Yolanta Gill

Ro le:CEO, European Electronique

What does European Electronique specialise in?

Delivering networking infrastructure, cyber security and hybrid cloud solutions. We also deliver and implement complete suites of ICT solutions, along with the provision of ITIL based managed services and 24/7 NOC support services.

Our customer base encompasses both public and corporate markets, including all areas of the education sector, national and regional government, healthcare, emergency services, charities and corporate organisations.

There are definitely more women in key positions within the industry now

Do you feel the outlook for women in the industry has changed at all in the last four years?

There are definitely more women in key positions within the industry now. The conversations that have been had over the past few years have certainly opened up opportunities which may have appeared closed off to women in the past. There is still a huge disparity between the genders and it is still a very male dominated industry but reading the latest CRN article on the gender pay gap it is good to see we are making progress, albeit slow.

Does the industry have a diversity problem and, if so, why does this matter?

There is definitely a diversity imbalance in our industry and I do believe it matters. All genders bring strengths and weaknesses and brought together this ensures a balanced workforce. It has been demonstrated by many studies that diversity at senior level, especially Board level, leads to a better company performance all round. It is thought that such representation leads to a diversity of thoughts and improves decision making. Furthermore, this has a reverberating impact on the company's ability to attract and retain talent.

With CDW and Insight recently appointing female CEOs (alongside Crayon and Avanade), three of the top four global IT solutions providers are now female led. Is this a positive sign for the industry?

Yes, I think it is a very positive sign. The social structure in the UK has been for many years that women take a supporting role and I believe that a lot of girls unconsciously follow this path, fitting in with the expectations of society. I think it is really important for girls to have high achieving role models so they understand that gender is not a barrier to attaining senior positions. I do believe that in the past women were not considered for a lot of senior positions simply down to their gender and it is good to see that the opportunities are now there for the taking.