The digital world has come a long way. We live and breathe technology. It has opened up so many platforms for different business ideas and start-ups to flourish. And the best part is what once was a man’s domain is slowly embracing women.
As each year passes, we see the presence of women in the business world, in the digital world increase. New technologies, new start-ups, new innovations are taking place and women are leading this change.
According to Forbes, Sheryl Sandberg COO of Facebook has been named for the 5th consecutive year the most powerful woman in technology. She is 7th on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women list, along with Susan Wojcicki CEO of Youtube, Meg Whitman CEO of HP and so on.
However, even though we are noticing an increasing presence of women entrepreneurs, there is still a massive gender imbalance. When it comes to holding executive positions men are still way ahead in the game. According to a 2014 report from law firm Fenwick & West, women occupy only 11% of executive positions in Silicon Valley companies, 25% of IT jobs outside the Silicon Valley are held by women and just 5% women own start-ups. Clearly the gender gap is yet to be bridged even though we are in 2016.
So how do we turn this around? We can learn from the women who have struggled their way to the top. We change our mind-set and empower girls and women around us. We make sure that everyone gets a fair and equal opportunity and we keep trying to succeed in fields that were once dominated by boys.
On 16th November, join us for one of the most anticipated event of the year, “DigiWomen”. We will be joined by some of the most powerful women in the tech world of Italy. “Women in Business” along with “Bocconi Students for Digital Consulting” are bringing three top executive female role-models, who have made a huge impact on the European digital scene, as guest speakers. These are:
(i) Paola Bonomo, head of the marketing division of Facebook for southern Europe. She has a bachelor’s degree from Bocconi and an MBA from Stanford University. In February this year she was named one of the “50 most inspiring women in European Tech”.
(ii) Barbara Cominelli, Director of Commercial Operations for Vodafone Italy. She started her career as a Research and Assistant Professor at Bocconi University. She holds a degree of 110/110 Summa cum Laude in Business Administration from Bocconi and did her masters in CEMS-MIM in International Management from Bocconi and ESADE. She also studied at Rotterdam School of Management, Stanford and SDA Bocconi. In 2010 she was honoured as the “Best Young Executive” and in 2014 she was awarded the “Merito e Talento”, prize for Women Executives.
(iii) Manuela Lavezzari, Marketing EMEA Director of Lenovo, currently the world’s number one PC supplier. She graduated in Political Science from the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
Come and listen to their side of the story. Join us in their struggle to greatness. The event will be in English and moderated by Professor Miryam Mariani, director of MSc in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology at Bocconi University.
Vedangana Raj
Women in Business_Bocconi Female Students Association