WR Conversations with Amazon Web Service
According to a UNESCO report in 2017 on girls and women’s education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), it was found that only 35% of STEM students in higher education globally are women. In this fast-changing society where technology had become such a huge part of our lives, there is a need to encourage and inspire more women and girls to not be afraid to step into the STEM industry.
On 29th October 2020, WR invited three amazing women from Amazon Web Services (AWS) to join us on an intimate conversation as they shared their insights and reflections about their career in the tech industry and life journey – their achievements, struggles, sacrifices, life lessons. We were joined by Amanda Kiemas, Channel and Alliances Leader AWS Asia Pacific and Japan, Annette Thia, Recruiting Manager for AWS ASEAN and Annie Dongmei An, Solutions Architect. The session was moderated by Irene Boey, who has over 25 years’ experience in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.
The session opened with a question on how the speakers ended up in AWS and if working for a tech company was something that they wanted to do all along. Throughout the conversation, one thing that became clear is that one does not need to be particularly good in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) subjects in school, in order to work in the tech industry. Our speakers shared their journey and debunked this theory – most of the speakers did not come from a STEM background but yet their passion and continued learning allowed for them to excel in a tech company like Amazon.
Participants were very enthusiastic and posed many questions to the panellists, who answered them patiently and encouraged all participants to not be afraid of stepping into the tech industry – to step out of their comfort zone, embrace learning and support one another.
It is WR’s vision to inspire and empower women to take charge of their lives and lead them with confidence, compassion and courage. We thank all participants as well as our corporate partner and speakers for joining us in working towards this vision.
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