Women in tech: Trixie LohMirmand, EVP – Events Management at Dubai World Trade Centre

For me, the year 2022, was one of making sense of the wild swings in the tech space, from stock slides and layoffs to new realities’ craze, figuring out what still excites and matters to businesses. Definitely, a year of strategic manoeuvring and purpose.

For Dubai World Trade Centres’ tech events, in 2022, we welcomed a record number of attendees from 176 countries to Gitex Global and North Star Dubai. Meanwhile, Gisec, the cybersecurity event, extended its leadership with its largest edition ever.

For the industry, it was a year of focus on creating new generational tech, while recalibrating growth and value propositions against international trading forces, seeking out tech talents and exploring sustainable ways to build digital green businesses.

This year, we are focused on supporting companies in the region to accelerate their transitionary journey into green digital businesses through decarbonisation efforts and green tech solutions. With COP28 to be hosted in the UAE, there is an impetus to rally industries on this environment conservation mission.

However, as a woman leader, I feel the challenge of bias extends beyond one’s demographic attribute. Women executives may not assert themselves in the same way as their male counterparts and they often have a smaller peer professional or social network, or they feel more inhibited, hence limiting access to opportunities. Fortunately, there are generous meritocratic-biased people out there who will bet on you.

In a male-dominated tech industry, vital steps should be taken to attract more women. Gaming and STEM-focused fun clubs have an influential role to play in attracting girls into tech-related curriculums. International exchange programmes are a great source of cross-cultural inspiration. Coaching and mentorships should be instituted early in schools to engender and develop interests in this field. Companies and societies should develop initiatives to connect women and promote upskilling to support them in pursuing STEM-oriented careers.

While the technical skills are core, for women to succeed as leaders in this male-centric industry requires leadership, people and business management competencies. This can be generated through the institutionalised efforts of companies to provide on-the-job experimentation of opportunities, a great peer-support corporate and social network, coaching, creative job roles and decision-making empowerment.

Explore every opportunity and work hard on them. Women are scrutinised much more and unfortunately judgements are sometimes tougher and less forgiving. You are the sum total of all the decisions you’ve ever made. So, make every decision count.

Read: Why diversity is vital for a strong cybersecurity team