat vztahy s lidmi, protože jenom proto, že jsou jiní, v minulosti bychom s nimi třeba ani vztahy nenavázali. A teď, když to uděláme, může to být pro všechny ku prospěchu. Myslím, že nás v diverzitě čeká ještě dlouhá cesta, pokud mohu mluvit za Google, pro který pracuji, tak bych řekla, že už nejsme úplně na začátku, ale máme před sebou ještě stále dlouhou cestu. Ráda bych zde uvedla příklad z praxe – v rámci hiring procesu máme jednoduché pravidlo a to, že chci vidět na obsazovanou pozici 2 kandidáty – jednoho muže a jednu ženu. Na určité joby se hlásí spíš muži, ale ve chvíli, kdy si dáme tu práci a najdeme solidní protikandidátku, jsme rádi, že máme vyváženou možnost volby a ve finále můžeme nabídnout spolupráci tomu, kdo je skutečně nejlepší.   

Pokud budu mluvit za sebe, jako za Češku v České společnosti, tam vidím bohužel spoustu intenzivní práce a osobně si myslím, že speciálně v řídících rolích v ČR nebo v byznysu, jsou ženy stále velmi málo vidět a je to na společnosti pochopitelně znát. Je to téma, o které bychom měli pečovat a tady bych ještě doplnila, že jsem před 13 lety na český trh uvedla dětskou knížku o diverzitě. Všechno začíná u dětí a i v rodině můžeme děti vést k respektu k diverzitě. 

Michaela Lhotková

Já plně potvrzuji, že vše začíná u dětí. Sama to vidím na své dceři, které je 9 let. Vidím, jak je pro ni IT svět naprosto přirozenou součástí života a jejího vývoje, a proto je že vážně není důvod, aby se na těchto oborech budoucnosti rovnocenně nepodíleli muži i ženy.

Potvrzuji také, že jako Češku žijící v České republice, mě udivuje, že ať se zúčastním jakékoliv techničtější konference v roli speakera, většinou jsem na ní jako jediný či jeden z mála ženských zástupců. To jsou chvíle, kdy je převaha mužů až extrémně vidět. Z tohoto pohledu máme před sebou ještě spoustu práce a já doufám, že SLD pomůže ženám budovat sebevědomí, protože pokud ke svému cíli dáte energii sobě vlastní, tak ono to nakonec zas tak složité není, jako se na začátku může zdát.

Jana Marlé Žižková

Já pevně věřím, že SLD může s tématem diverzita pomoci. Tady v Singapuru to je takový mix všech kultur, národností a ras, lidí, kteří přicházejí z různých prostředí a myslím si, že mě místní život naučil velké pokoře a toleranci, dívat se na lidi ne jak vypadají a co mají na sobě, ale poslechnout si, jak já se můžu obohatit tím, že oni jsou jiní než jsem já. 

Je to především o přijmutí rozdílů a když už se tu bavíme o mužských konferencích, tak nemohu nezmínit, že loňský rok byl pro SLD zásadní. 

Každý rok se v Singapuru pořádá obrovská konference Big Data World a my jako SLD spolupracujeme s organizátory. Průměrně tam přijde až 18 tisíc lidí, z čehož jsou z 90% muži. Pořadatelé chtěli toto změnit, a tak nás požádali o spolupráci a my jim tam druhým rokem s organizací pomáháme. Mluvíme o tématech, které mohou zajímat také ženy. Díky tomu se nám podařilo zdvojnásobit počet žen na jednotlivých přednáškách. 

V loňském roce jsem tam moderovala panelovou diskusi o Cloud computingu a do ruky se mi dostal seznam 4 speakerů – všichni to byli muži. Šla jsem zpátky k organizátorům, vrátila jsem jim seznam a navrhla jsem, ať na diskusi přizvou také ženy. Oni mi ale odpověděli, že mají problém sehnat ženy, které by na tak technologickou diskusi mohli pozvat. Převzala jsem tedy iniciativu, oslovila jsem několik dam, které jsem z oboru znala, a nakonec diskuse proběhla ve složení 2 muži a 2 ženy. Byl to velmi obohacující rozhovor a já myslím, že byl zajímavý právě díky našemu návrhu, ať panel zorganizujeme trochu jinak. 

Česká republika má smůlu v tom, že nebyla historicky vystavena podobným kulturním rozdílům. Určitě musím také souhlasit s Táňou, je že velmi důležitý pohled z venku, kdy si člověk vyzkouší žít někde jinde, zkusí fungovat s jinou kulturou a národy, spolupracovat s jinými generacemi atd. Je třeba toto téma otevřeně diskutovat a je důležité ptát se lidí, jaké mají názory a vzájemně si je vysvětlovat. My se tu hodně bavíme o Artificial Intelligence, proč potřebujeme mít diverzitní týmy, které tyto algoritmy vytvářejí. Je to z toho důvodu, že právě rozdílnost daného týmu vytváří lepší produkt, protože se v nich nachází různé hypotézy, různé pohledy na daný problém, který se snaží vyřešit a vlastně výsledek rozdílného týmu bude lepší. Myslím si, že toto platí pro všechna témata. Pokud budeme mít různé lidi diskutující různé problémy, výsledky budou kvalitnější a lepší.

Co se týká již zmíněných náborových HR procesů, jsem přesvědčená, že je zapotřebí celý systém změnit. Měla jsem možnost bavit se s jednou velkou evropskou bankou s jejich Data Science Analytics teamem, kde měli k dispozici obecné popisy práce udělané tak, aby se lidé označili na škále 1-10, jak se sami kandidáti vidí v jednotlivých bodech jsou. A výsledek? Ženy se podcenily, ikdyž ve výsledku věděly mnohem více než muži, kteří se naopak označili za naprosté profesionály. Ve chvíli, kdy v bance změnili tento dotazník, se jim najednou přihlásilo o 20 % víc kandidátek na pozice, kam se původně hlásili pouze muži. Vlastně to bylo tím, že změnili systém komunikace s kandidáty a také je samozřejmě na vině fakt, že se my ženy velmi často podceňujeme.  

Pokud byste měly říct jedinou radu, kterou by si ženy z dnešního rozhovoru měly odnést, jaká by byla?  

Tania Le Moigne

Moje rada zní jednoduše – ať se ženy nebojí, ať do toho jdou, protože už jen samotnou zkouškou se člověk učí a víc získá než ztratí.  

Michaela Lhotková

Zažila jsem více situací, kdy jsem musela víc dokazovat – než jsem kolem sebe v mužském světě běžně vídala -, že na něco mám. Řada situací, hloupých poznámek, nefér soudů či podceňování na základě věku, vizáže, gendru?… To byly (a jsou, i když se snižující se frekvencí) okamžiky, které mě vnitřně zastaví a říkám si, jestli to mám zapotřebí. Připojuji se tedy k tomu, co zde bylo již řečeno – nevzdávat se, věřit si, využít příležitosti a umět udělat správné rozhodnutí, které nemusí být pokaždé jednoduché.

Jana Marlé Žižková

Dámy, já s vámi absolutně souhlasím. Myslím si, že ženy mají větší pochybnosti o tom, jestli mohou chybovat. Chybování je úplně v pořádku, chybovat je lidské, ale je nutné se z chyb poučit, jít dál a nestydět se za to. Spousta věcí se nepovede, ale to je úplně v pořádku. Určitě se tu bavíme o zvídavosti, odvaze, je důležité si rozšiřovat své obzory nejenom o technologiích, ale o čemkoliv, co se děje ve vašem oboru a mít odvahu zvednout ruku a jít do nových výzev. Když budete poslouchat svou intuici a nebudete se nových věcí bát, určitě bude nejtěžší právě to odvážné zvednutí ruky. Teď je skvělá doba na to, kdy se otevírají nové příležitosti, jsou nové pracovní výzvy, např. Marketing technologists a toto je příležitost vydat se směrem, který vás bude bavit a budete si i nadále rozšiřovat své obzory. Přeji hodně štěstí.   

She Loves Data Announces Partnership with WORK180

Sydney, Australia – She Loves Data is proud to be partnering with WORK180 in order to bring about greater diversity, inclusion and equality at the workplace even before candidates start their job searches.

Together, they offer Australia a one-stop career search platform which builds on the strength of She Loves Data’s growing international community while offering women greater control and decision making in the process.

Headquartered in Singapore, with chapters worldwide including Sydney and Melbourne, She Loves Data is a non-profit organisation which aims to reduce the gender gap in Technology. As Diversity Initiative of the Year at the 2019 inaugural Women in IT Asia Awards, it offers women from all walks
of life and abilities its signature data literacy workshops, supported by strong partners aligned with its vision.

Eva Taase, She Loves Data’s Sydney Chapter Lead says, “We love working with WORK180 because their focus on equality and inclusion is very important for our community. The partnership between She Loves Data and WORK180 is an important milestone. Over 30% of our members are looking for
a career change. With WORK180 our community will be able to directly look for jobs in companies where diversity, equality, and inclusion is practiced.”

WORK180 provides female job applicants with a transparent directory of Endorsed Employers who must meet a minimum set of benchmarks to advertise job opportunities on their site. This means information around pay equity, flexible working hours, paid parental leave and equal opportunities are made known to job seekers to better inform their decisions on which companies can better suit need their needs.

Valeria Ignatieva, WORK180 CEO and Co-founder says, “She Loves Data is a supportive community of over 15,000 women in data and we´re excited about collaborating with the group and our community of WORK180 Endorsed Employers to open up more opportunities for women in STEM.”

For more information, please contact:
eva@shelovesdata.com
valeria@work180.co