Critical Careers - Women Building Careers in Digital Infrastructure - Book - Page 53
What would you tell a young woman about
this industry to encourage her to join it? What
do you want her to know, hear, or feel before
making that decision?
When people hear “data centres,” they often don’t really know what that
means. It can sound very technical, very engineering-heavy, and maybe not
something that feels accessible. But the reality is, most people don’t realise
how much impact this industry has on everyday life. Banking, healthcare,
nearly everything we do today depends on digital infrastructure.
So if you’re even slightly curious, follow that curiosity.
There is something in this industry for you. For me, I’ve always been in real
estate. I never imagined that inside a data centre company there would
be such a signi昀椀cant, strategic real estate function. And beyond that, there
are roles in operations, 昀椀nance, legal, sustainability, communications,
engineering and more. The industry is so broad that almost any interest can
昀椀nd a place within it.
I would want a young woman to know that you don’t have to 昀椀t a stereotype
to belong here. You don’t have to know everything about the technical side.
You just need to understand why it matters and be willing to learn. This is
an industry that’s still growing and evolving, which means there’s room to
shape it.
What do you think this industry does in
supporting women and where do you think
there’s still work to do?
Within Oracle, and within my own team, I’ve actually had a very positive
experience. There are many women across the function, including
at leadership level, and that representation matters. When you can
see women in decision-making roles, it normalises it. It shows that
progression is possible and that your voice belongs at the table.
Where I notice the gap more clearly is on the engineering side and
I think that is an industry-wide issue. Engineering and more technical
STEM roles are still heavily male-dominated. I would love to see a
stronger push to attract and hire more women engineers, not just at
entry level, but supporting them through to senior roles. The pipeline
needs attention.
In today’s world, most families rely on two incomes. Creating more
opportunities for women in high-impact, decision-making roles
strengthens not just the industry, but society. Women — and especially
mothers — bring a depth of perspective. We’re used to juggling
priorities, managing complexity and operating under pressure. That
translates into resilience and strong decision-making at work.
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