Women in the IT Channel Solution Providers Luncheon

Women in the IT Channel Solution Providers Luncheon

On August 16, CDN launched its first-ever Women in the IT Channel Solution Providers Luncheon. Held in Toronto, the event brought together more than 100 individuals from the Canadian IT channel, including 25 women specially recognized by CDN.

By: CDN Staff

Exceptional women in the channel

CDN’s luncheon brought together many exceptional women from vendors, distributors and solution providers in Canada at the exclusive Boulevard Club in Toronto. It was an afternoon of many discussions, including how to recruit more young women into the field.

Read more: Dancing on the glass ceiling

Mark Snider introduces honourees

Mark Snider, vice-president and general manager for Canada at Ingram Micro, the event’s main sponsor, introduced the first round of honourees at the event. CDN chose 25 women in high-ranking positions among solution providers that have a great impact on Canada’s channel.

Watch an interview with Mark Snider: Women in IT: Mark Snider

Rose MacKinnon entertains her table

Ingram Micro Canada’s Rose MacKinnon laughs with other women in the channel during lunch. MacKinnon says she tries to act as a role model for her young nieces and is constantly selling IT as an industry to young women.

Read more about Rose MacKinnon and other women in the channel: Women in the IT Channel 2011

Vendors and partners come together to talk women in IT

HP’s Catherine O’Donnell chats with several other women in the channel at her table during the event. HP Canada was also a sponsor of CDN’s luncheon and O’Donnell acted as a panelist for a talk on how to get young women more interested in IT, hosted by CDN contributor and ComputerWorld Canada senior writer Kathleen Lau.

Strategies to bring more young women into IT

Catherine O’Donnell (far right), director of channel sales for distribution and DRC at HP Canada joined Profit Consulting president Lora Gernon (middle) and Ingram Micro Canada’s senior director of retail sales Rose MacKinnon for a panel discussion on how to recruit more young women into the IT sector. The talk prompted lively discussion from the audience, who along with the panel, generally agreed that the entire industry needs to inform young women (and men) of all their career options within IT.

Read more: Breaking into the glass house

A young woman in IT shares her thoughts

CDN contributor and ComputerWorld Canada senior writer Rafael Ruffolo interviews Genevieve L’Esperance, host of Gen INC, about educating girls as young as eight about technology. Genevieve, 18, is the daughter of Elisabeth Vanderveldt, owner of Conamex International and one of CDN’s honourees.

Watch the full interview here: Women in IT: Genevieve L’Esperance

Tiffani Bova talks about the importance of mentors

Gartner channel analyst and renowned speaker Tiffani Bova delivered the event’s keynote address. She says she believes business is in a person’s gut, male or female and that strong mentors, regardless of gender, have been the key to her success. Bova now calls herself an “accidental mentor,” and says young women need to know that an IT career goes beyond math and science.

Read more: Dancing on the glass ceiling

Two of CDN’s honourees have a word following the luncheon

Nagwa Koressa from Integra Networks (left) talks with 8D Technology’s Isabelle Bettez. Both women were honoured at CDN’s event. Koressa has been a member of the Women’s Business Network committees for more than 10 years. In 2005, Bettez earned a prestigious Sara Kirke Award from the CATAAlliance. Both women were recognized at the luncheon.

Men and women from the Canadian channel tackle the issues

Several of the attendees speak outside on the terrace of Toronto’s exclusive Boulevard Club. The event was attended by both women and men from the solution provider community interested in breaking stereotypes about who works in IT and celebrating many accomplished women in the channel.

Editors from CDN and IT World Canada film High Tech Countdown

CDN editor Paolo Del Nibletto and IT World Canada editor-in-chief Shane Schick film the latest episode of High Tech Countdown all about women in IT. The show will feature Tiffani Bova and her thoughts on the subject.

Watch more video interviews from the event here: Women in IT leaders celebrate triumphs, tackle challenges