Lisa Sherwell, our Chief People Officer, is a global strategy and transformation executive with 25 years in the B2B technology, Services and Business Process Outsourcing industries.
Passionate about crafting vision and developing employee-centric strategies, Lisa has a strong track record of bringing transformation to life for organisations of all sizes.
Before becoming interim Chief People Officer, Lisa led the Strategy Management & Transformation team at SUSE – overseeing strategy execution, strategic M&A integration, organisational design and process optimisation.
Before SUSE, Lisa worked at SAP and Merchants, a Dimension Data Company, where she held various roles including General Manager and Global Sales Director. She has managed teams of up to 800 people and is a passionate champion of empowerment, transformation and people centric leadership.
Lisa has also served as board member for five years for BPeSA, driving foreign direct investment and job creation in South Africa.
We are in a time of loud, assertive leadership, but the reality is that in the workplace, soft power often wins.
And how does this support bringing more women into the tech sector? Well, all it takes is looking at the skill sets that have been there all along. The ability to influence without force, to be an empathetic leader who motivates people to be their best every day – that’s where lasting progress is made.
Many women have spent years in roles, whether in their professional or personal lives, where communication, empathy and problem-solving are second nature. Now, as technology becomes more automated and AI increasingly handles the heavy lifting, those skills matter more than ever. Whether you’re a coder or a software engineer, in HR or sales, the ability to listen to the problem that needs to be solved and present and deliver a direct solution is a differentiator for success.
This acceptance of soft power in the workplace is good for everyone. Men learn and watch women be successful in navigating change and solving problems with an empathetic ear, and it gives them permission to behave in this way as well. It opens doors to look at who is around your boardroom or meeting room table, and see how a broader skillset could benefit your organisation.
Don’t wait for perfection
According to data from the WomenTech Network, “currently, women make up about 35 percent of the tech workforce. This is a significant improvement from the early 2000s when women only made up 9 percent.” To move the needle further, for both individuals and companies, there needs to be a shift away from the mythical perfect candidate, who, in this era, does not exist. The problems we are solving do not yet exist- so how do we know who and what skillset can help us solve them?
It means there’s never been a better time to bring diversity into tech. We know that more diverse teams function better and drive profitability. If no one around the table has solved this particular problem before, why can’t you?
In more practical terms, for employees, don’t wait for the ideal job description where you check off every item. You know your strengths better than anyone. Be confident in yourself and the skills you bring to the table. Trust your ability to work out challenges just like you would at home – for example, navigating a gap in childcare, managing menopause or supporting ageing parents. This all feeds into the ability to thrive in a fast moving environment, the most important skill needed for a career in tech.
For leaders, actively seek individuals who bring fresh thinking and lived experience. Look out for someone who has the confidence to find solutions and deliver. At SUSE, our innovation value is defined as “Ideas are great, but without execution, they are just ideas.” It means it is also about finding the right cultural fit – someone who will proactively show up and be intentional about living your organisation’s values every day. This is just as valuable as a lengthy skillset. That adaptable thinking will bring a lot to your business environment, whether it is around the board table or someone developing an innovative new product.
It is clear that when you tap into this problem solving and “why not me” mentality, everyone wins.
Post Views: 62
Why the future of tech needs a broader skillset
ARTICLE SUMMARY
Lisa Sherwell, our Chief People Officer, is a global strategy and transformation executive with 25 years in the B2B technology, Services and Business Process Outsourcing industries.
Before becoming interim Chief People Officer, Lisa led the Strategy Management & Transformation team at SUSE – overseeing strategy execution, strategic M&A integration, organisational design and process optimisation.
Before SUSE, Lisa worked at SAP and Merchants, a Dimension Data Company, where she held various roles including General Manager and Global Sales Director. She has managed teams of up to 800 people and is a passionate champion of empowerment, transformation and people centric leadership.
Lisa has also served as board member for five years for BPeSA, driving foreign direct investment and job creation in South Africa.
We are in a time of loud, assertive leadership, but the reality is that in the workplace, soft power often wins.
And how does this support bringing more women into the tech sector? Well, all it takes is looking at the skill sets that have been there all along. The ability to influence without force, to be an empathetic leader who motivates people to be their best every day – that’s where lasting progress is made.
Many women have spent years in roles, whether in their professional or personal lives, where communication, empathy and problem-solving are second nature. Now, as technology becomes more automated and AI increasingly handles the heavy lifting, those skills matter more than ever. Whether you’re a coder or a software engineer, in HR or sales, the ability to listen to the problem that needs to be solved and present and deliver a direct solution is a differentiator for success.
This acceptance of soft power in the workplace is good for everyone. Men learn and watch women be successful in navigating change and solving problems with an empathetic ear, and it gives them permission to behave in this way as well. It opens doors to look at who is around your boardroom or meeting room table, and see how a broader skillset could benefit your organisation.
Don’t wait for perfection
According to data from the WomenTech Network, “currently, women make up about 35 percent of the tech workforce. This is a significant improvement from the early 2000s when women only made up 9 percent.” To move the needle further, for both individuals and companies, there needs to be a shift away from the mythical perfect candidate, who, in this era, does not exist. The problems we are solving do not yet exist- so how do we know who and what skillset can help us solve them?
It means there’s never been a better time to bring diversity into tech. We know that more diverse teams function better and drive profitability. If no one around the table has solved this particular problem before, why can’t you?
In more practical terms, for employees, don’t wait for the ideal job description where you check off every item. You know your strengths better than anyone. Be confident in yourself and the skills you bring to the table. Trust your ability to work out challenges just like you would at home – for example, navigating a gap in childcare, managing menopause or supporting ageing parents. This all feeds into the ability to thrive in a fast moving environment, the most important skill needed for a career in tech.
For leaders, actively seek individuals who bring fresh thinking and lived experience. Look out for someone who has the confidence to find solutions and deliver. At SUSE, our innovation value is defined as “Ideas are great, but without execution, they are just ideas.” It means it is also about finding the right cultural fit – someone who will proactively show up and be intentional about living your organisation’s values every day. This is just as valuable as a lengthy skillset. That adaptable thinking will bring a lot to your business environment, whether it is around the board table or someone developing an innovative new product.
It is clear that when you tap into this problem solving and “why not me” mentality, everyone wins.
What time management means when you’re a working academic mum
Why inspiring diversity in engineering is a responsibility & an opportunity
How women are quietly leading the future of work
RELATED ARTICLES