Addressing the gender imbalance: Avon launches Women in Technology network

At Avon, we believe a better world for women is a better world for all . We believe everyone is equal and we champion gender equality in all walks of life.

With research showing that only 25% of the tech workforce globally is made up of women, we’re proud that our Digital & Technology team has launched a Women in Technology network.

The network of tech-focused professionals will aim to provide awareness about this imbalance, provide development opportunities for our associates across the business working in digital, technology and data roles, and attract new talent to our technology team.

Here, some of the founding members of the Women in Technology, and our new Chief Technology Officer , Karen McElhatton, share what they love about working in technology, and their roles at Avon.

Karen McElhatton: “I’m new to the company, but my primary role is to understand how we can make things faster, easier, safer or better for our communities, and then to use the power of the whole organisation to bring innovative, secure and reliable solutions to life. The pace of change in the technology industry challenges me to continually learn, explore and grow – I love the sense of adventure.”

Luan Hughes, Head of Cluster & Application Service Management, based in the UK: “There is a real sense of empowerment here at Avon; a feeling of being able to shape and drive your own agenda and an ability to directly influence the results of our business. We have a hugely exciting technology roadmap that will transform our landscape over the next three years, and the way we collaborate with our colleagues, Representatives and customers. It is fantastic to be part of such a journey.”

Karolina Czarkowska, Head of IT Governance Risk and Compliance, based in Poland: “What I love the most is the fast pace, development and innovation which is an integral part of working in IT at Avon. The work is meaningful, as without technology there is no progress. Generally, in IT domain, the confidence gap and underestimating skills of women influences the disproportion of the genders. At Avon, it is substantially addressed. It is a high priority to ensure parity and provide development opportunities to increase confidence.”

Jaroslava Kmeťová, Avon Office Product Owner, based in Czech Republic: “I love the way that technology, by providing proper digital tools, can help women to build and run their successful business. This provides an avenue to their financial independence and opportunities. This is key driver for us to evolve our Avon Office product.”

Iveta Halajová, Avon Grow Product Owner, based in Czech Republic: “I always loved mathematics during my studies because I like things to be structured. I’m also very social and like meet new people, letting them to inspired me. This is the reason why I working in technology at Avon. I can combine the structured way of working with a little piece of creativity, when we think about new functionality that we can bring to our Representatives and customers.”

Catriona Lindsay, Global Head of People Analytics, Avon International: “People Analytics is an area which has really taken off over the last few years! Providing actionable people insights allows our senior leaders, people managers and HR teams to make informed data-led decisions – enhancing employee experience and positioning the workforce for growth. I love being involved in data projects where the outputs can make a direct impact on women’s lives at Avon, such as the recent Gender Pay Equity work, one of our key commitments under the Groups’ Commitment to Life.”