Women in Tech

Women in Tech

Natalie Gammon is FNZ Head of Production Management

As part of the Global Technology team Natalie is responsible for delivery of application, infrastructure and release services, ensuring the availability, stability and performance of FNZ's platforms.

Natalie has a successful track record of building and optimizing complex infrastructure solutions across a number of industry sectors including Financial Services, Technology, Government and Energy. Prior to joining FNZ Natalie was the Global Head of IT Planning at Deutsche Bank in London where she was responsible for all aspects of infrastructure solution design.

Natalie was hired initially hired as the FNZ Australia and New Zealand Head of Infrastructure and just been promoted to Group CIO - showcasing not only opportunities for Women in the tech industry but also the opportunities for career progression at FNZ.

Natalie said:
“Women make up 6% of chief executives at the world’s leading 100 tech companies, and that has taken years to accomplish. However, in the past five years, women and minorities have lost ground despite evidence strongly suggesting that gender parity and board diversity have positive effects on profitability.

“At FNZ over 30% of our workforce is female, double the industry average, something we think helps create a great work environment. We’d like to see the ratios balanced further, however the tech industry has a well-documented pipeline problem, one largely the result of gender stereotypes that reach into the educational system.

“The presence of a carefully selected handful of women in tech, regardless of how determined, able and prominently visible they are, has for decades done little to alter the intake of bright young women into careers in the sector. Yet, technology is one of the most creative careers out there and is one of the top-paid jobs for women.

“Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandburg has increased her visibility with her book "Lean In", while Marissa Mayer of Yahoo seems unable to keep out of the news, both good and bad. Either way, she's showing that the top jobs in tech are not just for the boys.

“It's time we all recognised the achievements of women in science and technology. Many of the women who have created amazing things such as Kevlar for bullet-proof vests (Stephanie Kwolek), or designers of Apple's interface icons (Susan Kate) go relatively unnoticed.

“There are lots of great benefits that come with a career in technology, and we need to do more to point these out to young people of both genders. It all begins with education and convincing them that this is a viable and fulfilling career.

“Technology attracts young people, the average age of an FNZ employee is 25, with correspondingly modern attitudes. Dress codes are open, workspaces are cool and management styles are output rather than hours focussed.

“The top benefit of working in technology is the flexibility that most tech workplaces offer. If you need time to look after your children then working part-time, condensed weeks or from home are all really common options. What's more, the men do it too, so women don’t get singled out.

“There's also flexibility to be had in job roles, which are often more friendly to the stereotypical female skill base than people expect. Roles such as designer, product owner, user-interface expert, and user-engagement experts, do not require you to be able to understand code and do require heavy doses of people skills.

“Finally, there's that old chestnut. How much money do you take home at the end of the week? Technology is a booming sector, which means that entry level jobs are well paid and career options, and hence how much you might get paid in the future, are even better.”

FNZ has just announced its intention to increase its Wellington team with the creation of at least 30 new jobs.

The positions created by the fast growing technology company are a mixture of Software Developers, Business Analysts and Test Analysts.

FNZ has experienced significant growth since its inception in Wellington in 2002 and now employs over 700 people globally. The recruitment drive is in order to support existing business, alongside ensuring the company is well positioned for its next growth stage.

Daniel Kasmir, HR Director at FNZ, said: “FNZ has seen rapid expansion over the past 10 years. During this timeframe we have consistently delivered innovative solutions for our clients. One of the key elements of the success we have seen is down to the recruitment of a talented, hardworking and ambitious team.
“As FNZ continues to expand on a global scale, the need to hire the very best people becomes even more essential in achieving our ambitious growth targets.

“Wellington has a talented workforce, which will ensure that we’re able to recruit the right people with the right skills for FNZ to reach the next stage of development as a business.

“FNZ is a fast moving company and recruits can expect quick career progression, opportunities to work on cutting edge technologies and international travel. The average age of an FNZ team member is 25, so it is an extremely vibrant and creative working environment.”
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