Industry Leaders Promote Women in IT Leadership With New e-Mentoring Program
March 23, 2010
Industry Leaders Promote Women in IT Leadership With New e-Mentoring Program
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Industry Leaders Promote Women in IT Leadership With New e-Mentoring Program
Pilot program from CIOCAN and CATA WIT pairs seasoned CIOs with women in IT Management
TORONTO, ON., March 23 - Today the CIO Association and CATA Women in IT Forum (CATA WIT) launched an eMentoring program designed to give female IT managers access to experienced CIO mentors. CIO volunteer mentors are paired with young women aspiring to be IT leaders at a breakfast kick-off event at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Sponsored in part by Microsoft Canada, the program recognizes that women are significantly under-represented in the IT profession, and that mentorship is one of the critical ways in which women can be coached for management roles. Today's event marked the start of the year-long initiative, which will see the CIOs help guide their mentees' professional development.
Following a presentation on the value of mentoring by CIO Association program principals Susan Doniz of Procter & Gamble and Mary Anne Ballantyne of the Bishop Strachan School, and a program orientation session led by CATA WIT's Toronto Chapter President Suzie Labonne, CIO mentors and their mentees were introduced and began their first mentoring sessions.
Master of Ceremonies Lynda Partner thanked all sponsors and invited John Oxley, Director, Community Evangelism, Microsoft Canada to the podium for a final word. Oxley, who also acts as a Director of the Information Communications Technology Council stated that "we at Microsoft are committed to creating a diverse IT workforce for the future and we're passionate about the power of mentorship to help bring this about."
Suzie Labonne, CATA WIT Toronto Chapter President: "At CATA-WIT we have face-to-face mentorship programs already underway. We wanted to bring what we've learned to this new program so that communication within the e-mentorship is productive and rewarding for both parties."
Mary Anne Ballantyne, program lead for CIO Association Ontario Chapter: "We were overwhelmed by the willingness of busy CIOs, women as well as men, to step forward and take on these mentor roles In their applications, almost all mentioned as motivation to mentor, both the IT industry's need for more women in IT Leadership, and their personal desires to give something back."
Samantha Liscio, CIO, Ontario Ministry of Finance: "Sharing experiences and 'what works' is an important way of ensuring that strong and competent individuals can achieve their potential and continue to provide the female perspective in IT."
Nabil Harfoush, CIO, Helpcaster Technologies: "I was lucky to have two mentors early in my life who guided and greatly influenced my path by sharing their knowledge and wisdom. I can only repay them by extending the same to the next generation."
Sponsored by:
For more information, contact:
Andrea Brasset, High Road Communications on behalf of CATA WIT
613 688 1192 abrasset@highroad.com
Cathy Basarat, CIOCAN, 1-905-752-1899, 1-877-865-9009 national@ciocan.ca
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