Microsoft Hosts Celebration of Leading Women in Tech

Microsoft Ireland hosted the first Hopper Local at its campus at One Microsoft Place in celebration of women who are blazing a trail in Ireland’s technology sector.

The one-day event brought together over 300 female leaders from across Ireland’s technology sector to debate the importance of women holding positions of leadership and influence in technology and to launch the AnitaB.org Local Community in Ireland so female technologists at all levels can build important relationships and support one another as they progress their career ambitions.

Speakers at the event included Minister Josepha Madigan TD, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice-President for Business Development, Microsoft; Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President & CEO, AnitaB.org; and Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland.

Minister Josepha Madigan TD said: “I’m delighted to join female leaders from across the tech sector for today’s event and to shine an important spotlight on the global innovations that female technologists in Ireland are delivering every day. As a country at the heart of Europe’s Digital Single Market, it is critical that we harness the skills, talents and experiences of everyone within the technology sector. Working together, Government, business and female leaders across the industry can achieve the cultural change and diversity in leadership that will protect Ireland’s position as a digital leader.”

Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland said: “At Microsoft, diversity is woven into our culture as we firmly believe that we can better serve everyone on the planet by quite simply representing everyone on the planet. A key aspect of this is to showcase leading women in tech who are helping to create new innovations that will frame our digital future. That is why we were delighted to host the first-ever Hopper Local event gathering together female innovators in tech at our campus today – building new relationships, learning from one another and empowering their career progression so they can achieve more. I look forward to seeing the growth of the AnitaB.org local community in Ireland as female leaders come together to support one another.”

Hopper Local Dublin is being supported by Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Mastercard, Stripe, Science Foundation Ireland, SAP and Allstate Northern Ireland. For more information on the event, visit https://community.anitab.org/event/hopper-local-in-dublin/.