Shena Brien has been the CEO of IP Telecom since 2016. “I established the company in 2010 with some like-minded colleagues and until my appointment as CEO, my primary responsibility within the company was with the customer operations side of the business, including implementation and support.
“However my background is in electronic engineering, rather than business, so I have a particular interest in encouraging girls and young women to train in STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – subjects.
“When I was a teenager, girls were not expected to pick up soldering irons, design and install computer networks and there was no career guidance teacher encouraging any of us to pursue a career in STEM. In fact, my computer skills came from an extracurricular computer course I took on Saturday mornings before my physics grinds. I was very much an oddity!
“Things have changed a lot since my first job interview for an engineering role when the interviewer looked at my 5’2” height and said: ‘I’m not sure you are physically able for this role; you must carry a lot of heavy equipment.’ I convinced him to give me the role and within six months I was running the team!
“I have been very lucky to work with, and for, some amazing mentors along the way, who did not see me as a gender but a talented engineer with a hunger for learning and a desire to make a difference.
“There are so many opportunities for women to reach senior levels in a wide variety of fields and I personally feel that industry needs the talents of women in order to build strong and truly diverse workplaces, that they can affect real change in. I’m a huge proponent of education, from finding a good mentor, networking with the correct business people and engaging in the best possible training.
“We’re delighted to be working with the iWish initiative this year, which inspires, encourages and motivates young female students to pursue careers in STEM.
“It amazes me that science and engineering courses are still aimed at boys and although girls consistently outperform boys in maths and science subjects year on year, I don’t feel universities are doing enough to attract the girls to their courses.
“Networks of female mentors should be established for these girls and I think there’s an opportunity for women engineers and scientists to reach out to schools and universities, attending open days and encouraging young women to choose STEM.
“Had I not been given the support and encouragement from those amazing mentors over the years, I don’t think I would be in the position I’m in today. I wish in those days I could have foreseen the enjoyment and fun I was going to have throughout my career.”
iWish
087 172 2555
iwish.ie
IP Telecom
01 687 7777
iptelecom.ie