Last week saw the inaugural Women in Channel Awards, hosted by CRN, to recognise “the female role models that will inspire the next generation”.
The awards were an absolute sell-out and brought together hundreds of talented women in IT leadership roles, as well as male supporters of diversity, to shine a light on those who are leading the way in encouraging more women in to the industry.
Core were invited to join the Microsoft table, supporting Sarah Croxford, Enterprise Channel Manager for Health at Microsoft UK, who was shortlisted from hundreds of applications for the Sales Professional of the Year. Sarah has been a trusted advisor and mentor to Core for a number of years, and intrinsic to the growth and success of our Microsoft business.
The winners on the night represented a range of organisations, from vendors to re-sellers and new and emerging partners. The variety of roles being recognised highlights the amount of opportunity for women with different skills to make their mark on a fast-growing industry.
Having worked at Core since 2010, there have been few occasions when I’ve entered a room - whether that be a partner, customer, or event - that is dominated by women. The atmosphere at the event was one of celebration; the room was brimming with confident and successful women.
The existence of a Women in Channel Awards which highlights gender, is a subject of much debate. Organisations that foster a growth mind-set and give their employees the confidence to compete, usually do so irrespective of gender. However, with a growing need for skills and a well-documented shortage of women entering the industry, I hope it acts as a signpost and advertisement to encourage more women to pursue careers in IT.
I was honoured to have shared the table with female peers from Microsoft, GCI, Solidsoft Reply, NTT and Tableau. I hope their names will be on the list of nominees next year for the great roles they fulfil in their organisations and results they drive for their business.
