International Women’s Day 2021

At RFA we celebrate all of our people in every role within our global business. We employ over 300 team members across 9 offices worldwide. We are truly international and diverse. But March 8th this year marks International Women’s Day, and to acknowledge this we wanted to get to know some of our IT professionals a little better.  

Diversity is critical in tech, as it enables companies to create better and safer products and services. A report from McKinsey found that diverse companies perform better, hire better talent, have more engaged employees and retain workers better than companies that do not focus on diversity and inclusion. Despite this, women remain widely underrepresented in IT roles. 

 The figures speak for themselves: according to WISE, just 23% of the people working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) roles across the UK are female. In the US, women make up 47 percent of all employed adults, but they hold only 25 percent of computing roles, according to data from the National Centre for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). 

“I was looking for a job which provided me with satisfaction and opportunities for self developmentand found that the IT sector was right for me” says VaninaBoghita, Service Coordinator based in our Mayfair office. “My hard work and dedication has paid off, and although I didn’t set out for a career in IT, I am pleased with my professional development. My career began in my home country of Romania while I was completing my Masters in International Affairs Management. When the opportunity came to move to London I took it and that’s one of the great things about an IT career. It’s international.”

 Renata Sarzi, Service Desk Engineer, continues

“I got to where I am in tech through focus and dedication, having started my IT journey in Brazil when I was just 14. I worked my way up from the bottom, having first got a Computer Technician qualification before starting an internship and later graduating in IT. I have worked with some multinational companies and been lucky enough to travel with my job, before moving to London in 2017. A career in IT has given me freedom as my skills are so transferrable.”

The last 12 months has shown how important the right leadership is and how being part of a team supports mental health, particularly working as part of a scattered workforce. Vanina joined RFA in 2015. “The world around us in constantly changing, giving women more equal opportunities in the IT industry. When I started with RFA I was the only woman in the office, but not we have several talented ladies on the team, some in some very technical roles.”   

RFA employs it’s entire team, we do not outsource our IT roles. Because of this, we are dedicated to helping our team improve their knowledge and we encourage learning. “I have an amazing team to work with at RFA, and I am encouraged to improve my tech knowledge and continue learning” says Renata “I am able to see myself as a valuable asset and someone who helps to make a difference. I have responsibility within the business and I am relied upon. Importantly, I am also able to reconcile my personal and professional goals.” Vanina agrees “In regard to my personal career goals, RFA provides me with a clear path in terms of possible career advancements. I can reflect on what other women in the business have achieved and know that it is possible to have a successful, happy and fulfilling career in IT.” 

 We would like to thank Renata and Vanina for taking the time to talk to us for International Women’s Day 2021.