DIVERSITY


Vodafone-led initiatives addressing diversity and inclusion


Assessing for gender: Key HR practices are reviewed for gender balance such as shortlisted applications for roles, new hires and promotions. We apply a 50:50 lens to all talent and development opportunities including the annual intake of graduates.


Senior leadership: Our senior leadership team mark International Women’s Day annually with a global webinar. Each year, we hold our Women in Red Awards to recognise the top 100 inspiring women across Vodafone.


Mentoring and coaching: Our Women’s Network is very active. Its mission is to inspire and empower women and men to maximise their potential in Vodafone. Through networking opportunities and thought leadership, the network facilitates learning and contacts that enhance the careers and development of Vodafone employees.


When I speak to girls and young women, I frequently remind them that equality is for everyone. I would love to see more young women


getting support, access to information and inspiration to pursue a career in technology. That’s why I was very proud when in 2017, Vodafone Ireland announced the launch of Code Like a Girl, an initiative that aims to teach teenage girls how to code. Run in partnership with CodeFirst, the coding student workshops take


place over the


course of a week and are delivered by Vodafone employees. The initiative provides female students with basic knowledge of computer languages and development programmes. Our latest workshop took place in our Gigabit Hub in Cavan in May. We will hold workshops across the country in 2018.


BETTER FOR BUSINESS The truth is that gender equality and diversity in the workplace brings better business results. At Vodafone, our approach is both top-down and bottom-up. Our leadership teams are passionate advocates of our diversity and inclusion agenda as we know that it enables our business to succeed through talent attraction, creating a culture of trust and innovation, as well as making Vodafone a more enjoyable place to work for everyone. We have


to develop and progress in their careers while supporting their life outside of work. This includes everything from encouraging remote working, unconscious bias training and


ground-breaking maternity Resource Groups like leave


policy. For example, we provide 26 weeks paid maternity leave for the first six months and upon returning to work, we offer a four- day week with full pay. In terms of my own role, I have worked


hard to make sure that we have a culture at Vodafone


Ireland that truly supports


women. The gender split of our leadership is quite unique in the technology and Irish context with 63 per cent of our Senior Leadership Team being female.


ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE I feel responsible to be an advocate for change. I am a member of the National Skills Council to raise issues around women and STEM. I really hope to see more girls and young women take up STEM subjects in secondary school and university. This is something I am truly passionate about.


INSPIRING WOMEN I am the lead for Vodafone’s Women’s Network Breakfast Series which is a great forum to share advice and learn about topics ranging


from work-life balance, and


succeeding as a woman in the technology sector. It’s really inspiring to me how many women are working in and leading technology companies


in Ireland, from


Fionnuala Meehan at Google (Vice President of Google Marketing Solutions, EMEA and Head of Google Cathriona Hallahan at Microsoft


Ireland), (MD,


Ireland), Cathy Kearney at Apple (Country Manager and VP, European Operations) and Louise


Phelan at


President, EMEA). All of these women serve as a great inspiration both for women in those organisations and women working in the technology sector in Ireland.


12 INNOVATION IRELAN REVIEW PayPal (Vice


several fantastic Employee the Women’s


Network, LGBT+ and Friends, Diversity Champions, who are


sponsored and supported by our Leadership team. Sharon McCooey


SENIOR DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND SITE LEADER, LINKEDIN IRELAND


Sharon McCooey is Senior Director of International Operations and Site Leader of LinkedIn in Ireland. She is a member of the EMEA leadership team responsible for LinkedIn’s development


across the


region. She is also part of the international expansion team bringing LinkedIn around the globe. As one of LinkedIn’s first hires, Sharon has helped the company grow from a staff of three people and now leads a team of 1,200 colleagues as head of LinkedIn’s Irish operation. McCooey is on the board of DCU’s Governing Authority, she holds a bachelor’s degree


in commerce from


University College Dublin and is a chartered management accountant.


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