In celebration of women in technology we thought what better way to promote a world free from bias, stereotypes and discrimination than to share with you the thoughts of some of our female technologists in a two-part story. Welcome then to Part Two. If you missed Part One, you can read that here.
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.
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.’
Niha Syamala
Platform engineering manager: Legal; US
I have been with RELX nearly six years and manage a globally distributed cross-functional team with responsibility for setting technical direction and evolving cloudnative platform capabilities for a portfolio of over two hundred applications to deliver the world’s best legal software solutions.
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:
Jill Luber
Chief technology officer: STM; US
I am the CTO at Elsevier, which is the culmination of 18 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.’
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:
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 diversity and inclusion in tech, check out our careers page
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