204 - Women Leaders in Tech: How/Why Did They Choose a STEM Career?

Abbie Lundberg, President, Lundberg Media
Cora Carmody, Senior Vice President, Information Technology, Jacobs Engineering
Cindy Elkins, Vice President/IT Americas, Genentech
Marie Gutgesell, Global Watch CIO, Nielsen Research
Sheleen Quish, former CIO, Ameristar Casinos
Theresa Wilson, EVP and CIO of Consumer Lending Technology, Wells Fargo
June 2, 10:30 am - 11:30 am  •  California Ballroom Salon 5-6

If high school girls do as well as boys in math and science, why do women comprise just 26% of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs? Why are women shying away from careers in STEM - and more importantly, what can we do about it? Is gender imbalance in STEM the result of a stereotype that can be addressed with proactive, supportive intervention in the formative years of a young girl? Or is it something more deeply rooted? This panel of women - leaders in technology all - will tell the stories of why (and when) they chose careers in technology, and the conditions and experiences that kept them engaged. They'll talk about their own mentors, hard-earned lessons learned, and the keys to their success. They'll share pragmatic, actionable ideas of what's already working and what more needs to be done to grow the ranks of Women in Technology.