The 30% Club today launches its technology group with the aim of increasing female representation on the boards of technology companies.
The tech group will be led by Melissa Di Donato, Area Vice President, Salesforce, and includes representatives from technology firms including Brunswick Group, Cisco, Citrix, Misys, TechUK and vmWare.
The technology group will showcase the contribution that women make in senior executive positions and encourage technology firms to engage with the issue of women in leadership and to consider it when voting on the appointment and re-election of board members
Melissa Di Donato, said: "The tech industry is committed to closing the gender gap and increasing the number of women in leadership roles. I firmly believe that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ and therefore I am very keen for the 30% Club tech group to get involved in mentoring and nurturing young women to become the technology business leaders of tomorrow."
Helena Morrissey, Founder of the 30% Club and CEO of Newton Investment Management said: "Our original goal was to reach 30% women on FTSE-100 boards by the end of 2015. To make this sustainable, we’ve significantly expanded the scope of our work and Melissa Di Donato will be an excellent ambassador for our work in the technology industry. She has such a strong record as an advocate for female participation in her role at Salesforce that she will make a real impact as the chair of this important industry group."
The 30% Club, which aims to develop senior female talent at all levels in UK organisations, has grown in influence since its creation; attracting support from the leaders of some of the UK’s largest companies as well as across political parties. It has also helped launch 30% Clubs in East Africa, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa and the USA. More importantly, the Club’s key differentiator following its launch in 2010 – concerted efforts by men and women working together on the issue – together with the publication of the Davies Report into Women on Boards in 2011, has led to a rapid acceleration in the pace of change in the UK. Women now make up 23.5% of directors in the FTSE100 (up from 12.5% in 2010).
