Self-belief is your superpower: CIO Ange Nash on getting ahead as a woman in tech

Ange Nash, Chief Information Officer at AA Insurance, and one of our top CIO50 New Zealand alumni, reflects on her career in technology and how to encourage more young women into the industry.  

Growing up in Taihape on an army base in Waiouru New Zealand, I was a typical rural kid, but with technology a big part of home life. My father had a technical role in the New Zealand Navy, so we had computers at home from a young age. I developed a love for writing code and using computers in early high school. I never thought about the fact that I was a girl into writing code, it was so normal in the house that it became a part of our every day. 

When I arrived at university to study computing and information systems, I was one of three girls in a class of 130 people. Walking into that class was the first time I noticed the massive difference, but it’s not something I dwelled upon. We need to make the pathway for young women to get into tech much easier. Mindset plays a huge role.

Personally, I’ve always focused on being good at what I do. Even when there have been moments of challenge, or you get comments that marginalise you, you’ve got to be brave and stand up for yourself. The story you tell yourself is important – walk into the room and know that you have earned the right to be there. But also, be yourself – you don’t need to act like a man to feel in control. Just be you and be good at your job. When I held the Chief Information & Technology Officer role at New Zealand Rugby, I never gave the fact that I was a woman in a male-dominated industry a second thought to how it impacted my ability to do my job.

When it comes to barriers that women face, some people – particularly women – suffer from imposter syndrome. A study reported in The Independent revealed feelings of unfounded self-doubt can kick in from the age of 23 for women, with 62 per cent admitting they have rarely experienced true confidence throughout their lives. 

I believe women must learn to reframe our thoughts and know our worth. Never underestimate your personal experiences in life and what you bring to the table. Your opinion matters.

Are we doing enough?

We need to broadly think about the life cycle of young women wanting to go into tech. What are the barriers they face at different stages of their lives? Does our primary, secondary and tertiary education system need to put more mentoring and sponsorship programmes in place? When women enter the workforce, do our organisational policies support new women recruits? If women choose to take parental leave, are we supporting them to stay connected to our incredibly fast-moving industry?

Companies must prioritise flexible working arrangements and address unconscious bias in the hiring and promotion. To retain good talent, we need to be thinking about how we can invest in continuous learning and development of our women. A great article and podcast I came across recently was in the Financial Times about women going on parental leave and the stigma around it. The world of tech moves fast and women on career breaks or parental leave can often feel like they might be missing out. My advice would be to constantly keep learning, think about how you are developing yourself professionally while on break, so you can come back and hit the ground running. Talk to your employer on how they can potentially support you on this journey.

As a society we need to think about how we market the tech fields for young women better, at every stage of their lives.

Making an impact

I was recently awarded the IDC/Brightstar 2023 CIO of the Year, and when I reflect back on my time in the industry, data and digital technology have come a long way. What started as a by-product of activity has now become the building block and foundation of everything we do. The rapid advancements in data technology have fundamentally changed business models around the world.

When I look out at the industry, as a woman running tech teams, you have the potential to make someone’s day easy or difficult. You must always remember why you are there and the impact you can have on people. We deal with complex topics that people may not understand and the impact of what the IT teams can touch every day can either be disruptive or helpful. That’s why I am always reminding my teams, to be mindful of the impact they are making today.

My biggest advice to young women is to not be afraid. If someone offers an opportunity that feels right, take it. If someone opens a door, run through it. If someone asks for a volunteer, put your hand up – just don’t be afraid. Don’t sit there in the corner saying I don’t have enough – you are enough. Self-belief is your biggest superpower. Don’t be afraid to take your space in the room.