It’s no secret that technology is transforming the financial services industry. With constantly evolving technology at the forefront of our business, we’re always growing our team of experts and looking for the next development opportunity to strengthen our workforce. That’s why when BBHers Nadira Hardial and Sarah Holmes raised the idea to create a community that champions the contributions of female technologists and offers development and mentoring opportunities, they were met with unanimous support! Hear firsthand from the BBH Women in Technology Community (WIT) founding members on their journey establishing the group and why it’s an exciting time to be a female technologist at BBH.
What was the inspiration behind the launch of WIT?
Sarah Holmes: To alleviate any feelings of being the only woman in the room, we came up with the idea to create a community where we could bring together professionals of varying experience and tenure together to learn from and support one another. Since its creation, the community has proven to be a success. I’ve seen great leadership and development opportunities presented to our members which have in turn accelerated their careers.
Is the community made up of only women?
Nadira Hardial: No, the community is open to all technology professionals because we believe that you don’t get inclusion by excluding some. In the spirit of inclusion, we pay it forward by creating a community where experiences and challenges related to the pursuit of technical careers can intersect to fuel individual and organizational progress in gender representation at all levels.
Were there any setbacks to launching a new initiative amid the Covid-19 pandemic?
Nadira Hardial: What some considered an obstacle, we approached as an opportunity. The virtual environment presented us with the ability to rapidly connect with members across the globe. Video events allowed us to bring together members from an array of work experience-levels and locations and then breakout into smaller groups to allow members to interact with senior technology leaders. The flexibility of the virtual world also increased our attendance at external conferences, such as Grace Hopper, Women in Tech World Series and Women in Tech Summit
What’s next for WIT?
Sarah Holmes: We’re focusing on another iteration of our mentoring program and additional events addressing topics of interest to the WIT community. Through these programs, we hope that WIT will remain a welcoming space for our professionals. Ideally our programming will also boost interest for female technologists considering a career at BBH. We owe it to the future generation of BBHers to maintain this inclusive environment where everyone, no matter their gender, has the opportunity to thrive!
Visit our Technology Professionals page to learn more about what a career at BBH can offer >