Maya Bucher, COO at Swicon360

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. Today, however, women positioned at the front lines of progressive ICT companies agree that this ultra-competitive sector continues to show signs of maturity and there is more opportunity now than ever before.

One of the criticisms leveled at the industry and its regulators has been the limited opportunity women have had in the past in being able to enter and establish a basic foundation for growth within ICT.

The debate has been fuelled by the contention that the environment and restrictions (either acknowledged or unofficial) have made it more difficult for a woman to manage and lead companies focused within these industries.

Maya Bucher, Chief Operations Officer at Swicon360, an established business technology partner and solution provider within the international Human Capital Management (HCM), HR and payroll markets, believes that the ICT market has improved significantly in terms of a general understanding and appreciation of the advantages and benefits women bring to the industry.

Whilst Bucher says the disparity between the number of men and women in executive IT positions remains high, she acknowledges the progress many companies have made in emphasising the role of women in the industry.

“Yes, I would say that for the most part, women have had to deal with stereotypes – but this is changing. For example, in the past, being female, there was a degree of skepticism about ones level of technical capability. Today, the situation is different – companies understand that women add measurable value to business by bringing organisational skills, project planning expertise, the ability to manage crisis or challenges in addition to technical skills. These are all fundamental to success within the information technology arena,” says Bucher.

The ICT industry is not without its challenges. Bucher points out that a combination of constraint on flexible working hours, deadlines and project deliverables, travel and available time for projects add pressure on women to try to achieve a symbiotic relationship between work and life responsibilities.

Despite the challenges, however, women do continue to secure top level positions within companies adds Bucher.

“Women are born problem solvers and have natural analytical skills. Aside from their tenacious attitude in business, they have the ability to communicate and also have the natural aptitude to be objective, creative and tolerant in many situations. This gives them an edge within the information and communication technology sector, which is highly competitive and requires a meticulous approach to detail and service delivery,” says Bucher. “Women are also exceptionally powerful networkers and have inherent skills for negotiating and for multitasking.”

Whilst the situation for women entering the ICT profession looks good at the moment, Bucher advises that it is important to remain ahead of change, for candidates to brush up on technology knowledge and to adopt a positive, confident but forthright manner in dealing with other fundamental aspects of the industry.

“Sustaining a level of professionalism and confidence within this industry is about being empowered with knowledge. It is important to keep up to date with subject knowledge, know your environment and update skills as regularly as possible. Work on critical aspects of business administration and application, including time management and the ability to handle and respond positively to change. This is a demanding field and to build your career and establish a powerful and influential position, one needs to keep ones emotions in check, be confident but not overbearing and assess situations on merit in so far as possible,” says Bucher.