Gender diversity in technology has made progress but simply not enough. It’s a missed opportunity if we don’t have diverse thinking both for business and for women. It really is everyone’s responsibility to ensure we continue to challenge the status quo. We must build diverse talent for the immediate future and for the women who are our future leaders, those just starting their careers.
Jo Garnett – Managing Director, Head of Corporate GTSM & WIT Europe Co-Chair, Barclays.
Linkedin: Jo Garnett
Four women share their experiences of what it is like to be a female graduate in the banking sector.
What inspired you to embark on a career in technology?
It was probably my curiosity more than anything. I actually studied languages at university but curiosity about computational propaganda let me into cybersecurity and then a degree in Digital New Tech Policy.
I was, and still am, fascinated by the need to balance the externalities of innovation and the impact new inventions can have on societies and individuals.
Once I started working in tech, I was fascinated by how varied the field is and how much there is to learn. It is just very difficult to be bored working in technology as every day is different and change is constant.
How long have you been working at Barclays? And how did you find your path into the company?
I joined Barclays three years ago as a summer intern in cybersecurity. I enjoyed my time so much that I came back two years ago as a graduate. I have spent the last two years working within Technology Resilience as a Project Manager and then as a Data Analyst in the Chief Controls Office. I have only just rolled off the graduate scheme and am starting to find my path in the company on my own, but technology here is so big that there truly is a space for everyone.
Who is your modern-day inspiration?
Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB. She has an inspirational career both in the corporate and public sector, breaking the glass ceiling on numerous occasions.
However, what I think is most inspiring about her is that as a leader she fights very outspokenly for diversity and inclusion, standing up against injustices she sees and creating opportunities for other women and underrepresented groups to shine. She is the number one guest at all my imaginary dinner parties.
“As a newly appointed co-deputy chair for Barclays Women in Technology Europe (WIT Europe), I am excited and privileged to meet fellow female technologists representing, sharing their experiences and inspiring diversity in the world of technology. Diversity and inclusion is not standalone, it must be core in how we live and what we do.”
Eva Turya
Read more from our female graduates at Barclays
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