In celebration of innovation and technology for gender equality, we thought what better way to inspire inclusion than to share with you the unique perspectives of some of our female technologists across RELX.
A career choice traditionally favoured by men; technology is gaining momentum with women in all areas of our business. Across RELX we have around 10,000 technologists, a quarter of whom are women. While we still have more work to do, RELX as an organisation and the people within it work hard every day to create a workplace that is always equitable, diverse and inclusive. We are proud to be a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles and to be included in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index.
In building this showcase we were spoilt for choice in whom to profile but we hope that the stories below will inspire women to build their tech careers with us. Not only because we make it challenging and have never forgotten that it should be fun, but because the work itself offers real purpose in helping to build a better society for everyone.
Every day across RELX our people are inspired to develop new ideas that make unique contributions to society and the communities in which we operate.
We think that’s a career choice worth making.
Emili Budell-Rhodes
Lead Evangelist: Legal; UK
I joined RELX in 2014 working within the corporate responsibility team building our global community programme. I had never worked in technology but was always interested in how it shapes people’s lives. So, when I had a chance to do an internal secondment where I got to follow my passion and add value to the business at the same time, I jumped at it. Despite the unknowns.
I was invited to do a secondment creating our RELX-wide Responsible AI Principles and a risk-based governance framework underpinning them. The secondment wasn’t just a formative, amazing experience, it was the result of being supported by colleagues across the RELX family, allowing me to explore and follow through with an idea that I was convinced would make a difference for the company. Today I report to the chief engineer and evangelise LexisNexis’ engineering culture change where technology drives the rule of law around the world.
Gender diversity doesn’t just introduce diversity of thought. It introduces different lived experiences. That means broader perspectives, fewer assumptions and more empathy for customer needs and what the technology will do once it has been released into the real world. At RELX, our solutions often form part of the fundamental fabric of society in many countries around the world, so gender diversity matters. I think the prospects for women in tech are great too. My guess is that there’ll be ever more diversification and new types of jobs we haven’t even conceived of yet, as solutions and applications get more sophisticated.
'I have always felt incredibly supported as a woman in technology at RELX. The Women in Technology Mentoring Programme has been a valuable source of support and encouragement while I was finding my way in a new field. Direct sponsorship by several senior managers in tech over the years has helped me build my confidence, has opened doors, and continues to guide me as I grow my career.'
Learn more about Emili's experiences in this short video:
Listen to this podcast episode where Emili shares what is possible when organisations invest in women in technology:
Min Chen
VP & CTO, global platforms, Asia & Pacific and RELX Distinguished Technologist: Legal; China
To me, gender diversity generates a real force for driving innovation, which is the key to business growth and customer satisfaction. When we talk about innovation, we usually just think about a specific solution or process but, behind that, these innovations are driven through diversity and one vital ingredient is gender balance. This is reflected in my daily work - I often find the most sparkling moments happen when you have the best diversity. So, gender balance doesn’t mean we have to favour a particular gender, it means we must consciously check whether we have enough difference in the team.
My math teacher, who I respected the most in high school, encouraged me to pick computer and science as the major subject in college. Initially I just followed his instruction as he was my favorite teacher. As soon as I entered the college, I found myself obsessed with programming. I could spend hours in the library writing code to test myself. Naturally, I pursued a career in the technology industry after graduation. In my class there were 50 students, and only eight were female and I was the only one out of that eight to go into tech.
But things are changing. At RELX I’ve seen lots of forums, panels and programmes organised to promote gender diversity in technology and we have been changing the way we make hiring and promotion decisions to ensure that eligible women are given serious consideration. The progress that is being made is reflected by an increase of female technologists in our organisation. The gender imbalance we have will not alter overnight and we need the support of our male colleagues to help bring about further change.
I think one key premise of your career is that you must work on things you love, otherwise it won’t last. To me, I have gravitated towards technology and consider it as a dream career choice because I am passionate about it. Whatever career path you choose, you will encounter hardship at times but when you are frustrated or struggling with those difficulties, you will find it much easier to persevere with those things that you are truly passionate about. For example, if your expertise is search, make your search experience the best in the market. If you are strong at innovation, get those creative ideas launched to the market as quickly as possible. This is the beauty of technology as we can leverage it to change the world into a better place.
‘Sometimes it doesn’t matter how many people you have in the room, it matters how many different mindsets you have with you, and the best balance of gender often contributes to the most exciting innovations.’
Tasha Reid
Director of software & data engineering: Risk; US
My primary focus is to ensure that all insurance related products we support are meeting customer expectations on a day-to-day basis. Our work is heavily data focused so it can be used in a meaningful and productive way.
My father retired from the military a week after I graduated from high school and moved the family from Idaho to Georgia. Once we got there, my parents realised that I could not get in-state tuition and they wanted me to go to college in the same city in which they lived. My only option was technical school for an affordable education. From there I was able to transfer to a university to finish my bachelor’s degree. A career in computers was then the only option which really appealed. I do not regret choosing computer science. This has been the singular best decision I have ever made in planning my own future. Truly, from my perspective, it was divine intervention leading to a path of inspiration, fun, and expansion.
Gender diversity, no matter the gender that requires representation, has a long history of positive impact to the workplace. Women being represented in roles helps an organisation have a better perspective for employee concerns. It improves communication, widens the talent pool, increases retention and drives revenue growth. Seeing women in leadership roles, like Kumsal Bayazit as the CEO of Elsevier, is motivational when you work in a sea of leaders that are mostly male, which can be the case sometimes in technology.
There is an obvious effort within RELX and the Risk business to obtain and retain diversity at the company. There are supportive programmes like Women in Technology that are internal and the ability to explore external programmes like Black Women Lead.
From when I started in 2005 to where we are today, the improvements have been some that I couldn’t have imagined then. Continuing to make our culture inside the company reflect realities outside the company can only keep us moving forward.
‘Technology is a great career choice because of all the growth potential involved and the flexibility it offers. There are always new avenues being exploited. The natural innovation that comes within the technology culture ensures new and exciting paths for achieving your career goals.’
Learn more about Tasha's experiences in this short video:
Jill Luber
Chief technology officer: STM; US
I am the CTO at Elsevier, which is the culmination of 20 years within the RELX family. My role as CTO is to inspire and guide an agile and diverse technology organisation to deliver innovative solutions that bring value to researchers and healthcare professionals.
I studied computer engineering in college as I preferred math and science courses in school. I found computer logic came quite naturally to me.
Gender balance in the workplace is both the right thing to do and a source of competitive advantage. I am proud to work for a company that offers opportunities for female talent in technology across all disciplines and all levels - from established leaders to apprentices with little or no previous experience. We aim to have a gender balance in our teams that is reflective of the communities we serve, and we get significant benefits from the female perspective on our products and the way we work. For example, the products and services we design are done so to be truly inclusive of all. We are proud of our recognition in supporting women in technology and science which is evidenced through numerous accolades, not least of which being named a top company for diversity and women in 2020 by Comparably.
Over the last five years, we have been actively growing our international technology community. With a large US tech hub in Philadelphia as well as multiple tech hubs in the UK and Europe, we are also rapidly building our presence in India and China - with teams focused on product development for local and global markets.
International career opportunities available to women include software development, quality engineering, architecture and data engineering, as well as roles that bring the expertise of software as a service to deliver business optimisation. In addition to having roles on offer, we also spearhead several key initiatives on the gender dimension in research.
Although we’ve made great strides in gender equality, we know there is a lot more to do. The Elsevier technology leadership team and I are committed to taking even more steps forward.
‘We have evidence that AI can be biased based on the type of data that is used to create the algorithms. I would expand that concept to say all technology could be biased based on the perspective of the technologist creating it. Therefore, we need a diverse set of thoughts, inputs and experiences from all ages, genders and backgrounds contributing to the innovations and solutions being created. The evidence of this is becoming widely accepted, so the demand for women in technology of all ages is increasing. Now is a great time to enter the field.’
Dorota Tsatsaris
VP of technology: Risk; UK
I lead the technology department for ICIS, part of Risk, and a provider of critical data and expertise to the chemical and energy industries. My focus is to enable the business strategy via technology solutions, providing data and insight to our customers in the way that best suits them.
I got into technology through my family background - both of my parents being technologists. I love working in technology as, for me, it is a creative space. I love the feeling of satisfaction when a new product launches, delivering a new capability that wasn’t there before - making things happen in innovative ways and working with highly capable people.
Technology needs innovative thinking. To think innovatively you need to be psychologically safe. The more inclusive and diverse the group, the more everyone feels safe and relaxed and can innovate together. Gender diversity delivers better results. In technology we are providing solutions for a diverse customer base so the teams designing the solutions should also be diverse.
There are many programmes and initiatives at RELX that support diversity. For a few years now, I had been a part of the many Women in Technology initiatives. We are signatories of the TechTalent charter, we’ve worked with young girls in schools to encourage them to consider future careers in tech and we’ve organised hackathons, mentorships and awareness programmes. We have promoted advocacy and allyship and worked within an employee resource group to bring together and empower the women working in tech as well as looking at skills and training opportunities.
‘Technology is probably one of the hottest markets for jobs right now, with plenty of growth. I have seen predictions of demand for technology resources tripling in the next decade. This provides career safety for anyone choosing to work in tech. It is fun to solve problems together and that’s what we do most of the time in tech.’
Ashwini Naveen
Director of software engineering: STM; India
I head the automation centre of excellence and act as site leader for the tech group in Chennai. I drive automation solutions across different departments within Elsevier by collaborating with internal stakeholders and improve software engineering operational processes. I also provide leadership to the whole technology group based in Chennai to promote a strong culture of cross-team collaboration.
While in college I completed diploma courses in technology and got my first internship in a tech start-up. This set my path to build my career, brought out my passion, enabled me to learn on the ground and helped me with some pocket money during my college days.
Women need to be encouraged in the technology sphere, which is happening globally where companies are helping women progress into leadership roles in tech companies. RELX is a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion and has many women in managerial and leadership roles. As technology innovation unfolds, which requires many perspectives, gender diversity matters. I feel a complete sense of cultural diversity which is deep-rooted in our company's culture with an even bigger focus on gender diversity.
There's so much importance given to women's career growth especially keeping in mind the personal challenges they go through and many alternate options are provided to help them continue in their career. It is my experience that women are adept at multi-tasking, often more empathetic and willing to share knowledge which makes for great leadership.
‘It’s never too late to start a new career in technology. With numerous opportunities and flexibility at work, it can be a great career choice compared with other industries.’
Marisa Franz
Scrum master: Risk; US
My part of the business provides an enterprise solution for digital identity intelligence and authentication powered by insight from billions of transactions, embedded machine learning and a powerful decision platform.
Our team uses the agile methodology with an iterative approach to projects and development. As a scrum master I facilitate the necessary rituals within the agile framework. I try to keep the boat smoothly moving forward. If we hit turbulent waters, it’s my job to identify how we react and stay on track.
Technology wasn’t my original plan while in college. I gradually began shifting my attention toward tech the more I used it. I did plenty of creative writing and thought maybe I could implement my skills within technology. I joined Risk in 2018 as a technical writer and in 2020 changed teams and transitioned to a scrum master role. Moore’s Law tells me it’s going to get very exciting, very quickly.
Diversity and inclusion are not matters of political correctness. Instead, they are critical for growth and success.
‘Evolve diversity to inclusion and let radical innovation provide radical results. Fostering a culture of inclusivity naturally leads to more gender equity.’
Niharika Syamala
Engineering Manager, Container strategy: Legal; US
I've been with RELX since 2016, and now I have a bigger responsibility for leading the Container strategy across LexisNexis Legal & Professional (LNLP). Due to my expertise in creating and managing the EKS and Fargate container technology platforms for customer-facing apps, I have emerged as a key member of the team.
I graduated in electronics then started in tech as an intern in India. I was always fascinated by tech and what it could do. I went on to do a master’s degree in computer networking in the US ten years ago. I have worked for several multinational companies in different tech roles. This experience enabled me to explore different disciplines, but it is LexisNexis which has had the biggest impact on my career and male allies across the business who have greatly influenced my career trajectory. There are also brilliant female leaders with whom I work and they have always been available to guide me.
Interacting with a diverse team forces people to prepare better and anticipate alternative viewpoints and there are ongoing efforts at RELX to improve hiring, career development and promotions processes to better support minorities. Although, there is a long way to go, I see many women leaders paving the way in technology.
Hackathons at LexisNexis are my favourite. I regularly get to mentor college students and all-women teams. We always make a conscious effort to remove non-inclusive language in the code we write and LexisNexis is authentic and transparent about diversity and inclusion efforts, sharing progress internally and externally.
‘Don’t worry if you are the only woman on the team. Don’t overthink it. Use your voice and lead with courage towards better business outcomes. Get comfortable with uncomfortable.’
Anecia Johnston
Director of engineering: Exhibitions; UK
I studied Information Technology at university and have been working in tech ever since. It’s an exciting career choice. It enables you to work in almost any industry and on the latest innovations. It also offers a large range of roles from development through to graphic design. The role of technology in society today is undeniable and offers anyone interested an almost unlimited array of professional opportunities.
I head the engineering function of the global business systems programme for RX which is both a new technology platform and a set of business capabilities that is being rolled out worldwide.
I've found RELX and RX to very supportive generally, but there are some initiatives offered specifically for women in technology such as the mentoring programme that runs yearly. I've taken part in this as a mentee and found it to be excellent. Gender diversity and diversity in general are important to the technology industry and RELX, as I believe that building an organisation that represents our customers allows us to better serve them.
‘If you’re thinking of switching to a career in tech my first thought would be to determine if an opportunity exists to incorporate some of the technology skills you have or want to develop into you’re your current role. Take any opportunities to build your skills and increase your experience. In larger organisations such as RELX you can also look for opportunities and support for you to be able to make such a transition.’
Learn more about Anecia's experiences in this short video:
Gaby Appleton
Chief digital product officer: Exhibitions; UK
My role is to build digital products that help our exhibitions customers generate new leads or find new suppliers, build their network and gain new insights about their industry. Central to this is building and developing a fantastic digital products and tech team
I have been with RELX since 2010. When I was head of strategy at Elsevier, another RELX business, I realised that digital product development was critical to the future of the company. I asked for the opportunity to join the Elsevier research product team and set about learning the craft of data-driven, customer-centric digital product development. I was mentored by some wonderful technology and product leaders who helped me gain the skills I needed to succeed.
Our customers have complex information problems that require smart, creative and often technical solutions. Therefore, it’s obvious that we need to bring people with different skills, experiences and perspectives together to understand those problems and come up with the best solutions. Gender diversity is just one aspect of the many types of diversity that will help us to do that and to have fulfilling and fun team experiences as we do so. I want everyone to be able to bring their full selves to work, so that they can achieve their maximum potential. Women in Tech initiatives are part of that journey.
We have many wonderful female leaders especially in the RX leadership team, but we continue trying to help more women into leadership positions around the world. We have company-wide efforts in mentoring, training, recruiting and community-building to support this. I’m also looking forward to engaging with our customers on diversity by increasing visibility of these topics at our events and exhibitions.
Technology and product are fast moving fields with many sub-disciplines that require different skills. So, there is a role for every kind of person and because these skills are in high demand, you can learn fast and grow your career quickly. The skills are hugely transferable across industries and geographies so tech gives you many options of places to work in the future.
‘If you are thinking of switching your career to tech I would simply say don’t be scared to take the plunge. Start small or take a sideways move to get started.’
Nova Rose
AVP, Strategy and Solutions Delivery, Technology: Risk; US
My team’s mission is to lead change and enable excellent global product delivery by collaborating flexibly and transparently with our partners across the organization. My team handles technology project management, large technology investments, along with incident and change management. I joined the company in August 2011 as a Technology Project Manager.
I was born and raised in Jamaica. When I applied to college and was asked to choose a major, I decided on Information Technology. It wasn’t that I had any particular passion for it. It’s just I couldn’t decide. Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to try different paths in technology and 2001, I moved to the United States. It became clear to me that managing large complex programs was a passion and the best fit for my abilities - it was my sweet spot. Knowing what I wanted to do and finding the right opportunities has led to tremendous career growth over the last decade with RELX.
Gender diversity is important to our long-term success not only in our everyday interactions outside of work but also from a professional perspective. Different backgrounds and experiences lead to a rich and fulfilling work environment. It is important to have women leaders so there are role models and mentors for inspiring women new to the industry. We have made some serious strides in RELX and we have the exact kind of focus it takes to recognize the type of change we want to see. With the long-term strategies we are putting in place now, it is clear that we are not just looking to change the workforce today, but we are setting up the industry for the future.
Technology is broad and varied with many different interesting paths to pursue. You can never get bored in this field, and it is easy to pivot if the fit isn’t right. There is always something new to learn so it is perfect for people with a thirst for knowledge.
"Because the industry is now recognizing the need for more women, this is the time to get in. There are more female mentors and leaders in tech and more male leaders who recognize the need for female talent than ever before. That means there are more chances for women to have a successful future in technology."
Cherlyn Zheng
Senior data scientist III: Legal; China
I joined RELX in September 2018 and the purpose of my role is to help develop advanced AI technologies, specialising in the field of Natural Language Processing. I use these skills to research and develop innovative products which can address customers’ needs and meet their expectations.
True diversity enables tech companies to create products that take everyone into consideration, not just one section of society. This means we are focused on outputs that work for a range of customers.
It’s the passion for technology that is more important than anything else. For me, gender issues are secondary.
I have a female leader in my area of the business. She is highly recognised across RELX as a Distinguished Technologist and she encourages everyone to pursue their objectives regardless of gender. Her experience has inspired me throughout my career in RELX. Under her leadership we have a rapidly growing group of highly competent women technologists.
Transitioning into tech mid-career is not something I have experienced, having always worked in tech. But I still admire the courage of people who do. This is an industry where hard work is rewarded so I can see why people decide to switch. It’s something I would recommend.
‘I majored in computer science when I was in college, so a career in technology was a natural step for me. What I like about technology is that it provides meaningful work which can bring a huge sense of achievement.’
If you are looking to work somewhere that truly cares about gender equity in tech, check out our careers page
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