Does tech have a women problem? Jacky Wright has held top jobs in some of the world’s biggest companies, but never forgets that she is an exception in a male-dominated business world.
Meet the UK's most influential Black person
Does tech have a women problem? Jacky Wright has held top jobs in some of the world's biggest companies, but never forgets that she is an exception in a male-dominated business world.
Life was not easy for Jacky Wright's parents. Her Jamaican father settled in Britain after serving in the RAFThe Royal Air Force is the UK's air force. in World War Two. Her mother arrived on a ship as part of the WindrushThe ship MV Empire Windrush arrived in Britain in 1948, bringing workers from Caribbean countries to the UK to fill post-war labour shortages. generation. But after experiencing racism they decided to move to America.
"My dad and uncles were all from the era of Enoch PowellA British politician who is known for making a racist speech against immigration in 1968. and had a firm belief that change was going to take much longer in the UK than the US," Wright said in an interview with CNN.
The interview marked a very special event: Wright had just been put at number one in the Powerlist 2022.1 It names the most powerful Black people in the UK.
Wright is head of technology at McKinsey, one of the world's largest management-consultancy companies.
Her father always told he she could do anything. "For a young girl in North London, the chance to be exposed to technology wasn't there. But I was always quite competitive - captain of the netball team, in the track and field team."
She originally wanted to be a politician: "I had a burning passion to change the world, as I thought about the injustices that occur in life." But being good at maths led her into the tech world - "and then I realised technology can help change things".
After studying in New York, she went on to work for enormous companies such as BP. She then spent 10 years at Microsoft, rising to a top position.
She doubts she would have been so successful if her family had stayed in Britain. In the US she was inspired by black businesswomen such as Ursula BurnsAn American businesswoman..
Many hope her success will encourage more women to go into tech. At present only a third of people who work in it are female,2 and only a quarter of those do technical jobs.3
In a BBC interview, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said there were "no good excuses" for the situation.
Does tech have a women problem?
Yes: It is appalling that such a small proportion of tech employees are female. Since women are every bit as capable as men, the situation must reflect the prejudices of male executives.
No: Just 35% of those choosing to do STEMScience, technology, engineering and maths. STEM is a term used to group these academic disciplines. subjects at British universities are women. Tech companies can only hire people with the right qualifications - they cannot be blamed for the lack of candidates.
Or... Tech has a much wider problem. It dominates our world, but is only run by mathematicians, engineers and business people. It needs artists, poets, teachers, psychologists and social workers too.
Keywords
RAF - The Royal Air Force is the UK's air force.
Windrush - The ship MV Empire Windrush arrived in Britain in 1948, bringing workers from Caribbean countries to the UK to fill post-war labour shortages.
Enoch Powell - A British politician who is known for making a racist speech against immigration in 1968.
Ursula Burns - An American businesswoman.
STEM - Science, technology, engineering and maths. STEM is a term used to group these academic disciplines.
Meet the UK’s most influential Black person
Glossary
RAF - The Royal Air Force is the UK's air force.
Windrush - The ship MV Empire Windrush arrived in Britain in 1948, bringing workers from Caribbean countries to the UK to fill post-war labour shortages.
Enoch Powell - A British politician who is known for making a racist speech against immigration in 1968.
Ursula Burns - An American businesswoman.
STEM - Science, technology, engineering and maths. STEM is a term used to group these academic disciplines.