It's a great time for women in tech, says Jessica Federer

As another year comes to end, looking back one realizes the amount of progress women have made in sectors that were previously almost completely dominated by men. According to Jessica Federer, chief digital officer at pharmaceutical and chemical giant Bayer, this is a great time for women in the tech sector.

In an interview with Forbes, Federer said that all the women and girls who want to work in tech shouldn’t wait as the sector offers great opportunity for women today. She said, “Go for it, now! If you want to be able to make a difference for people around the world, this is the place to be. It’s the time of the tech nerd, so join us.”

The chief digital officer of Bayer and a Yale graduate, Federer previously worked with US Department of Health and Human Services, where she was a programme analyst. She is currently working on enabling smart tech startups to collaborate with the company. An accelerator programme called Grants4Apps at Bayer provides funding, space, and mentorship to start-ups.

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In companies like Bayer, Federer says technical skills are highly valued. “If you’ve ever wondered about how one of your medicines was made, it requires around 10 years of research, over €1 billion ($1.2 billion) investment, and an incredible amount of technology and analytics.” However, the sector is not free of challenges.

She believes that despite having access to data, one needs remember context and that is the only meaningful way of making decisions. She adds, “Another challenge is ensuring that technology fits with the way people actually live. Habits trump technology – so we need to make sure that brilliant technology fits into people’s lives.” Lastly, she says maintaining a digital relationship takes work and effort.

ORIGINALS SOURCE: Forbes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/leoking/2014/12/19/nows-the-time-to-be-a-woman-in-tech-says-leading-digital-expert/2/