Meet The Role Models is a technology community series which highlights the stories of The Ada Lovelace Initiative role models. The success of the Ada Lovelace Initiative is down to the continuous participation of technology professionals across Ireland and since September 2015, voluntary speakers have reached over 5000 secondary school students between them.
In our latest interview we are joined by Katherine Geary-Fitzpatrick, Mobility Partner at VMware.
MEET OUR ROLE MODEL KATHERINE GEARY-FITZPATRICK
Hi Katherine! How would you describe your current role?
We get people where they need to go, through Global Mobility.
What attracted you to this type of career?
I love learning about different countries and cultures.
What did you study in college?
I studied Accounting in college, though I now work in HR.
What were your favourite subjects when you were in school?
I liked French and Math.
What were your favourite hobbies when you were in school?
I played Tennis and the piano.
What would you say is a common misconception about your role type?
People don’t understand the vast complexities companies address when moving employees around the world – immigration, tax, relocation.
What would you say is the best part of your work?
I work on an amazing team in a company with a fantastic culture where we can be authentic, do our best work and thrive.
What motivated you to get involved with The Ada Lovelace Initiative?
Ironically while with another company I attended a VMware Women’s event where I got nudged toward ALI – ironic because I now work for VMware!
How important do you think it is for young girls to have the opportunity to meet female role models in the stem space?
Imperative! The STEM space is about having a certain skillset and role models are about demonstrating how those skills manifest in real life scenarios.
Who is a role model in history that you look up to, and why?
I love what Billy Jean King and Venus Williams did to secure equal prize money for women’s tennis.
Who would you say is your own role model in your career today, and why?
I admire how Sheryl Sandberg was able to influence the masses with the well-crafted research and using her position as a prominent professional to advance gender representation and highlight the issues thereon.
What advice would you give to any young girls considering a tech / stem future?
To progress and success, it’s as important, if not more so, to be able to articulate yourself clearly and concisely – so focus as much on communicating the knowledge as on learning it!
Thank you Katherine for joining us to share your story and inspire other young women considering STEM as a path for them!
If you too would like to get involved with The Ada Lovelace Initiative, please visit our A.L.I page.
Keep up to date and never miss out on exciting A.L.I news by following Verify Recruitment on LinkedIn or @VerifyCommunity on Twitter. And why not check out our Women in STEM podcast to get a little more insight at https://otia.io/2021/06/24/women-in-stem-podcast/
