International Women’s Day 2024

Calum Crease • 27 Mar 2024 • Blog • Life At Data Intellect • Read time: minutes

Blog • Life At Data Intellect • 27 Mar 2024

Calum Crease

It was exciting times in the office for International Women’s Day where we were thrilled to have some exciting and inspiring guest speakers come in to join the celebrations. It was also the perfect opportunity to launch our Women in STEM Committee.

But first, in the week leading up to IWD we celebrated women across the company by sharing their testimonials. It was a fun week getting to hear about some of the varied and interesting journeys the women in DI have been on:

Carla's Story

"I joined Data Intellect almost a year ago and work within the BD team. Every day (every hour!) within the BD team is completely different and presents a new challenge - meeting new people, interacting with new customers, building relationships with existing clients… all reasons why I love my role!

Working for a company that prioritises their people and culture allows me to feel valued, empowered and passionate about the work that I do every day."

Jannette's Story

"August 2022 marked the beginning of an exhilarating chapter in my career journey as I joined AquaQ’s finance team. At that time, we were a tight-knit group of three females, immersed in the fast-paced world of finance. The challenges were abundant, but so were the opportunities for growth.

As the months rolled by, our team dynamic underwent a significant transformation in the spring of 2023, expanding to a team of five. With this growth came a shift in responsibilities, and my role evolved considerably. What once primarily revolved around finance tasks now encompassed a broader spectrum, including accounts payable and managing payroll for multiple regions spanning the UK, US, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Ireland.

Embracing these changes wasn't just about adapting to new tasks; it was about embracing a mindset of versatility and continuous learning. Each day presented its unique set of challenges, pushing me to stretch beyond my comfort zone and tap into untapped potentials.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of our dynamic workplace, there's one aspect that consistently stands out – the office atmosphere. It's more than just a physical space; it's a vibrant ecosystem buzzing with creativity, collaboration, and camaraderie. Within this environment, I've found not just colleagues, but mentors, allies, and friends.

As a female member of the team, I've been fortunate to feel not just accepted but valued. Data Intellect fosters an inclusive culture where gender is not a barrier but a diversity of perspectives to be celebrated. While the journey of being a woman in the workplace undoubtedly comes with its unique set of challenges, I've found solace in the supportive network around me.

It's empowering to be part of an organization that recognizes and cultivates the contributions of all its team members, irrespective of gender. As I reflect on my time and journey with Data Intellect, I'm filled with gratitude for the opportunities, the challenges, and the growth they've afforded me.

Looking ahead, I'm excited to continue navigating the ever-evolving landscape of finance, armed with the invaluable experiences and lessons learned during my time here. Together, we'll forge ahead, driven by our shared passion for excellence and innovation."

Cliona's Story

"I joined Data Intellect in October 2020 as a Java Developer and since then I have taken on more responsibility in leading the Software Engineering Learning and Development Pod, acting as Chairperson of our Social Committee, and being team lead on one of our esteemed client teams.

It's been a rewarding journey so far, using my expertise to drive initiatives that enhance both our client relationships and our collaborative company culture. As a woman in STEM, I have encountered numerous challenges throughout my career journey. However, I'm grateful to say that I feel fully supported in my role here at Data Intellect.

The company has fostered an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone's contributions are valued equally. When I'm not planning events around the Belfast office you will catch me on a plane to a foreign country, with my head in a book or out walking my dogs."

Heather's Story

"I started at DI in November 2021 after completing my PhD in Chemistry. In February 2022 I started my first client role as part of their intraday data team, and have been working on this team ever since. My day to day is often handling client demos, juggling a number of different development tickets and helping with support issues.

On the DI side I am involved in the training team, if you are a time series new start you will recognise me from atoms and lists training! I am also a people leader. All of the above keeps me very busy but means every day is different and throws me new challenges."

Katie's Story

"Since joining DI two years ago, I've relocated from the UK to Singapore and I am thoroughly enjoying the hot weather here!

As well as giving me the opportunity to explore SE Asia, relocating has also allowed me to advance my career and develop my technical expertise. Day to day, I work on maintaining a trading system & solving issues for clients."

Meabh's Story

"I started working at Data Intellect in September 2021 as part of the Recruitment Team. I have a degree in Communications and Public Relations and have always been interested in the communications side of things, which brought me to recruitment!

During my time at DI, I have been able to work with a lot of great people and had the opportunity to develop my personal skills in a many different areas. I now know everything about programming languages but don't ask me any questions!!"

Maya's Story

"I started working for Data Intellect on the US side in 2021. A few months after joining the company I was able to interview at my client and get the wonderful opportunity to join their Data Operations team!

Within this team we focus on maintaining a huge lot of market data while assisting portfolio managers with any inquiries and issues they may have to the best of our ability. Overall, it's a wonderful job I get to do with wonderful people."

Sophie's Story

"I joined Data Intellect in June of last year through the timeseries stream. Very quickly I found myself involved in internal projects in the company, and then a client project management role! Alongside that, there have been no shortage of social activities to get involved in!

Creativity is important to me, and I find that life at data intellect has given me many opportunities to think outside the box, and find my own way of doing things. I have a feeling that is pretty unusual in the tech space! If you're wanting to develop yourself, and find a fulfilling role in stem, DI is the place for you!"

After celebrating our diverse stories, we reached International Women’s Day. We started the day off on the right foot with some lovely breakfast food right before we got to hear from our first guest speaker.

Justice Minister Naomi Long spoke about her early career as a Woman in STEM before embarking on a move to politics, expressing the need for more participation of women in both fields and celebrating the work that has been done so far. After the talk plenty of those in the office stayed around and had an interesting further discussion with the Justice Minister.

Heading into the afternoon we began our next set of talks with our very own Chantelle talking about Data Intellect’s new Women in STEM Committee – an internal network to empower, support and celebrate women in STEM, driving positive change within our organisation and the broader industry also.

Following this, Coach and Businesswoman Jen Goodall gave an enlightening and hilarious talk about her experiences of showing resilience in her life and career and how we can use our set-backs as opportunities to pivot and grow.

The women in the Belfast office, joined by Jen, then got to head out for a lovely lunch together, wrapping up a great day all round.

Like the women in Belfast, we also saw Carla and Katie out for lunch together in Singapore.

Overall, Data Intellect had a wonderful time celebrating International Women’s day and can’t wait to celebrate again next year! If you want to catch the next IWD live (and all social events for that matter) give our social media pages a follow: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube.

Throughout the day the social committee were journeying the office with their mini microphone asking some thought provoking IWD themed questions, check out the video below: