Technology is a space where women are harshly under-represented worldwide. In US, women occupy only 26% computer-related roles, and the number of women executives in the tech industry, who have broken the glass ceiling to reach the decision-making top table is far less.
Four women leaders from the rare tribe, that drives global change, convened for a power-packed panel discussion about the role of technology in current times, in The Economic Times-Femina Women in Tech Conference. Here’s presenting some key insights from the session.
Starting off the conversation, Julie Linn Teigland, CEO and Managing Partner, EY – Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) said, that today, technology is really enriching our lives in every possible way – with more insights, more productivity, more knowledge and enabling us to reach more people. But in the end, technology is only an enabler, that must be used to build a better, sustainable and inclusive world, where women can curve out a strong role in shaping a shared future.
Mamatha Chamarthi, Chief Information Officer of Stellantis, who has been working in the automobile industry for more than two decades, steered the conversation towards a more exciting arena: Digital disruption.
Mamatha opined, “Digital is the biggest disruptor in the automotive sector. All macro trends, autonomy, connectivity, shared mobility and electrification are powered by digital technology. These technologies enable us to offer a much better experience to people. AI augmentation can prevent 95% of accidents caused by human error. Connected cars allow data flow that helps us to offer extremely personalized experiences to our customers. Today, customers expect their cars to behave like their smart phones, and digital technology is making that happen. It is, indeed, the most exciting time to be in the auto industry.”
Taking over from Mamatha, Dr Inken Braunschmidt, Chief Innovation and Digital Officer, Halma, highlighted a different dimension of commercial use of technology. Inken said that to gravitate towards an inclusive future, it is essential to go digital. She spoke about a higher purpose of collecting large scale data from different sources and then collating and processing the data using different digital technologies to generate insights and develop solutions that are beneficial to the society at large.
Resonating the thoughts of Inken, about using technology with a greater purpose, Maria Kliatchko, Business Owner and Product Lead, VERSO – ZS Associates, elaborated on how digital technology is currently being used in the sphere of healthcare.
She stated that medical devices are getting smarter by the minute. They not only have more data and analytics but can communicate with doctors and patients. This enables the formation of a very different healthcare model and when the fundamental structure of healthcare is re-imagined, it can lead to dramatically different and essentially better end-results for patients.
Interestingly, while the four ladies represented diverse industries, they were all talking about leveraging similar technologies and digital connectivity to weave the fabric of a new society where human life is uplifted through intelligent use of technology.
And to make that transition possible, the stellar panel agreed – enterprises must embrace technology and digital ecosystems wholeheartedly, in all aspects of business functions. Only then, the future of the human civilization can be effectively reshaped for the betterment of all.
