Leadership positions in the tech sector: more women in demand
Today, digital transformation is being driven primarily from a male perspective. This is borne out by recent figures: Only 17% of all Swiss players in top management are female. Clearly too few, thinks the HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich and launches Switzerland's first CAS for female managers in the tech sector.
By women for women is the motto of a new continuing education program offered by the HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich in the tech sector. The newly launched CAS Women Leading Digital HWZ, which will start there in summer 2023, puts women's understanding of their role in the business environment of digital-savvy companies up for discussion. Ella Stadler-Stuart, head of the program, explains: "With this CAS, we are creating a space for women who want to have an open discourse, exchange ideas, and deepen their respective leadership skills as well as acquire in-depth digital know-how - women in leadership positions and with ambitions for a position in top management or on a board of directors."
Bringing female role models to the fore
"We observe both systemic and psychological barriers in the labor market that make it difficult for women to place themselves at the top of companies in the course of digitization strategies," explains Stadler-Stuart and says: "The design of our CAS specifically focuses on an open exchange with female role models who are aware of these problems in the market, experience them every day and want to overcome them." For example, the lecturers for the CAS Women Leading Digital HWZ include leading digitalization experts such as Eva Wolfangel, renowned tech journalist, and Daniela Landherr, executive coach and former Head of Talent Engagement at Google EMEA, who not only use their expertise to teach the students the necessary hard skills, but also share their experiences and insights as pioneers in the industry and contribute approaches to solutions.
Male view of the tech sector dominates
Across Switzerland, the proportion of female executives in top management has so far been just under 17%. Accordingly, digitization strategies in companies are primarily designed and implemented by male executives. With sometimes striking consequences: AI-supported programs, such as the recently launched Lensa app or applications in the medical field, not infrequently have to face accusations of sexism. They point to socially relevant developments with problematic tendencies that need to be countered with a critical educational offensive, as Ella Stadler-Stuart emphasizes: "With the newly created CAS Women Leading Digital, we want to contrast this male perspective with a new understanding of digital processes. We are convinced that digitalization is an all-encompassing project that needs to be addressed more strongly from a female perspective."
More information and link to the course: CAS Women Leading Digital HWZ
