Name: Camilla Young
Position: CEO and Co-Founder
Company: Vualto
Industry: Marketing Technology
How did you get into tech?
I got into tech when I first heard about electronic messaging from my Dad in the early 80s. It seemed magical and I became hooked on computers from then on! I took Computer Science A Level (computer club at High School was for boys only), then an HND in Computer Science with a placement year as a computer programmer. I went back to the placement company when I left college and have been in tech ever since.
What is it about tech that you love?
In the early days, I loved the creativity around software development and the continuous learning of new techniques. I liked being able to solve problems with code. Nowadays, I love helping companies implement the right software and infrastructure to allow them to deliver high quality video streaming.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Seeing my company grow from two people with an idea … to the company it is today, providing solutions for businesses who are well known, globally.
There’s also a couple of very specific highs:
1) The first big project that we won – with a major European broadcaster, just 2 months after we started
2) Winning a tender to broadcast all of the meetings from the European Parliament.
Personally, my first career highlight was back in 2000 when I won a tender for a large government software project that my boss told me I would never win. I got an instant 7K pay rise that day, which was nice back then!
What challenges have you faced as a Female Founder?
I’m a co-founder with my business partner James. Occasionally clients will address him in meetings instead of me on technical matters, but that doesn’t really bother me … as long as the outcome is positive.
I think it’s rather amusing but on the whole, I’m at a stage in my life where I’m confident enough to not accept discrimination and if it mattered, I would say something.
It was different in the past – I’ve had to adapt to being female in a male dominated industry. I got used to not talking about shoes or anything female in the office as I’d get laughed at. I have a large selection of put downs for all occasions for rude individuals which they would class as banter. I’ve suffered being paid a lot less than my male counter parts at most jobs. I’ve been spoken to by bosses in a way that I don’t think they would speak to men. I’ve suffered colleagues putting porn on my computer, had hands up my skirt etc. (I absolutely wouldn’t tolerate that now!!!!) It was something that just ‘was’.
So, in retrospect, I think I’ve had to be even better than other people (male) throughout my career to progress and even when I progressed, I still got paid less.
It’s definitely better to be the boss and it gets easier as you get older! I’m lucky that I work with young people and in the main, they are very clued up about equality, diversity and social issues.
What tangible advice/guidance would you give to aspiring female founders?
- For founders who are going into business with someone else or as a group: you need to trust them implicitly. You will have no secrets from each other
- Your working life will never be 9-5 ever again
- Your employees will sometimes get paid before you do
- Set your company culture as soon as you start – its what you want it to be
- Recognise and reward talent – for us, there is no company without our team
- Understand that you need all personality types in the team
- Be aware of employment law and address any non-performing or toxic employees very early on
- Never ever discriminate based on gender (or anything). A job role has a value regardless of who does it
- Don’t get too hung up on being female – you’re a person and its 2020! There is much more awareness around female equality. You know you should be treated equally – it’s absolutely not a grey area
Which other women in tech should our readers be following?
Carly Britton, Head of Client Services at Vualto. She is an advocate for women in IT and the Founder of #GIRLCODE an initiative to introduce coding to young women in the South West of England.
Lorna Garret, Co-Founder & Commercial Director at Garland Partners. She has built a very successful encoding business over the last 20 years and is a big reason why we started Vualto.
What would you tell your younger, more junior self – with hindsight?
If you are being paid less than others for the same role, don’t just accept that it is what it is!
It’s all about self-awareness. In the past, I didn’t realise that I was being treated badly as I hadn’t heard much about women in IT or equality in the workplace. It was never a topic for discussion even up until a few years ago.
Even if unintentional, don’t be tempted to flirt to get your own way – it might work when you are young but it won’t last! However, I don’t think you need to imitate a man to get on. (that’s where power suits came from). I find you can still be kind and compassionate without being a pushover.
