Women of Pace join forces at the WIBT Expo!

Published by Pace Integration at 22nd November 2023

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As part of our company purpose and values, we are about Inclusion and Diversity and it was time to take our Women and Tech agenda to the next level and showcase this at an industry event, read on to find out more….

The women of Pace Integration represented the company at our sponsored stand at the Women in Business & Tech Expo (WIBT), held on the 18^th and 19^th of October at the Excel in London. The WIBTEXPO over the past few years has quickly transformed into a platform for organisations and professionals aiming to improve team diversity, develop plans for business growth, attract potential talent, and establish connections with like-minded collaborators. The atmosphere was almost indescribable, with women from all backgrounds taking part, engaging in conversations at the stands, and having discussions at seminars that had the potential to reshape the outlook on Women in Tech. We came across women who were starting their careers, looking for a change in role, networking with likeminded people or exploring the chance to start their own ventures and seeking guidance.

It was a special and proud feeling to see the women of Pace at our stand, coming together and showcasing the importance of the WIBT. At Pace, we firmly believe in approaching things with a unique perspective that sets us apart from traditional tech consultancies. This distinctive approach is rooted in our core purpose and value propositions. From growing UK talent within the industry, to building out diversity within the team by making up over 41% of our team as women.

During the Expo it was interesting to see companies of all sizes and industries looking to hire women in tech, companies that could support and guide them, but also a range of female founded companies. What stood out for us was the stand beside us – Penguin publishing who were providing attendees with interesting books to help guide females through their careers. Across the 2 days, it was clear that the event had attracted majority female attendees, which was no surprise. However, in addition to our own co-founders, Rajesh Rajmangal (CEO) and Thomas Peach (COO), we did also have the chance to engage with males who were there to show their support and champion WIBT.

We of course had the opportunity to attend some inspiring seminar sessions, leaving us with a few key take outs, the kind of notes that you take and post on your desk to keep motivating you. Some of these are shared below:

Steven Bartlett reflected on his experience and shared some of the key aspects that he focuses on when founding a successful company, his attitude towards failure and defining a company culture.

Failure is feedback, feedback is knowledge and knowledge is power.
People, culture and vision are the 3 pillars for founding any successful company.
In order to avoid burnout, you need 5 things – a sense of challenge, a sense of forward motion/progress, a subjectively meaningful goal, autonomy and a group of people to support you.
Act with urgency in what you do and how you make decisions. Certainty only exists in hindsight.

Lorna Watson during her session ‘The Act of Emotional Intelligence’ reflected on her career to date advising us that:

Emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness
Your network begins close to home, nurture those relationships that are close to you as well as growing your network.
Take the time to pause and reflect in situations that invoke an emotional reaction before you respond. Often you will say or do something different once you’ve had the time to think and process feedback.

‘Overcome Ordinary Obstacles to Build and Extraordinary Life’ was the theme of Nesha Pai’s session, where she taught us that:

There are 4 things you need to overcome obstacles – courage, clarity, commitment, and champions.
You always have a choice even when it feels you don’t.
Your subconscious is responsible for 95% of your thoughts and actions.

As a sponsor and exhibitor at the WIBT Expo, Pace hosted a seminar session by our GTM Executive, Lily Spokes, and our CEO, Raj Rajmangal. The theme of their presentation was “Breaking the Norm of Traditional Tech Consultancies” focusing on how Pace Integration is breaking the norm of traditional tech consultancies through our uniquely diverse team and approach to developing UK talent.

They explained the importance of personal purpose and “connected company” purpose. Raj talked about how he has been influenced by the powerful women in his life, which has solidified his belief in women and their abilities. Lily is the youngest of three sisters, all working in the tech industry, influenced by their father who is also in tech. Pace has established a core group of female leaders, since gender equality and inclusivity is something very important for us. Women have a lot to offer when given the opportunity, and here at Pace it is vital for all employees to feel valued, respected, and empowered to pursue leadership positions.

Some of the remarkable statistics included were:

41% of Pace employees are women.
45% of Pace’s leadership roles are held by women.
57% of Pace’s developer roles are occupied by women.
50% of Pace’s DevOps roles are held by women.

Even for us, it was surprising and amazing to hear the statistics, especially across the different teams and within leadership. As Raj mentioned:

“Leaders grow leaders. We are very grateful to have incredible female leaders in every area of the business from technical development roles to management positions. Our strategy to nurture and grow female talent with balance has activated the spark within all of our team to support a gender balanced growth. Furthermore, it’s an unbreakable USP!”

With the two-day event coming to its end, we have realised that it has ignited inspiration, empowerment, and motivation among us women! We now carry a renewed sense of purpose, and a more comprehensive outlook on diversity and inclusion in the tech field. Observing the women gathering at the Pace stand, uniting to emphasise the significance of WIBT, was a truly unique and heart-warming experience. Having spoken to a few women, one of the comments that stuck with me was “I can already see that you not only have women working within tech roles, but you also embrace diversity” – truly amazing to receive such comments.  

This experience has positively shaped our view of WIBT by reinforcing the importance of gender diversity in the technology sector, highlighting the pioneering achievements of women in the tech field, and strengthening our dedication to advancing and championing women in technology, and we are looking forward to attending many more events that are focused on empowering women in business!

The Pace Leadership would like to express gratitude and kindly call out the women of Pace that represented the brand at this event.

We are always looking to grow our incredible team, so if feel that our core values at Pace match your personality, then we are looking forward to hearing from you at careers@paceinegration.com, along with your CV and Covering letter.