Waterstons Women in Tech

Earlier this year, We Are Tech Women and Oliver Wyman examined a pressing challenge within the tech industry: why are women not progressing in their career at the pace they should? And so, the Lovelace Report was produced.  

According to the findings, We Are Tech Women report that: 

• Over 75% of women with 11-20 years of experience had waited more than 3 years for a promotion  

• More than 50% of women in tech earn below average pay for their level  

• 90% of women want to lead, but only 25% believe they can 

• Every year, between 40,000 and 60,000 women exit roles in the UK’s tech and digital sectors taking with them between £1.4 billion and £2.2 billion in lost economic value 

As a female-founded business, the development of the women in the organisation has been as important a focus as every element of equality, diversity and inclusion since day one of Waterstons.  

To mark this important week in the tech calendar, we asked the women across our team to share their insights and advice.  

“A common myth about working in tech is that you have to be technical – and it’s not true! There are many routes and career paths to follow that lead to success. I ultimately ended up becoming IT director because I was nosy and wanted to find better systems in the organisation I was a project manager in – that was my first foray into technology, and now I’m CEO of a company specialising in it!” 

Maggie Scullion, CEO 

“'ITs not just for the boys'! Creating a diverse culture, where everyone is welcome in IT, is something I am really passionate about. I would encourage everyone to build a diverse network of allies and surround yourself by people who will support you, teach you, and challenge you to stretch yourself. And welcome others into your network!" 

 Julie Swinbank, Associate Director – Partnerships and Growth 

“Your gender does not define your capability; you belong here because you’re good at what you do.  

I’m fortunate to have had people looking out for me, not just as colleagues but as women who understand what it means to be in a male-dominated field.  They were generous with their time, and honest with their advice. If you can, be that for someone else.” 

Keira Hall, Solutions Architect 

“There’s a misconception that you have to be a very certain type of person to do well in tech, and it can be challenging to be taken seriously in a technical role when not fitting the stereotype - especially when it's assumed that male colleagues inherently know more than you. Having confidence, resilience and good role models are key to overcoming this, but it’s always something I’ll be working on.” 

Cora Curran, Backup Infrastructure Team Lead  

“Technology isn’t just about robots and AI, but also making everyday tasks more efficient, be that on a large or small scale. There are a huge range of people and skills behind every tech solution for even the simplest tasks, and every one of them is vital to make it work – it can be easy to forget the human element of technology.” 

Isla Martin, Digital Marketing Executive 

“I started my role as a tech consultant without a degree in IT or anything related to it, but an IT and Communications internship as part of my placement year truly opened my eyes to how technology and knowledge of it can really help people improve their work and ability to perform. Without that, I’m not sure I’d have found my way into technology, and I’m very pleased I did!  

“Tech is not just an industry for people with experience or prior knowledge – bringing in valuable skills is what makes this industry continuously develop and continue to thrive.” 

Anoushka Phillips, Infrastructure Support Engineer 

“Waterstons gave me a chance by bringing me on as an apprentice and putting me through my degree, which is something I’ll always be thankful for.  

“The tech industry is exciting as there’s always something new to learn, and I’m excited by how it is constantly changing.” 

Stacey Shoker, Service Desk Technician 

“When applying for developer roles after university, people made jokes saying I only received job offers because I was a woman and companies needed to fill quotas. I've learned to block out negative comments and believe in myself more - I know I've worked hard to get where I am, and will continue to work hard to get further.” 

Megan Jinks, Software Consultant