A postcard from Amsterdam
Last week, fifteen women at Cegal embarked on an exciting journey to Amsterdam to participate in the European Women In Tech 2023 conference. This two-day event, titled "Keep Investing in Your Future Self," brought together more than 4,500 like-minded individuals who are passionate about technology and its impact on the world.
Our group consisted of a diverse range of roles, including consultants, developers, key account managers, financial accountants, cost controllers, team leads, managers, trainees, and technicians. Traveling from our offices in Oslo, Stavanger, and Bergen in Norway, as well as, London and Aberdeen in the UK. All coming together to learn, collaborate, and contribute to the tech industry's advancement.
In addition, we were fortunate to have a guest join our trip. Neringa Altanaite, Tech Lead and Software Engineer in Oslo, won our AI competition at the Oda Inspiration Day, earlier this spring. This meant she was invited to travel with us to the EWIT conference. It was a pleasure to get to know her and share our experiences and knowledge.
Take a look: Image slider from Cegal at Oda inspiration day.
European Women in Tech (EWIT) offered multiple touchpoints for learning, experiencing, networking, and being inspired. The event aimed to help our employees improve their individual skills and technical expertise, all to grow their personal brand. As we move into the Next Frontier, it is vital to understand the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and discuss, as a community, how best to move forward together. It emphasized the importance of investing in oneself as a tech pioneer to stay ahead of the curve and be the best one can be in their organization, team, and personal life.
The conference featured an impressive lineup of keynote speakers from companies such as IBM, IKEA, Amazon Web Service (AWS), Hewlett Packard, Shell, Heineken, BP, and more. There were both technical and non-technical sessions and workshops, ensuring something for everyone. Our attendees gained insights from industry leaders, engaged in thought-provoking discussions, and participated in hands-on workshops that enhanced their skills and knowledge.
Workshop topics included:- How to secure multi-cloud/hybrid environment
- How to make feedback more constructive
- What to do when data becomes a product
- Effective communication
- The potential of AI in businesses and generative AI on AWS
- Demystifying Google BigQuery
- Neurodiversity in the workplace
- And much much more.
Some of the headlines shared by EWIT
Maite Zubiaurre from bol. com shared an inspiring story about being brave, the importance of female leadership, an enabling culture, and developing strong, resilient teams in combination with elevating the power of tech to truly do a little better every day and make more impact.
Camilla Larsson and Wim Blaauw from IKEA Retail highlighted their digital journey as a furnishing retailer and explored the customer needs of the future, including the importance of DE&I, during their keynote.
HEINEKEN led an interactive and fun workshop that presented several real-life scenarios for its participants to engage with. It demonstrated how to build cyber security resilience within HEINEKEN and its partners.
Accenture's presentation was packed with all key technology trends for 2023, including digital identity, generative AI, and data. Diving into the concept of this new shared reality, it identified steps enterprises would need to take to build and thrive in this new world.
The European Women In Technology conference was not only a valuable learning experience but also a great opportunity for our employees to network and build connections with professionals from diverse backgrounds. Building strong networks and fostering collaboration is essential in driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve.
Caroline Midtlien Mathiassen - Team Lead Order, Cost & Income Control
It was also important for us to set aside time for social activities and mental health breaks. On Wednesday, we ate dinner together at an authentic taqueria in the city center. Some of us also went for a canal cruise, and others found time for rest, shopping, or sightseeing.
We want to thank all our employees who represented Cegal at the conference. Your commitment to personal and professional growth is inspiring, and we are proud to have you as part of our team.
Take a look: Cegal's Instagram reel from our trip.
