Did you know that women hold a mere 5% of leadership positions in the Irish tech industry[1]? Compared to 24% across all sectors in Ireland[2]?
These are staggering statistics. It is widely known that women are significantly underrepresented in the technology sector, particularly in leadership roles. One must ask, is there a stigma preventing women from joining the tech sector? Does the narrative need to change and instead of highlighting the overall meagre sector statistics which creates additional barriers to young girls studying STEM – focus on the organisations who are recognising that talent doesn’t choose a gender; talent is earned, developed and honed.
A stalwart in the Irish tech sector is Walton Institute at South East Technological University (SETU). With almost 30 years providing R&D support for industry, as well as leading pioneering national and European projects playing a role in technological advancements throughout Europe, Walton is spearheading women in STEM. While the staff of 78 has over 52 male, in the Leadership Team of 12 the scale is tipped with 8 women at the centre of the strategic direction of the organisation.
The Institute has four research divisions all led by women. Of these, three have been promoted from within over recent years, including the Institute’s Director of Research. Having joined in 2018 as a research fellow, Dr Deirdre Kilbane quickly became Head of Division in 2020 before being appointed as Director of Research in 2022. The following year, her outstanding performance leading the strategic IrelandQCI project earned her the designation of the quantum communication expert for Ireland.
Dr Frances Cleary and Catherine Cunniffe joined the organisation in its early days and have played a pivotal role in the growth of Walton Institute. They have seen the digital transformation of industries and technologies and are at the forefront of identifying innovative solutions for companies.
Dr Lizy Abraham joined Walton Institute in 2021 and became head of division in 2024 where she drives impactful research in emerging areas while nurturing and developing early-stage researchers alongside Dr Indrakshi Dey who has a lengthy CV of accomplishments along with her fellow heads of division.
Herein lies another question: how can Walton Institute have a leadership team where two-thirds are women? If the Institute, based within SETU, must follow strict public sector recruitment policies to ensure equality and fairness to all candidates, why can’t private sector entities naturally improve their gender balance? Instead of promoting a woman because an organisation needs to fulfil gender balance obligations, it should be that women are rightly promoted because they deserve it.
We are seeing a generational shift of a woman’s role in society. The rise in female participation in the labour force in 2024 reached a record high of 61.6% which may be partly attributed to the increased flexibility offered by hybrid working models.[3]
Additionally, organisations adopting a fully flexible, hybrid model sees a significant 34% of senior leaders being women, compared to 29% in office-based roles. [4]
This is the key to Walton’s success, not only in their approach to research but also by offering staff a flexible approach to their working week. The directors recognise that life can’t be put on hold while at work. Trust is instilled in the team, and it is repaid with dedication and success. Since its inception, the incredible team of researchers collaborate with 850 partners globally and have secured over €756m in total project funding. In 2024 alone, the total project value was €52m, of that Walton directly received €8.1m. The unwavering dedication is clear from these figures and is to be celebrated.
Gender equality at a leadership level in Walton Institute, SETU isn’t an ongoing topic of conversation, it has been an organic, natural progression of the Institute. However, this unique position within the researchtech sector should be recognised as a guidebook for others to follow suit.
