Rachel Scheel is an SVP for Global Diversity Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability at Criteo, a fast-moving media advertising technology company. Previously, she served as a Global Head of Culture, Engagement, and Inclusion for GE Healthcare.
Rachel is leading the strategy to strengthen the culture that includes everyone and driving sustainable change across the media advertising tech industry.
Especially for the WomenTech Network, Rachel agreed to give an interview and share her story.
Join the Women in Tech Global Conference 2022 to hear Rachel's talk "Strengthening a Culture of Belonging for Women in the Workplace ", and other inspiring sessions.
Are you excited to be among the speakers at the Women in Tech Global Conference 2022 and what motivated you to join our community of 100 000 women in tech, minorities, and allies?
I am very passionate about advancing women, and being an ally for women who are starting their careers or looking to progress their careers. There is so much more we can do in the workplace to support women and help them feel valued and equal to their male counterparts. This is especially prevalent in the tech sector where we see a greater gender gap, with fewer women entering at the early education levels, and even worse, a drop off post-graduation and mid-careers.
Women in the industry still continue to face roadblocks, whether it is based on access to training, feeling that they can be assessed on equal grounds to male counterparts, to facing challenges in managing workload alongside family or caring commitments. The Women in Tech Global Conference is a great opportunity to highlight these challenges, and also spark the conversation around what intentional actions employers and leaders can do to create a more inclusive and equitable environment in the tech industry to activate stronger equality for women.
Share with us about your background, your journey in tech, and what inspired you to develop your career in this direction?
I have over twenty years in HR, Organisational, Culture Change and Diversity roles, working across industries including finance, engineering, healthcare, and more recently technology. Always through my career, I’ve connected closely with our Employee Resource Groups supporting women, and I’ve been a strong advocate for women’s advancement in the workplace.
In my recent years in Engineering, Healthcare and Technology, I’ve been more closely connected with efforts to support female STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing) careers – knowing that the gap starts with early education and awareness for young girls in their schooling. Empowering females to consider careers in STEM is critical and starts with giving them a wider view of the opportunities they can pursue, and seeing young graduates progress has been something that has continued to inspire me towards a career in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Who would you advise to attend the Women in Tech Global Conference and why?
Leaders, Human Resources Professionals, Hiring Managers, and Talent Acquisition would all benefit from the conference.
The discussions and presentations from the conference should spark action, and inspire these professionals to do something differently to activate the change. At the same time, I’d encourage female technology professionals to attend, to understand how companies are actively supporting better gender equality, and to open their options to companies that may enable stronger career paths and opportunities for women. These kinds of presentations will showcase the companies that are leading the way and they may even find their next job with one of those companies.
🎤 In her #WTGC2022 session "Strengthening a Culture of Belonging for Women in the Workplace", Rachel Scheel will explore how we can support women in the workplace to feel a greater sense of belonging, helping them to be their best selves at work.
