As a Chartered IT Professional, Certified Healthcare CIO and Director at Mayden, Fiona Dawson leads on the software development of our flagship product, iaptus.
She was honoured to be shortlisted for ‘IT Leader of the Year’ at the Women in Tech Excellence Awards 2024 amongst other incredible tech leaders from around the country.
In our published book, ‘Made Without Managers’ we describe our flat organisational structure and how we have utilised this approach to bring empowerment, creativity, collaboration and productivity to our business.
As a leader within the business, Fi’s priority is to hold a space for our self-managing and agile tech teams to thrive. By allowing each employee to take ownership of their work, we have fostered a collaborative environment, where everyone is dedicated to working towards our shared goal of transforming healthcare, together.
What is your top tip for women looking to start a career in tech?
‘You can only be what you can see’ is a common phrase now, but we still have a long way to go. I am so lucky to lead and work in such a supportive tech environment where over 55% of the staff are women, that I am sometimes taken aback by external experiences. I can still find myself as a single female representative at a conference and it is certainly not because there is a lack of talented and experienced women out there with important contributions to make.
It can be quite disheartening, but then I remember the amazing women and allies that I have encountered throughout my career and how they have inspired and helped me. All progress we make is built on the progress made by others and one of the exciting things about technology is the speed of this progress. Often that means that the leaders in our profession are more accessible to us than for other industries with longer legacies.
Therefore, my top tip for women looking to start a career in tech is to seek out those who inspire you, be curious, and never forget: your impact in the tech industry matters, and perhaps sooner than you might think!
What is the one thing you would do to encourage more women in tech?
When I think about the incredible women and allies that I have encountered throughout my career and how they have inspired me, I hope that, I too, can contribute to the change we seek. It is through their mentorship, support and guidance that I have thrived.
The inspiration I found in them makes it all the more my responsibility to make myself seen and heard for those that might be looking. Because, despite my best efforts, it may not be because of me that change happens. But someone else out there might see what is possible and be the one to make that difference. To make progress with inclusion, change is what matters.
Does Mayden sound like the kind of company you want to work for?
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