The chief executive officer, Main One, Mrs. Funke Opeke has
canvassed for the role of women in technology and business to involve inspiring
beyond the workplace, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Speaking at the 5th annual Women of Impact Conference (WOI) organized
by Cisco in Lagos in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, with the
theme, “It’s Time. Collaborate. Lead. Inspire” Opeke wanted the role of women
in technology and businesses to involve inspiring not just women within a given
organization, but also the men and women outside their professional
environment.
“It is great to see companies like Cisco taking the role of
women in the work place seriously and they are a few of the strongest advocates
for women and what they have to offer in their businesses and this is inspiring”
she said.
Cisco, Opeke noted, is
very good at leveraging diverse people, views and technology in order to solve
the most complex of challenges in the society.
Also speaking, the
General Manager, Cisco Nigeria, Mr. Olakunle Oloruntimehin, said that they
cherish innovation and promotes diversity.
“We believe that a
company can highly hinder its innovation if it does not promote diversity,” Oloruntimehin said.
The Information Technology (IT) industry, he said, represents
huge potential for women, but they must take risks, overcome obstacles, and
blaze new trails to be successful. Cisco has always been at the forefront of
efforts to hire, nurture, promote and support women, especially in technical
fields and leadership roles. Cisco prides itself in its commitment to
Diversity, Inclusion, and Collaboration.
“In fact, Cisco has five very powerful women forming part of the
Executive Leadership team. Their contribution has been part of Cisco’s success
story,” Mr. Oloruntimehin submitted.
Equally invited to speak was Ms. Temi Giwa-Tubosun
Nigerian-American health manager and founder/CEO of Life Bank, a social
enterprise using technology and smart logistics to match blood to patients.
She was named in 2014 by the BBC as one of the 100 Women
changing the world. Giwa-tubosun said, “I do my work each day thinking about
women and what I can do to impact their lives and not a lot of IT and
networking organizations in Nigeria celebrate women or even recognize
international women’s day, but Cisco has continually shown its commitment to
women and the value they provide in the technology industry.”
Uj. Dominic/GEE
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