This year, HPE Australia is shining a spotlight on women making waves across its business and the wider world of technology. At HPE we recognize, that whilst there is a way to go before there is equal representation across many STEM-based industries, times are changing – for the better. We talked to our professionals from a variety of specialties - from finance to sales, to understand their journey and any tips they have as a woman navigating the world of technology.
Wendy Hansen, Global Program Manager at HPE in Australia, has been with the company for more than 24 years. During this time, she has seen immense change for women, not only at HPE but in the technology industry.
Starting her HPE journey in 1996, Wendy joined the graduate program which only accepted 30 applicants that year - selected from a pool of 300 other candidates. She has since progressed to Global Program manager, following her passion for business operations and sales.
After securing a role as an IT business development manager, Wendy found herself as the only woman in a team of ten men. An intimidating situation for any business professional. She thought in order to break into the ‘boys club’, she needed to learn to play golf. Instead, she found she didn’t need to ‘fit in’ to succeed at HPE.
“I quickly found that golf was no talent of mine,” said Wendy. “Instead I chose to find my confidence in what differentiated me from my colleagues. Being a smart, empathetic, and intuitive woman.”
In an industry often dominated by male voices, she found it challenging to find a mentor who could help navigate her career as a woman in technology.
“Men have known for centuries the key to success in business is having mentors who listen and guide, but at the time there were very few women who had been down the same path I was trying to navigate.”
“I’m happy to say that we now have many brilliant women leaders in IT who are willing to share their knowledge and are passionate about building up the next generation,” said Wendy.
Wendy believes that the recent growth of women in technology is thanks in a large part to the pivot in how women are encouraged to approach education, and also the support of her male colleagues.
“I love seeing the number of young women excelling in the STEM programs in schools across Australia. The amount of diverse talent that is entering the IT field is very encouraging to see.”
“I would like every female graduate entering the technology industry to remember the things which differentiate them from their colleagues - whether gender, age, interests, or life experiences - as they are things to be proud of and cherished.”
In 1996, Wendy was only one of a handful of women entering the technology sector and in the graduate program. This year, HPE’s 2020 graduate program is comprised of more than 50 percent women, and it’s trailblazers like Wendy that we can thank for this.
As Wendy says, “Be bold, your ideas matter, respectfully challenge, and most of all, listen and learn from the best leaders.
About Wendy:
Successful Global Program and Project manager (PMP and Prince2 Practitioner) with over 18 years of experience in project life cycles, planning, executing, controlling, and closing projects, delivering business value and delighting stakeholders. Builds strong relationships and negotiates complex challenges with exceptional organizational and communication skills. An energetic leader and a hard-working team member with unwavering integrity and passion.
Her specialties: Global Project management, Mergers, and acquisitions, IT system business requirements gathering, Solution deployment, Data Analytics & Reporting. SAP, Salesforce, Microsoft 365, SharePoint
Stay connected to Wendy via LinkedIn and learn more about HPE culture and career opportunities by visiting HPE Careers
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HPE is proud that our inclusive culture and practices are reflected in HPE’s 100% score in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index 2020 and Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for 2020 - recognizing the ways HPE promotes gender equity in the workplace.
HPE was also recognized by NAFE (National Association for Female Executives) for being one of the top companies for women to work for. The award acknowledges companies that support women in moving to senior ranks through leadership training, mentoring, sponsorship, company benefits, and the involvement of the CEO and top leaders. While we are thrilled to receive these honors, there is still work to be done, and we must continue to be a force for good in creating equality for all.
Michael_Lopez
Michael drives the strategies that foster an inclusive experience for HPE employees and diversify our workforce to position the company for success today and tomorrow.
