On this International Women’s Day, March 8th 2025, Stacuity is deeply proud to work alongside a powerful network of women who are not only thriving in a traditionally male-dominated field but actively reshaping it and breaking boundaries every day.
This IWD we asked several of these leading female voices their views on the essential skills for success, how they empower others, and their advice for young women considering a career in tech.
Our thanks to this amazing group for sharing their thoughts:-
- Caroline Moran, Account Manager – Stacuity
- Roberta Castle, CRO – Stacuity
- Paula Jones, Mobility Partner Manager – Console Connect
- Sarah Ennett, Digital Infrastructure & Telecoms Manager – Digital Isle of Man
- Lisa Gilchrist, Account Manager, Pelion
- Beth Malia-Taylor, Operations Manager – Net4
- Nassia Skoulikariti, CEO – Apiro Data
- Catalina Ionici, Business Product Manager – Mavoco
- Clare Collins, Marketing Manager – Stacuity
- Dragana Nikolic, Partner Manager – Console Connect
- Chantelle Jordan, General Manager – iONLINE
- Suzie Mealin, Head of Customer Success – WorldOV
- Anne Murdoch, Client Director – KPN IoT
What skills or qualities do you believe are essential for women to succeed in tech today?
Caroline: To succeed in tech today, women need a mix of technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and confidence to help in navigating challenges. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential, along with resilience to overcome biases and thrive in a constantly evolving industry.
Paula: Adaptability – the tech space is an ever changing landscape so it’s vital to adapt. Communication – don’t fear asking questions or making your voice heard. Building a strong network of women – find your tribe and those that will champion you when you might not be in the room
Catalina: This could be very different from case to case, but judging from my experience, the sweet spot is a mix of: 1. a strong baseline of tech knowledge appropriate for the industry you want to grow in, and 2. perseverance. The strong tech baseline will help break initial barriers and the perseverance will help you develop further in multiple directions (tech, soft-skills, management, etc).
Lisa: I believe for women to succeed in tech today they need a strong drive, a willingness to learn and adapt, and a genuine love of technology. Embracing resilience, creativity, and effective communication skills will allow anyone to thrive in the tech industry with its innovative and dynamic environment.
Nassia: Resilience, adaptability, and the ability to cut through the noise. Technology moves fast, and if you’re waiting for permission to lead, you’ll always be a step behind. Know your stuff, own your space, and never let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong.
How do you empower other women in your workplace or community?
Catalina: I always encourage colleagues to never overlook an issue: there will always be things to improve and if you are the one who sees the need for improvement, then initiate it and do the best you can to make it happen. This proves leadership and we need good leaders (in my opinion you don’t need to be a people manager to be a leader).
Beth: I love working with women and believe it is essential that we support one another, especially in male-dominated fields such as telecoms and IT. Empowering other women means ensuring their voices are heard, amplifying their contributions, and fostering an environment where they feel valued and confident.
Beyond my professional life, I am part of the leadership team of a global group that supports women struggling with issues around alcohol. Helping women navigate challenges and access the support they need is something I am deeply committed to. When we create spaces where women can thrive, we all benefit.
Nassia: By making sure they get the mic. I push for women to be seen, heard, and taken seriously, not just in panels about “women in tech,” but where decisions are made. I run pro bono coaching on personal branding for women that want to amplify their presence and show up. Above all, I don’t sugarcoat the challenges. We need to prepare each other for the real game, not just the highlight reel.
Dragana: Firstly, value your skills: all of us women have different set of skills and knowledge. We shall acknowledge it among each other, and empower ourselves to use them the best that we can. Secondly – teamwork and non-competitiveness: same as above, if we have different skill sets, let’s team up with each other at our workplace and we will, for sure, achieve great success. Also, a feeling of non-competitiveness causes more involvement and help between us. And finally, mutual respect: we are all different, so we need to understand and respect each other in order to reach mutual goals.
Chantelle: At iONLINE we really have a sense of community and I believe that as women, we should always be cheerleaders and empower each other by celebrating our successes and lifting each other up, to ensure all our voices are heard. Women come from different places and our stories might be very different but we face similar challenges. By having a positive attitude, empathising, being supportive, and building a strong network, we enable ourselves and each other to be role models for the next generation of young women in tech.
What advice would you give to young women considering a career in tech?
Beth: Be a sponge, absorb everything you can about your field, stay curious, and continuously evolve. Technology moves fast, and staying ahead means being adaptable and always learning. Be brave. Speak up, take up space, and never shrink yourself to fit expectations. Your voice and perspective are valuable, and innovation thrives on diverse ideas.
Own your place. Never apologise unnecessarily and don’t let self-doubt hold you back. You belong in every room, at every table, in every conversation. The industry needs your skills, insight, and leadership so stand tall and claim your space.
Catalina: People trust results, so focus on your work and do your best to have good results. And if you fail … hey… you will know how to do it better next time. Be persistent and don’t get discouraged.
Lisa: To young women pursuing a career in tech, I’d say take time to explore the field, connect with others on LinkedIn or at local events, and don’t hesitate to ask for advice – I’ve found people are often very happy to help and guide. Use every available resource, but most importantly, trust in your abilities and know you belong in this space.
Sarah: Trust that your perspective is valuable. Tech needs diverse voices and approaches to solve complex problems, your unique viewpoint is an asset, not something to downplay.
Focus on building both technical and life skills. While technical proficiency is important, communication, collaboration, and leadership skills often differentiate those who advance in their careers.
Find your community. Seek out mentors, allies, and peers who support your growth. These connections provide guidance and help navigate challenging situations and celebrate successes. Embrace continuous learning as a lifestyle. Technology evolves rapidly, so cultivate curiosity and dedicate time to expanding your knowledge through courses, projects, or communities of practice.
Finally, remember that success isn’t linear. Career paths in tech can be wonderfully diverse, be open to unexpected opportunities and don’t be afraid to forge your own path.
Clare: Surround yourself with smart people. Look for opportunities to connect with women and men who are doing the type of work you aspire to. Learning from others is the fastest way to grow, and that goes for all industries!
Nassia: Learn the rules, then break them. Don’t just aim to fit in, aim to change the space. Find allies, stay curious, and remember, being underestimated is an advantage if you know how to play it.
Chantelle: Develop your soft skills. There is a lot of emphasis on honing your technical skills, which is of course extremely important, but honing skills such as communication, adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork will go a long way to building a successful career in tech.
Suzie: You don’t need a perfect plan to build your career, trust yourself. Say yes to opportunities that excite you, even if they scare you, you will figure it all out along the way. Your the path may twist and turn but that’s where you grow, thrive and truly find your place.
Anne: Believe in your abilities and don’t be afraid to take risks. Seek out mentors, continuously learn, and stay curious. The tech industry is constantly evolving, and your unique perspective is valuable. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and remember that perseverance is key to success.
Who are the women who have inspired you throughout your career?
Caroline: Women in sports inspire me because they demonstrate incredible dedication, resilience, and hard work to succeed in a field that is often male-dominated. Their perseverance in breaking barriers and pushing boundaries motivates me in my own career.
Roberta: I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work alongside strong, determined, and passionate women who inspire me every day. One defining trait they all share is GRIT—the resilience to push through challenges, adapt, and keep striving for success. Their ability to navigate obstacles, lift others up, and drive meaningful change has been a constant source of motivation for me.
Catalina: Usually people like to point to a person they don’t know personally (a public figure for example) and say, wow that person inspires me. And that’s OK, but in my case I’m lucky enough to have crossed paths with true leaders, working directly with them in my career. No public figures, but strong leaders from whom I learned valuable lessons which have shaped my career.
Sarah: Honestly, some of my greatest inspiration comes from the women I’ve worked alongside, colleagues who navigate challenges with grace, speak up in difficult situations, and lift others as they climb.
Dragana: Personally, I’ve always admired women that are successful in business (especially leadership roles), that are dedicated mothers and also very dedicated partners – on top of it, they manage to maintain the household. They are inspirers!
Chantelle: Throughout my life I’ve been surrounded by strong women. My mother is an extremely strong and impressive woman. I was also lucky enough to have my grandmother as a fantastic role model – she was, and still is, a force to be reckoned with! She was a self-made, incredibly successful entrepreneur who ran her own business in a time when that wasn’t the norm. She taught me tenacity and perseverance, among many other things, and encouraged me never to give up on the things I wanted.
I’ve also been privileged to be mentored by many amazing women throughout my career. One woman in particular, who I deeply admire, believed in me and helped me change career paths at the age of 28. It was this opportunity which led me to where I am today. She was by no means easy on me but her mentorship, leadership and support helped make me who I am today.
I’m grateful to have been shaped by these amazing women, and for the encouragement that a community such as this creates. Let’s continue to hold each other high and together, we will be unstoppable!
Anne: Michèle Mouton is inspiring for breaking barriers in a male-dominated sport, achieving historic milestones like being the first woman to win a World Rally Championship event. Her versatility, leadership in promoting gender equality, and resilience made her a powerful role model for the sport and in fact life overall.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
Paula: Having spent a lot of time studying and upskilling, I’ve been able to navigate and succeed in new sectors of the business – going from selling voice to mobility, data connectivity and IoT.
Catalina: I started my career in tech about 20 years ago in a part of the world where women in tech were a very rare sight, and the men were used to working only with other men and had almost no trust in a young woman in a technical field. This has been very discouraging at times. But I picked myself up from every fall, persisted in reaching good results and in a short time I gained the trust and respect of my peers and managers. This has put me 100% in control of my career where I am respected and followed, in a very short time in a challenging and political environment. I reap the benefits every day and I’m proud of that.
Sarah: I’m most proud of the moments where I’ve helped others find their path and purpose. Whether that’s through mentoring, creating learning resources, or simply listening and offering support when someone is at a crossroads. Human connections are the most meaningful part of my career. I’m also proud of continually reinventing myself and embracing new challenges. From my early work in getting people connected to the internet for the first time and building online communities, through to creating and growing a global IoT brand, to exploring AI and purpose-driven technology use today, I’ve remained curious and committed to growth throughout my career.
Finally, I take pride in maintaining my authentic voice. In an industry that can sometimes feel dominated by certain perspectives, I’ve worked to bring my whole self to the table, including my passion for finding purpose in work, my love of creative problem-solving, and my commitment to kindness as a core value.
Nassia: That I never played small. I’ve walked into rooms where I was the only woman, the only outsider, the only person willing to say, “This doesn’t work.” and I owned it.
Dragana: That I was able to adapt, to learn and improve myself. This improvement is a consequence of teamwork and accepting different career challenges.
Suzie: As I reflect on my 25 year journey in the tech industry , it’s the journey for me and not just the milestones. I’m proud that I’ve never just followed the path set out for me. I’ve challenged ways of working, pushed for better customer experiences, and helped shape teams and strategies that have made an impact.
What resources are currently available/do you recommend to support women in tech?
Roberta: I’m incredibly proud of my involvement with Love Tech, a registered charity in the Isle of Man dedicated to encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers. Founded and run by an inspiring team of volunteers and mentors—both men and women—who recognize that diversity fuels innovation and success, Love Tech provides hands-on workshops, mentorship programs, and career insights to empower the next generation of women in tech.
Beyond Love Tech, there are global initiatives such as Women Who Code, Girls Who Code, AnitaB.org, and Lean In Circles, offering mentorship, networking, and educational resources to support women at every stage of their tech journey. The key is to connect, engage, and take action—because accelerating change starts with us!
Catalina: We live in a world where access to knowledge is extremely easy. If back in the days you could rely only on higher studies and learning by doing, now there is a plethora of easily accessible information. A simple google search, not to mention AI, can reveal tech communities offering technical courses, networking, mentorship, career development opportunities, conferences and events and multiple educational and networking platforms. The key is: go search! Go do it!
Thank you to all of our inspiring female leaders for their support, insight and inspiration – as together we celebrate International Women’s Day, 2025.
