European Women in Tech Conference — our thoughts
A few of us from ASOS Tech and People Experience were lucky enough to attend the European Women in Technology conference in Amsterdam in November. Not only did we have a lot of fun (#AlwaysFunAtASOS), we also learned a few things and came back to London feeling inspired. Here’s what we loved the most about the event…
What inspired you at the conference and why?
Chantelle: ‘I looked around the main hall and realised how alike the 1000’s of women were. More alike than unlike. I was worthy to be there amongst the chatter and developments. Inclusion was me being invited to this party. We need to invite others now.’
Nesrine: ‘A talk by someone who didn’t seem to be entirely comfortable. I was impressed. She just did it.’
Conor: ‘The impact that talks really can have on people. After Amanda’s talk (clearly very inspired) people came to me saying, “it’s so good to actually hear what we can do, rather than hear what problems we face”.’
Becca: ‘I agree, seeing our ASOSer Amanda on stage, sharing her super-practical tips to encourage inclusion in your team — all drawn from her personal experiences at ASOS.’
ALL: ‘Amanda smashed it and so many people wanted to meet her afterwards. She’s famous!!’
One thing you learned…
Rasveer: ‘It’s OK to make mistakes and to learn from them, how to stand your ground and ignore the voice inside your head that makes you doubt your skills and ability (especially when it comes to coding in my case).’
Linh: ‘We not only need to think about diversity but inclusion as well. To give an example of how the two differ, diversity is asking someone to go to a dance but only allowing them to watch you dance, whereas inclusion is asking them to dance with you.’
Joanna: ‘I joined ASOS recently and this was my first time meeting and getting to know the Women in Tech group. It was great to learn that I have such a great support network of women at ASOS who share some of the struggles of working in a male-dominated industry.’
What have you taken away from the conference?
Shivy: ‘Some great ideas on introducing agile practices into my current delivery.’
Kim: ‘A lot of tote bags! And a renewed appreciation for what we do within our Women in Tech community. I’ve always felt part of the group but now I feel a bigger sense of responsibility — we have to keep striving for progress and equality.’
Conor: ‘Understanding how to articulate how we encourage and manage diverse teams rather than just talking about it. We want people to be sure about ASOS’ purpose — that they feel welcome and able to be at their best, and not that we’re just trying to improve some stats.’
Rasveer: ‘I’ve gained a new sense of self-confidence in both myself and my work. I’m no longer second-guessing myself and am becoming more assertive in meetings and taking on new challenges.’
Becca: ‘It was so exciting to feel the energy that our Women in Tech community brought back from the conference and see this driving change — go team!’
Who was the most inspiring person/ talk by?
ALL: ‘This is a hard one, as there were so many!’
Shivy: ‘Erin Davies, an agile coach at PA Consulting, presented an inspirational talk on The Imposter Syndrome, speaking candidly about her experience of feeling like a “fraud” in and out of the workplace. It was really relatable and provided helpful tips on facing your fear of being wrong, not being afraid to fail and encouraging you to do things out of your comfort zone.’
Holly: ‘Nha-Lan Nguyen, the CEO of GLO Solutions. She’s 25 years-old and a CEO!’
Finally, a little bit of love for our ASOS Women in Tech community…
Rasveer: ‘Women in Tech helps me remember I’m not alone and inspires me to be the best I can be. Women in Tech provides so many role models that show me it’s possible for women to achieve so much.’
Holly: ‘Everyone deserves to feel they can achieve what they’re passionate about and that they belong and are invested in. Gender should never define that.’
Nesrine: ‘I’ve discovered some of the ASOS Tech women. That was actually the best part of the two days.’
Georgie: ‘I couldn’t agree more Nes — building a strong community at ASOS to encourage and empower women in technology to fulfil their career ambitions is so important to me. I can’t wait to see what we achieve this year.’
Lydia: ‘I’m passionate about moving into Tech myself and the space has been really encouraging. I’ve been able to meet lots of great women from around the business and understand their career journeys. I’ve also made so many genuine friends through this community that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.’
Thanks for reading.
An introduction to the brilliant ASOSers who attended:
Amanda— Technical Product Manager
Becca— People Partner
Chantelle — Associate Business Analyst in the Web & Apps team
Conor— Senior Recruiter for Tech
Georgie— Head of Tech
Holly— Brand & Engagement Partner
Joanna— Software Engineer in Retail Tech
Kim— Cultural Change Advisor in Tech
Linh— Associate Software Engineer in the Content team
Lydia — Recruiter for Tech
Nesrine — Recruiter for Tech
Rasveer— Associate Software Engineer in the Content team
Shivy— Project Analyst in Service Delivery Tech
Georgie Webster is a Head of Tech at ASOS. She heads up the Identity and Saved Items tech teams and is one of the Women in Tech community founders. Outside of ASOS she can either be found travelling or having a ‘quiet’ night in with wine, Britney (or any power ballad for that matter) and lots of dancing… her poor neighbours!
