Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 70 | Page 46

CIO OPINION
Digital Transformation investment reached US $ 1.85 trillion in 2022 and is expected to total US $ 3.4 trillion by 2026 .
Sue-Ellen Wright , Managing Director of Sopra Steria ’ s Aerospace , Defence and Security Business

Empowering women to take on Digital Transformation

leadership roles

As the lack of gender diversity in the IT industry is given more attention , organisations should be empowering women to take on digital leadership roles . Sue-Ellen Wright , Managing Director of Sopra Steria ’ s Aerospace , Defence and Security Business , discusses the importance of gender diversity for driving a truly successful Digital Transformation project which is inclusive of a range of skillsets and perspectives .

Transformation in the digital-first world has become business-critical for companies , no matter their industry . It gives organisations the ability to better address customer needs , enhance how they function and improve their overall offerings . But driving a truly successful Digital Transformation project requires a broad range of perspectives and ideas . And it ’ s here that gender diversity is key .

The pandemic has vastly altered the way both businesses and consumers operate . In fact , reports suggest that it accelerated 84 % of organisational Digital Transformation plans . To add to this , data shows that Digital Transformation investment reached US $ 1.85 trillion in 2022 and is expected to total US $ 3.4 trillion by 2026 .
Rapid investment in Digital Transformation has meant a significant increase in opportunities , yet the number of women leading Digital Transformation projects remains concerningly low . Empowering women to take on digital leadership roles not only provides organisations with fresh perspective and diverse skills , but also helps pave the way for more women to confidently enter the STEM industries and become future leaders .
Considering diversity in teams
As Digital Transformation is predicted to rapidly accelerate across all sectors , businesses must adapt to the new world of work – it ’ s no longer an extra , but a crucial component to underpin social and economic progress . Having gender diversity within a team is one way that organisations can encourage and benefit from
46 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com