Introducing the Speakers at the Virtual STEM Women Scotland Event

On Wednesday 4^th November, we will be hosting our penultimate virtual event of the autumn season!

Our event will help female STEM students to connect with graduate employers, apply for opportunities and hear inspiring talks from a range of speakers.  During our speaker sessions, representatives will share their career journeys, offer advice, and provide an invaluable insight into what it’s like to work in a STEM-related industry.

Ahead of the event, we had a chat with our speakers to find out more about the topics they will be covering and what attendees can look forward to on the day!

Speakers

Morgan Stanley
Jennifer Paterson and Melanie Lamb, Glasgow Campus Coordinator and Head Glasgow Graduate Recruitment

Our speaker session will begin at 12.50 with a talk from Jennifer and Melanie. They will be discussing opportunities and how to navigate the recruitment process at Morgan Stanley Glasgow for their 4 main divisions: Operations, Finance, Fund Services & Technology.

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?
“Connecting with students from a variety of backgrounds who may not have considered a role in an Investment Bank.”

What do you love about your role/company?
“Demystifying the misconception of working within Financial Services and demonstrating the wide range of opportunities and career possibilities we have at Morgan Stanley for everyone.”

Do you have any tips for attendees before the event?
“We would encourage students to visit our social media channels to find out more about Morgan Stanley, the opportunities, our culture, and our people.”

Why is encouraging more women to work within STEM industries important to you/your company?
“At Morgan Stanley, we believe the best ideas come from a diverse workforce, and we value individual & cultural differences as a defining strength.”

EY
Rachel Graham and Claire Hughes, Student Recruitment Advisors

At 1.15 pm, we will welcome Rachel and Claire from EY. They will be giving attendees an overview of the student opportunities at EY and tips on how to make a successful application.

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?
“Looking forward to meeting so many interesting and engaged females from STEM backgrounds in Scotland, especially through the new virtual careers fair tech on offer!”

What you like most about your role?
“We love having the opportunity to speak to and meet new people on a daily basis to represent EY. We’re really proud to work here and want to share that experience with you!”

Why do you think getting more women working in STEM is important?
“We believe that we do our best work when diverse teams of people bring together different perspectives, backgrounds and abilities, and that includes having a good gender balance within all of our teams at EY.”

Do you have any tips for attendees before the event?
“Have a think about questions that you want answers to. They may be covered in the speaker sessions or panel, but also make use of the 1-1 networking opportunities to get the most out of the experience. Also – keep an open mind. There may be companies at the event that you wouldn’t have imagined working for, but this event could change your mind!”

BlackRock
Katie Rumbles, Vice President Campus Recruitment

Next up we have Katie Rumbles from BlackRock. She will present an overview of BlackRock, their early careers programs, plus hints and tips on how to do well during the recruitment process.

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?
“Excited about meeting and speaking to the students and demystifying who BlackRock is!”

What do you love about your role/company?
“BlackRock is a firm committed to innovation and challenging the status quo. This means no two days are ever the same – I love the variety!”

Do you have any tips for attendees before the event?
“Research the companies attending, who they are and what they do, and make sure you ask companies lots of questions – no such thing as a stupid question!”

Why is encouraging more women to work within STEM industries important to you/your company? “BlackRock is committed to cultivating and advancing diversity in all forms because we believe a wide range of perspectives and talent is crucial to creating a richer experience for our employees and a better outcomes for our diversified global client base.”

Accenture
Sausan Naqvi, Software Engineer

Next, we will enjoy a talk from Sausan Naqvi from Accenture. She will be speaking about Accenture as a company, her educational background, the application process and her journey at Accenture as a Software Engineer. Sausan will also cover the different graduate schemes on offer at the company and give an insight into her day to day role.

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?
“I am looking forward to interacting with new people and understanding other people’s perspectives about women in STEM and a role in technology.”

What do you love about your role/company?
“The support network – everyone is always willing to help, the amount of responsibility given when joining Accenture, and their support of movements such as BLM, STEM Women, Women in technology, International women’s day, inclusion and diversity.”

Why is encouraging more women to work within STEM industries important to you/your company?
“It is important to myself and the company that the current and future workforce is equal. Accenture have set themselves targets and goals to achieve this by 2025, the changes include aspects such as working flexibly and establishing development programs through aspects such as mentoring. Accenture overall is a company based on innovation and talent which is representative by its people, women should be encouraged to utilise and implement their skills and ideas by joining companies like Accenture where the support system will help them further grow and prosper.”

Baillie Gifford
Russell Glencross and Victoria MacGillivray, IS Talent and Development Lead and Early Careers Consultant

At 2.30pm, Russell and Victoria will give attendees an introduction to Baillie Gifford, with an insight into why they recruit individuals from a variety of degree backgrounds across their Early Careers Programmes.

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?
“Meeting interesting candidates and participating in the event, which will hopefully encourage women to consider STEM roles.”

What do you love about your role/company?
“Our open collaborative culture; employees feel valued here and are able to make meaningful contributions to the success of the firm.”

Do you have any tips for attendees before the event?
“Ask lots of questions, engage with the speakers and try to get as much from the event as possible.”

Why is encouraging more women to work within STEM industries important to you/your company?
“We want people from different backgrounds. Diversity is ingrained in everything we do. It’s what makes our business successful.”

GFT Financial
Marina McCulloch and Dana Khartabil, DevOps Engineer and Junior Data Engineer

Our speaker session will draw to a close with a presentation from Marina and Dana from GFT. Marina will be giving attendees an introduction into a DevOps role, why they should consider a role at GFT and the anxieties she faced when starting a role in tech. Dana will speak about her education journey from undergraduate to PhD, followed by an overview of her role at GFT.

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?
Marina: I’m looking forward to hearing people’s experiences, being able to share my own and give an honest perspective of working in tech.

Dana: “I am looking forward to attending sessions of the other speakers and listen to their stories. In addition, I am keen to attend the panel discussion session. I am also excited to meet the STEM students attending this event.”

What do you love about your role/company?
Marina: “They are very supportive, especially during Covid. I also love having the opportunity to expand my career, by doing things like speaking at this event and being involved in internal events and training.”

Dana: “I love the friendly and collaborative environment in my team. Everyone likes to share ideas, exchange knowledge and transfer skills. As for my role, being responsible for designing and developing data visualisation dashboards gives me the chance to be creative, innovative and to stay up to date with recent advances in related applications.”

Do you have any tips for attendees before the event?
Marina: “Have a look at some of the companies mentioned and the jobs they post. Think about any questions that arise when you view these technical roles.”

Dana: “Take advantage of this event and introduce yourself to the companies attending this event. Be open minded and don’t be shy or afraid to ask questions.”

Why is encouraging more women to work within STEM industries important to you/your company?
Marina: “It’s important to create an inclusive environment and have many different types of personality around. It can help dispel any stereotypes or falsehoods about working in tech and promote it as a fun environment in which to create, learn and expand.”

Dana: “It is a great chance for young women to hear from others who have a successful career in STEM. Furthermore, having access to more information about STEM careers during education will help students and graduates making an informed decision shall they choose to go down this path. Encouraging female talent is essential in creating a creative and more productive STEM-based industry overall.”

Alongside our speakers, attendees will also have the chance to network with Newton Europe, PwC, Cirrus Logic, RBS, Goldman Sachs, Baker Hughes, Bloomberg, Velocity Cloud, KPMG, Network Rail and Metaswitch.

There will be a skills session with Leadership Coach Sarah Perugia at 12.15pm, entitled “Coaching masterclass focusing on practical techniques that enable you to interview and present with confidence”. At 3.20pm, attendees can gain fascinating first-hand insights from inspiring women working in STEM industries during our panel session.

If you’re interested in starting your career in a STEM industry and would like to attend a STEM Women event. Visit www.stemwomenevents.com and register for your free ticket today!

There are also still a few spaces available for employers looking to exhibit at our autumn events. Get in touch with Lauren at laurenj@stemwomen.co.uk for more information.