In recent years, the tech industry has made significant strides towards gender diversity, but the journey is far from complete. Despite increasing awareness and initiatives to bridge the gender gap, women in tech continue to face numerous challenges.

As a big supporter of women in tech, having had most of my career in the space, I wanted to dig into the latest statistics, trends, and thought-provoking insights about women in technology, highlighting both progress and persistent obstacles. 

Here we go. 

Current Statistics and Trends

The representation of women in tech remains disappointingly low, though some progress is evident according to a recent article in TechTarget. Women constitute around 28% of the tech workforce, a slight increase from previous years, but still a stark underrepresentation compared to men. More encouragingly, women's participation in tech roles has been growing annually, with a 3% increase in 2023 alone​.

In a world where brand loyalty is becoming increasingly elusive, organisations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) are facing quite the challenges.

The landscape is shaped by shifting consumer preferences, economic pressures, and the relentless march of technology.

In 2023, at ServiceNow we highlighted the looming brand loyalty crisis, and now, in 2024, the situation remains dire.

However, amidst the challenges lie opportunities for those willing to adapt and innovate. Drawing on insights from a comprehensive survey that we conducted at ServiceNow together with Opinium Research, today I want to share with you the key findings and offer strategies for navigating the brand loyalty crisis in EMEA.

What's Happening With Brand Loyalty in EMEA?

In the realm of business literature, few books possess the power to inspire and impart invaluable wisdom quite like "Winners Dream" by Bill McDermott. I am not saying this because he is technically my boss given that I work at ServiceNow but because I read the signed copy I got directly from Bill almost in one go. 

Not only was it very engaging, but it was full of interesting stories about Bill's humble beginnings all the way to the top of corporate success. These stories is what made the book such a captivating read, making you want to find out what happens next quickly. I especially resonated with Bill's determination to go after what he wants - determined is definitely one of my key traits as well.

As I was reading the book, I thought there were so many helpful nuggets and learnings that I wanted to share these with you, alongside my favourite quotes. 

In essence, my biggest takeaway is that to be successful in life and to lead a fulfilling life, you need to be crystal clear on the goals and priorities that really matter to you and pour your soul and hard work into achieving them. The journey is the dream rather than the outcome itself. 

Top Learnings from Winners Dream

Where could your business be going wrong? This is a question that most businesses ask themselves regularly, and yet coming up with the answer can be really difficult. It’s hard to know where things are not going so well, and how you can get your business back on track.

Today, we will look at a list of things that could potentially be going wrong in your business and help you identify what positive changes you can start making going forward. This is not meant to be used as a diagnostic tool, it’s just supposed to give you some ideas of where to look.

Let's get started!

Top 7 Areas to Fix Today if Your Business is Going Wrong

I've been a Chief of Staff for close to two years but I've held similar positions in the past without the title. 

People often ask me "What is it that you actually do?"

Chief of Staff roles have become popular over the last few years, especially in tech. Many of the big companies have a Chief of Staff for all of their SVPs and above, and some even for VP and above. 

I find the Chief of Staff role quite unique depending on who the executive is that you support. I'm lucky to have an amazing leader who I work with hand in hand which allows me to learn and grow. 

But back to the question about what is it that a Chief of Staff does every day. Let me go through a day in my life, however, before I begin I have to say that the Chief of Staff job is so versatile and frankly not every day is the same because the role itself relies on the ability to pivot, adjust and be flexible pretty much all the time as there are often last-minute fires to be put down. So I will focus on explaining the key daily responsibilities. 

A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff in Tech