Gavriella Schuster has 25 years of experience with one of the world’s largest companies. Now, she’s a leading figure in the fight for gender balance in the tech industry. She’s well-positioned to discuss the main challenges women face in this sector. She can also suggest strategies to improve gender balance industry-wide.
In her role as the Chairwomen of Teneo.ai‘s Advisory Board, Gavriella is working to implement the #BeCOME framework, which she has focused on implementing across a range of other businesses with the technology sector.
“I’m a former Corporate Vice President from Microsoft but recently left the organization to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in high tech. My focus and objective is to help to build a network of allies. I want to create a more inclusive environment and culture that is accepting of diverse talent throughout the industry.”
The Allies and #BeCOME Framework
Gavriella asserts that forming personal allies at work is vital for fostering a supportive and productive culture. Her #Allies campaign embodies this belief. More companies are now pledging to implement the #BeCOME and #Allies framework.
“To be an ally to somebody who may need personal and professional support, that means that you are recognizing that you have privilege and some power within an organization and you are willing to work with intention to confer that power to those around you. An ally is one who shares their power.”
The core idea of Gavriella’s framework is to create allies within tech companies and throughout the industry. The aim is to inspire women to connect with others who can support them and amplify their voice in a professional setting. This is particularly important if they’re struggling with recognition and validation.
Socially Responsible Businesses
It’s widely recognized that a company with more diversity performs better overall. Therefore, there’s a clear directive for the tech industry to motivate and educate more women to join the sector.
“Businesses are 22% more likely to be more profitable and to be more innovative, which allows tech businesses to build solutions that reflect the general population. This isn’t just a ‘women’ problem, this issue is impacting the bottom line of businesses so we need to see ally-ship with intention. That’s why it’s so important.”
The sector grapples with a high drop-out rate among women who no longer feel at ease in their professional life. However, Gavriella believes that forming allies in the workplace and adopting a specific mindset can help address this issue.
“Most men want to be allies. The issue is that they just might not be aware that women face as many microaggressions as they do. If you’re in a meeting and you find that you are constantly being interrupted and you’re not being heard, then you should find somebody who is frequently in those same meetings who you feel you can trust.”
“That’s when you have a conversation where you can ask for support the next time you are interrupted or ignored. You’ll be amazed at how strongly you’ll be supported as soon as you ask for someone’s help.”
How to beCOME Allies
Her e-book can be found here, and her recommended reads include ‘Empowering Women and how to Empower Women’, ‘Why Men Win at Work’ and ‘Good Guys’.
“There are also two amazing groups that I would encourage women to engage with. One is the Women in Technology Network and Women in Technology is also a valuable network to access. Finally, Wentors is a career matching service which helps women connect with senior women mentors.”
Gavriella is also a strong advocate of International Women’s Day and continues to see its relevance and importance.
“It gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the progress, or lack of progress, we have made. It reminds us all of what we need to do and what our commitments to action should be. I think the best way to drive change is through storytelling and so we need to use International Women’s Day to share the stories of successful women and what they have done.”
To connect with Gavriella, follow her on LinkedIn, here.