His World vs Her World or Simply, Our World?

PATRICIA LIU

Member, SCS SG100WIT List 2020 Board Member, Chief of Staff & Chief Customer Officer, Razer Inc

SOUNDS LIKE A LONG TIME

TO BE IN ONE INDUSTRY. You bet – but she’s having fun learning something new every day. We hear she enjoys working with people and bringing the best out of each of them. She’s also inspired by how the marriage of people and technology transforms the way we learn, work and live, which in her current role she does lots of!

SHE MUST BE GREAT AT WHAT

SHE DOES! Naturally. Just imagine, she’s the first Asian female managing director at Omega Engineering. She also saw Razer through its IPO, and its growth into a global company before being inducted as a board member.

IMPRESSIVE. HAS SHE BEEN THIS AWESOME SINCE DAY

ONE? Well, early in her career, she vacillated between being a hapless woman who couldn’t get a word into a roomful of men, and being an overbearing and domineering woman mimicking her male counterparts to fit in. It was only after she had developed her own leadership style – ability to keep calm, lead with courage and empathy, and be her own authentic self that she started leading better and more confidently.

IT’S A GOOD PROFESSIONAL TIP FOR WOMEN. ANY MORE TO

SHARE? Her two beliefs – “you are as lucky as how hard you work” and “it’s hard to be what we cannot see”.

She believes that you must have something to contribute to have a voice at the table. Besides putting in the elbow grease to learn and gain mastery; being involved, digging in, questioning, understanding, and originating ideas are in her opinion part and parcel of becoming a subject matter expert.

Then there’s the women role models in her life who have inspired her. Her mother, a strong entrepreneurial woman, not only shared the responsibility of providing for the family with her father, but also encouraged her to pursue her interest in technical, science and math majors in school. Subsequently, her stint at HP also brought her into contact with women who led by example – success comes to those who aim high and work hard to get there.

ARE THESE TIPS STILL RELEVANT WITH THE ONGOING

PANDEMIC? Definitely, and perhaps even more so as more companies become aware that diverse perspectives accompanying mixed gender teams mean richer contributions and end results. What’s more, with the pandemic hastening workplace changes and making work-from-home and flexible work practices the norm, women can now pursue careers without having to make work-life choices. Of course, the advent of automation technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and business digitalisation have also presented great opportunities for women to rethink their career options, acquire necessary skills and excel in high demand tech jobs.

AND MEN FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT HAVING WOMEN IN

TECH? There is a strong case for it. Different viewpoints stemming from different life experiences spark new innovations and improve product designs and experiences to appeal to a larger customer base – boosting profits in the process.

And that’s not all. A study conducted by Boston Consulting Group showed that Fortune 500 companies with at least three women in leading positions saw a 66% increase in returns on investment and have a purchasing power of an estimated $5 trillion1. In another survey, it was also found that a diverse workforce helps attract talent2 .

What this means at a time of global tech talent crisis is – if companies ignore 50% of the potential workforce and not tap into their full capabilities, there will possibly be US$450 billion of unrealised revenues by 20303 .

LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ON TRACK TO ARRIVING AT “OUR WORLD”.

Not until the day comes where we do not have to mandate businesses or boards to have a number or statistic for woman participation and that women are included on their own merits. And diversity and inclusion are more ground-up rather than top-down – we educate girls, mentor women, make women role models visible and appoint women leaders based on their ability to deliver. That is progress – and truly arriving at “our world”.

4 Tips for Running a Successful Career Marathon Amidst Change and Disruption

Digital transformation is an unstoppable wave affecting many industries. And in their bid to catch the wave, businesses seek talents who are tech-adapted and savvy. The risk of displacement is real – especially for professionals in non-tech sectors. However, professionals in tech sectors are equally at risk, if not more. Here, I’d like to share some tips on how tech professionals can continue to thrive during this time of change and disruption.