Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: Evolving the Technology Function Through Diversity

Developing and encouraging diversity amongst future leaders is paramount to driving innovation and ensuring sustainable success within technology leadership. As organisations adapt to the complexities of a globalised economy, the emphasis on DE&I within leadership roles is a critical focal point.

Odgers’ CIO and Technology Officers Practice recently hosted an in-depth discussion to explore growth in diversity, succession planning, company culture and brave leadership, through the lived experience of a panel of impactful technology leaders.  

Our guest speakers were: 

• Diane Bitzel, Chief Digital & Information Officer, Vodafone. 
• Nadine Thomson, Former Global President, Product Operations, Choreograph WPP. 
• Diana Kennedy, Executive Director, Architecture & Engineering, NatWest Group. 
• David Germain, Digital NED. 

The Imperative of Diversity  

Diversity encompasses a broad spectrum of attributes, visible and non-visible, including: race; gender; age; ethnicity; disability; sexual orientation; life experiences and socio-economic background.  

The panellists explored how the journey towards promoting diversity often begins with a personal commitment to equity and inclusion. For many leaders, the drive to champion diversity and create a more inclusive workplace where future generations can flourish, is rooted in their own experiences.  

The discussion highlighted the commercial benefits of DE&I. Research shows that workplace inclusion has a significant impact on economic growth and organisational success and companies with diverse leadership are more likely to outperform their peers financially. Diana noted: “It is both a strategic and cultural imperative to represent the customers and the communities we serve, and to use that representation to drive better outcomes for customers. More diverse companies drive greater success and have greater growth profiles”. 

Promoting Diversity Through Succession Planning 

The panellists agreed that succession planning should be regarded as a key strategic opportunity to identify, develop, and prepare a pipeline of diverse leadership talent, capable of navigating commercial complexities, no matter the industry.  

The robustness of the planning process itself was underlined as crucial; as was the collaboration with HR in the overall promotion of diversity. 

The leaders also encouraged attendees to actively challenge ‘buffering’ of any potential successor, or any other obstructive behaviour during the succession process. 

Gender Representation  

Organisations can promote gender diversity by implementing policies and practices that support work-life balance, offering mentorship and sponsorship programs, and addressing unconscious biases that may hinder advancement.  

While progress has been made, women remain underrepresented in senior technology roles. Diane commented: “I think it is absolutely possible to have 50% gender representation in technology. Organisations that take it seriously and don’t pay lip service to it when it gets difficult will be the ones that succeed.” 

Building a Diversity-Focused Company Culture 

Forming a company culture that embraces diversity requires a holistic approach that extends beyond policies and procedures. The panellists agreed this requires creating an environment where diversity is celebrated and inclusion is ingrained in the organisational make-up. 

Nadine reflected: “When teams are more diverse and they really start thinking about the culture of the team, they can make everyone welcome and respect ideas; but when leaders start caring about DE&I, that’s when things really start to change for the better”. 

David believed that great leaders build for skills and opportunity, stressing the significance of uniqueness: “Diversity to me is uniqueness. Focus should be given to the unique aspect of talent as it leads to a different way of thinking and philosophy on organisational cultures”. 

Key strategies for building an inclusive company culture include promoting open communication, providing diversity training, and establishing employee resource groups - ERGs - that support diverse communities within the organisation. Leaders must model inclusive behaviours and hold themselves accountable for fostering an environment where all employees feel valued and included. 

Global Tensions in a Global Market 

A popular topic during the discussion was the global tensions surrounding DE&I, and how this will impact businesses. The consensus amongst the panel and audience was that brave leadership is needed to continue to see the value of DE&I when building succession in technology. 

In a globalised world, leadership diversity is essential for success within complex international markets. Leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences are better equipped to understand and address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by different regions and cultures. 

Companies with a global presence must prioritise diversity in their leadership teams to foster this cross-cultural understanding and collaboration. By leveraging the strengths of diverse leaders, companies can strategically enhance their positioning on a global scale. 

When planning for your next generation of leaders, this distinct approach to succession deeply resonated during and after the discussion with individuals who attended. Odgers’ CIO and Technology Officers Practice team would like to thank our guest speakers for sharing their perspectives, experiences, guidance and for engaging in the valuable discussion. 

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