Diversity in Tech Awards 2021 highlight diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace

Irish computer scientist, Sheree Atcheson, awarded Grace Hopper Award at Diversity in Tech Awards

To watch the Diversity in Tech Awards 2021 on demand, click here.

Irish computer scientist Sheree Atcheson was awarded the coveted Grace Hopper Award at this year’s Diversity in Tech Awards. Organised by Dublin Tech Summit, in association with AWS, the awards, now in their fourth year, aim to highlight the achievements of companies and individuals that promote different backgrounds and genders across Ireland’s booming technology industry. 

Since their inception, the awards have been hugely significant in showcasing female role models within the industry, and encouraging young women to choose careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This year’s Diversity in Tech Awards saw over 700 virtual guests tune in, receiving over 300 submissions from 25 countries across the globe, from which 90 candidates were shortlisted. 

The panel of judges was composed of some of Ireland’s leading tech stars, including Furkan Karayel, Inclusive Leadership Advisor and CEO at Diversein.com; Niamh Graham SVP, Global HX and Gearoid Kearney CEO of myAccessHub.

International Diverse Company Of The Year, sponsored by Oracle

Tata Consultancy Services took away the main prize of International Diverse Company Of The Year, sponsored by Oracle.

Since their inception, the awards have been hugely significant in showcasing female role models within the industry, and encouraging young women to choose careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Paul Leahy, Vice President of Engineering and Chair/Lead of D&I for Oracle Ireland, awarded it to Tata Consultancy Services. He said: “Oracle’s view of the world is one of no boundaries, no exclusions, one where everyone can communicate and be included in business and social life.  Our values are anchored in a culture where everyone can be themselves at work. 

“Diversity & Inclusion in our technology industry is paramount to our collective success and we’ve a clear leadership role in helping our global community break down barriers that stifle this conclusion. This award is given to a company who is able to highlight a D&I strategy and how it has a positive impact on their business.”

The Special Recognition Award, sponsored by Twitter

The Special Recognition Award, sponsored by Twitter, was won by Specialisterne. The Special Recognition Award recognises significant achievements made by an organisation whose focus is to increase the rights, opportunities, and visibility of the communities and groups they serve. 

In a fireside chat after receiving the award, Peter Brabazon, CEO of Specialisterne, said of the company’s work: “We place people with autism or similar challenges in work. We prepare them for work, we get them into work and then we support them in that work. So it is a three-stage process. We support them on an ongoing basis. In fact, I’ve just come off a conversation with one guy we’ve been supporting for over eight years now.”

We place people with autism or similar challenges in work. We prepare them for work, we get them into work and then we support them in that work. So it is a three-stage process.

On the education and increased awareness needed regarding neurodiversity in the workplace, he said: “Neurodiversity literally means that: Diversity. We have people of all different types, shapes and forms, like the rest of us – the so-called neurotypicals. You can’t generalise, but let us take one of the spectrums […] They might be shy, they might have some sensory issues, but they do not all have an affect. I was just talking […] to one of our candidates, and he doesn’t have any problems socially, but he does have a little bit of anxiety.”

On how employers can work to ensure they are inclusive: “Don’t try to change the world in one go, take on a candidate working with an organisation like ours, and just work around them.”

Grace Hopper Award, sponsored by AWS

The main winner of the night was Sheree Atcheson, a Sri Lankan-born Irish computer scientist and Global Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Peakon. The award received, the Grace Hopper Award, sponsored by AWS, is named after the pioneering female computer programmer in the United States. It was awarded to Sheree in recognition of her services to Diversity and Inclusion in the tech industry. Sheree is currently Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Valtech and previously worked for well known tech brands Monzo and Deloitte.

Speaking after receiving the Grace Hopper Award, Sheree Atcheson said:“I am so humbled to receive the Grace Hopper award this year – thank you for this acknowledgement. There are so many phenomenal women leaders in technology out there, and to be highlighted and chosen amongst them all means a lot. My journey in tech has spanned from software engineer, to tech consultant, to published author and now global diversity and inclusion executive and I’m so excited for what’s next. The future for women in tech is bright and I’m honoured to play a role in continuing to push and create an industry that truly does work for everyone. Picking up the baton from Barbara McCarthy is such an honour, and I can’t wait to pass it on to someone else next year too!”

The future for women in tech is bright and I’m honoured to play a role in continuing to push and create an industry that truly does work for everyone.

In a fireside chat, she spoke about her start in tech: “I had the privilege of growing up in the 90s, which was actually when we saw technology on the curve [upward], when we started moving to TVs being something that was around technology as opposed to satellite, when we started moving away from radio and so on. It became a really integral part of people’s lives in the 90s.”

On what companies need to do to improve, she said: “For me, the approach that I take with diversity, equity and inclusion is very data-driven and it’s very analytical. And I take the skills I learned from being a software engineer, using agile methodologies and using the way I would gather requirements and so on, if I was creating a software solution. I do the same thing when I’m developing equity, diversity and inclusion strategies. I measure success and failure the same way I would measure a tech solution.

“The key part of that is what I need companies to do, to be more accountable with how their measure success and failure. Very often people roll out fluffy statements and nice graphics, but actually when it comes to ‘what are you going to change, when are you going to change and how?’, the metrics to define whether they have been successful or not are simply not there. And that means it’s really easy to keep pushing things out.”

Speaking about this year’s awards, Tracey Carney, Managing Director of the Diversity in Tech Awards said: “One of the positive things to emerge from the pandemic has been the ongoing work to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace despite that workplace being largely remote. All nominated candidates can be proud of what both they and their respective companies have achieved in highlighting and celebrating diversity during challenging times. They represent a bright example of the future talent here in Ireland and internationally.”

One of the positive things to emerge from the pandemic has been the ongoing work to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace despite that workplace being largely remote.

Other Winners

Other winners on the night included Usha Khatiwada of Nepal, NRN Infrastructure & Development Limited for the International Diversity Role Model Award, sponsored by Wrike. Noelle Moore, Regional Marketing Manager N. Europe at Wrike, awarded it to Usha Khatiwada, and said the award, “celebrates someone within the tech industry who is contributing to developing a culture that allows the most skilled and talented people to succeed regardless of gender, race, physical abilities or sexual orientation.” 

Alina Timofeeva, Oliver Wyman (UK), won the Rising Star Award, sponsored by Dublin City Centre LEO. Greg Swift, Head of Economic Development and Enterprise, DCC LEO, awarded it to Alina Timofeeva and said they were, “Proud to sponsor the Rising Star Award to celebrate outstanding achievements to a recent female entrant into the tech industry” 

Neha Shukla, SixFeetApart (United States) won the Young Female STEM Pioneer Award, sponsored by Phorest. Evelyn Bolfe PhD, Head of Product at Phorest, said that the award honours “young pioneers showing incredible potential in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.”

She continued: “We at Phorest believe that it’s important to recognise young females in this field, and for industry to support their careers.”

The event also featured a panel discussion on the topic ‘Building & Developing a More Inclusive Tech Future’, featuring Yonah Welker, Explorer & Board Member, Yonah.ai & EU Commission Projects, Maulie Dass, Global Lead, Innovation Labs, Cisco, and Kriti Sharma, Vice President, GfK

The Diversity in Tech Awards were sponsored by: AWS, Dublin City Centre LEO, FTI Consulting, Fiserv, Verizon, Etsy, Oracle, Adapy, Cognizant, and Workhuman.

To watch the Diversity in Tech Awards 2021 on demand, click here.

Here is a full list of this year’s winners: