The newest series by CBR sees the spotlight put on those championing diversity in tech, positioning themselves as role models for minorities embarking on a career in STEM. On Ada Lovelace Day, a day celebrating the achievements of women in STEM, CBR’s Ellie Burns caught up with Claire Vyvyan, Senior Vice President at Dell EMC UK&I, who revealed her achievements, motivations and top tips for women starting in IT.
EB: What have been your most significant achievements in the IT industry in the past year?
CV: My biggest sense of achievement comes from seeing the great outcomes for the customers that I work with. Whether that’s hospitals introducing better IT to help save lives, regional governments creating platforms that allow local communities to more easily access and engage with their services, businesses thriving and growing thanks to new products and services based around technology or digital start-ups able to access funding for their amazing ideas. The list is endless and every day brings new opportunities and achievements.
EB: Tell us about your current role. What motivates you? What has been the driving force behind your career strategy?
CV: What motivates me is the variety and challenge of what I do – every day is different, every day I get to make a difference for customers, partners, members of the DellEMC team. I have a very low boredom threshold and love the opportunity to work across the multiple industries that technology touches, where the pace of change is incredible and endless improvements in the capability of what we can deliver and drive makes a difference to customers and our customers’ customers every day.
Claire Vyvyan, Senior Vice President UK&I at global tech company, Dell EMC
EB: What is your proudest achievement to date?
CV: I was honoured to lead Dell’s data centre business across EMEA pre- the merger of Dell Corporation and the EMC federation of companies and I am now equally proud and humbled to have the opportunity to lead Dell’s Commercial business across UK & Ireland through one of the largest mergers in the technology industry. Through that, I get to work with great brands, people and technology, and have an outstanding opportunity to deliver more.
EB: What is the biggest lesson you have learned in your career?
CV: Embrace change, try new things every day and keep learning and developing. The world is full of exciting opportunities for those willing to embrace challenges.
Content from our partners
EB: As it is Ada Lovelace Day, what would be your top tip for women looking to start a career in IT?
CV: Technology is an outstanding field to work in. Focus on what is good for your customers (whoever those customers are in your role) and keep looking to learn. Technology and its capabilities change endlessly and in ever faster cycles, so learn to embrace and enjoy change.
EB: How would you encourage more women into the IT sector?
CV: IT effects everything that happens in the world today so if you like making a difference, like driving a business, like to look at the “art of the possible”, enjoy creating new products and services, then Information Technology is the only field to be in.
