Women in Tech Talk - Myriam Broeders
This year for International's Women's day, we decided to take action and celebrate with an exciting event at our office - the "Women in Tech Talk".
Our aim was to raise awareness about the challenges women face in the male-dominated tech industry and provide a platform for accomplished women to share their inspiring stories, insights, and experiences.
We were honoured to host three amazing speakers - Alexandra Bendicakova, Catarina Keereman, and Myriam Broeders - each bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to the table.
From effective leadership strategies to the importance of social impact in business, the event covered a range of fascinating topics that highlighted the urgent need for more gender diversity in tech.
Myriam Broeders, has established herself as a prominent figure and role model for women in the industry. As Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft in Belgium and Luxembourg and with over 15 years of experience, Myriam shared her inspiring professional journey.
During her childhood when she dreamed of becoming a pilot. Myriam jokes:
Even if I ultimately realized that flying isn't my calling, now my office is ironically at the airport!
Among all the challenges, she always followed her passion for tech since she was little and worked her way up to become the CTO of Microsoft.
There is no success without challenges throughout the journey. Myriam's path to success was no different.
She had to overcome many stereotypes in a male-dominated industry, but her determination and grit helped her break through those barriers and achieve all her goals.
Aside from her impressive professional achievements, Myriam is not neglecting her personal life: she is a dedicated mother of three sons, a cyclist, and a live-music enthusiast who enjoys spending time reading novels or with her adorable dog Pavlov!
Myriam has experience in both mentoring others and receiving mentorship herself: now her passion has become creating an environment for other people to excel and setting them up for success. She finds it truly valuable to be a part of someone's journey and help them through tough periods without expecting anything in return.
Indeed at Microsoft, she focuses on sustainability and diversity too with many inclusion initiatives and groups.
“We are always trying to encourage women to come to the tech sector and take up STEM education, but it’s challenging to find women in technical sales teams or doing AI or Azure infrastructure. We need more men to take other journeys too, as it can lead to bringing more women into tech. I am a fan of having more women in tech, as I have worked in technology companies where there were a lot of men. Studies show that diversity and inclusion lead to better business and financial results, more creativity, and more representative perspectives for customers. However, we still have a long way to go.”
Myriam shared her five keys to success:
Dream big and be ambitious.
In her journey, she discovered that having a clear plan and focusing on taking small but meaningful steps toward those dreams is equally crucial.
Stay curious and learn from others.
This approach can help us gain always new and fresh perspectives, bringing to the table innovative solutions.
Never stop learning.
There's always something new to discover, but it can be overwhelming. Prioritizing and focusing on our passions can help us become "learn-it-alls" instead of "know-it-alls"!
Take time for reflection.
This can really be transformative as it allows us to evaluate our progress and decide if we need to make changes.
Do what you love and come as you are.
Always being true to oneself is crucial for personal and professional success, Myriam expressed this concept with perfect words:
“You don’t have to change because other people think that you should fit in a certain box or that you, it is super important that where you are, where you work, also in your private life with your partner, with your family, you need to be able to be who you are and also to come as you are.”
These are the same principles that have helped her excel in her career and personal life, and she believes they can help anyone else achieve their goals too.
Overall, the "Women in Tech Talk" was an event that left attendees feeling inspired, empowered, and ready to take on any challenges that come their way.
It's clear that women like Myriam Broeders are paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse tech industry, and we're excited to see what the future holds!
