Scarlett McDermott

Chief Technology Officer at WithYouWithMe

Meet the up and coming female entrepreneur who is heading the tech division of one of Australia’s fastest growing start-ups (Deloitte Fast 50 2019). Since taking the reigns as chief technology officer at WithYouWithMe, Scarlett

McDermott has seen the company grow around the globe, most notably in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

Hers is a fast-paced job, and one that sees her meeting regularly with a Who’s Who list of CEOs and political leaders from around the world.

Although the number of women working in IT roles has increased in recent years, McDermott says there is still work to be done.

“As CTO for a tech company that is all about solving under-employment I see my role as more than just technology innovation and development; it’s about shifting the needle for the industry as a whole to ensure we create an environment where women thrive.” Her diverse career spanned from software development to cybersecurity before she put her hand up to lead a global product team for WithYouWithMe. Hers was not a typical journey to the C suite. “I was adamant I wouldn’t end up in the same profession as my father: a software developer,” she says.

After working as an electrician during her Year 10 work placement, McDermott went on to complete a degree in information technology.

“Ultimately it was my passion for problem-solving and fixing things that inspired me to pursue a career in technology,” she says. “When I took a break from full time work to start my family I wanted to keep my mind busy, so I enrolled in a graduate certificate course to study cybersecurity online at Edith Cowan University. I would be at home on my couch breastfeeding while reading or listening to cybersecurity lectures.”

When she returned to full time work, McDermott was determined to find a role that made a difference and helped people. After researching and learning about WithYouWithMe—a startup helping armed forces

veterans find employment—she applied, and was hired for, a software development instructor role.

She helped establish WithYouWithMe’s tech support program, which helps women learn digital skills for remote employment roles such as support desk analyst. She recently launched the National Resilience Project, which enables digitally skilled individuals to sign up for temporary employment projects helping government agencies in emergency situations.

“My husband’s military postings meant I moved around a lot, and I have been fortunate to have had a career that could adapt to these changes,” McDermott says. “However, I knew some women who were not so fortunate, some whose careers were cut short and others forced to work in jobs beneath their skill level to make ends meet. A family and a successful career do not have to be mutually exclusive, and women should not be expected to sacrifice their career to support a family.”

One of the challenges McDermott encountered when she was promoted to chief technology officer was expanding WithYouWithMe’s cybersecurity capabilities from one person to a global security team.

She says this was necessary to ensure that the cybersecurity and technology teams worked together and not against each other.

“An organisation’s security team should not be seen as an enemy or a barrier but as an enabler of innovation. We use Microsoft Sentinel and various security information and event management (SIEM) tools to assesses threats and maintain a secure position.

“I lead a team of 70 talented technologists spread across the globe, the majority of whom are veterans and military spouses, all dedicated to creating and developing incredible products that contribute to meet the demands of an evolving technological landscape.” McDermott acknowledges the value of higher education but questions whether it should be a prerequisite for all individuals looking for entry-level IT jobs.

“Apprenticeship programs that focus on transferrable skills would be more beneficial to candidates than traditional study,” she says, adding, “formal education can help people stay on track once they’ve decided on a career path.”

McDermott appreciates WithYouWithMe’s skills-based hiring approach that uses data from aptitude and psychometric tests to show candidates which roles would be a good fit for them.

“I’m encouraged by the Digital Skills Organisation’s efforts to build a skills taskforce and framework focused on skills-based hiring rather than prerequisites such as university-level training for entry-level IT roles. This can be a barrier for certain candidates who lack the time or the funds for courses.”

McDermott is now leading a new initiative called WithWomen in Technology which aims to increase female representation in the IT industry.

“WithYouWithMe has committed to providing free technology skills training to 1000 women this year. WithWomen aims to encourage more women to consider a career in IT, especially in fields like cybersecurity,” she says. “We want to encourage women and show them IT careers are not dull or exclusive to intellectuals. Anyone who is willing to put in the time and effort can become a skilled cybersecurity professional.”

www.linkedin.com/in/scarlett-mcdermott-089a01190