Session: Being a woman in a tech-heavy position right now
What does it mean to be a woman in a “tech-heavy” position in 2022? And what if that’s a leadership position? Are things “better” or “worse” for us in a world where corporations talk big talk about equality? Technology careers in the last 30 years have been open to many career-changers, not just people with a specific university degree. What paths and opportunities are open now? Are they any different or harder for women to get into?
I lead a very large, multi-technology, web publishing platform and team at Pfizer, responsible for multiple thousands of mission-critical websites in the highly-regulated pharma industry.
Starting with what I do, how I got there, and what it’s like at Pfizer for someone like me, I’ll share my take on all this. Bring your questions, frustrations, and challenges about work/life balance, how to get ahead in tech, parenting in our work-from-home reality, or even DevOps and online publishing!
Bio
Following my Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature, a position at Prentice Hall (now Pearson Education) taught me everything there is to know about textbook publication. In 2000, the idea of digital learning was new and opened the door for new kinds of learning tools. I dove into digital head first, shifting into audiobook publishing. My interest in healthcare blossomed and a pathway to work in the digital healthcare space presented itself. The following 15+ years involved leading digital execution, client services, and quality assurance teams towards producing quality digital products for both the healthcare and biopharma spaces at healthcare-focused digital agencies. The last eight years have been platforms-focused, with a concentration in both web and mobile. I joined Pfizer in 2019 just in time for the pandemic. I feel fortunate to work with a globally dispersed and diverse team that truly values and respects one another — and genuinely like each other!
It is always a great time to be working at Pfizer, but the last few years in particular have really given me a sense of enormous pride. As Pfizer released the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic, many digital tools were critical in both the distribution and adoption of the vaccine globally. Websites were critical in getting the message out, both for recruitment for clinical trials as well as informing the global public about the vaccine. I am incredibly proud of the work Pfizer has done to ensure that Science Will Win during such a challenging time. On a more personal level, I am immensely proud of the work the Edison Platform team has done to support these endeavors along the way.