U.S. statistics show that around 50 percent of computer science graduates are women. Yet, when you look at the middle management layer in most IT organizations, women fill less than 20 percent of these positions. Leadership coach Mary Patry believes several factors are at play here. Aside from the unequal impact the global pandemic has had on women’s careers – they more often than men are the ones to put family first and sacrifice their own careers – Patry believes that women frequently struggle to find their “voice”, a fact that can hold them back from entering the executive layer of a business. This is despite many women being well equipped with the “soft” skills required for executive leadership – those that focus on people and process – as well as the “hard” technical skills of IT operations and middle management.
It’s clear that leadership teams require diversity and a range of talents to succeed. Having women in executive leadership positions promises many demonstrable benefits that organizations can no longer afford to ignore. Patry’s mission is to help women navigate a route toward leadership. She focuses on helping them build the confidence they need to take a seat at the leadership table and guiding organizations on how to put in place structures specifically designed to support and grow female talent. Get comfy on the couch and listen in to this discussion about leadership development for women in technology.
Meet the hosts
Lois Coatney
Lois Coatney has been the ideal guiding advocate for her Fortune 500 clients, whom she has consistently helped get the most value out of their service providers and supply bases. That’s because, for more than two decades, Lois was the service provider. Today, as ISG’s President of Americas Sales, she is central to driving the firm’s revenue and growth.
Past achievements for clients
Throughout her career, Lois has consulted clients on their operating models and organizational designs so that they can work most effectively internally. She’s pivoted that experience to her approach to her current role, which goes much further than looking at the numbers and bottom line. She examines what ISG’s strengths are and considers how the firm can put its best foot forward to sell its services. Pairing that with a deep understanding of clients’ needs and of ISG’s function in the market, Lois makes decisions on how the firm can enhance those same offerings. She also views her work as a worthwhile means to strengthen ISG’s client relationships, which she contributes to by mentoring ISG account executives.
Lois’s expertise in contracting, experience in supplier management and willingness to travel across the globe to create something new and modern have enabled her to:
- Lead and roll out ISG GovernX®, a tool that directly helps clients and their businesses manage third-party risk, solve governance and service integration challenges, and drive optimal performance of their sources.
- Help a large governmental client migrate their $2.2 Billion annual IT spend to a consumption-based procurement model.
Jeanne Cuff
LinkedIn Profile
