Trailblazing Women Share Tips on Leadership Principles & Tackling Tech’s Gender Gap

Women represent roughly 28% of technology professionals, while their share of leadership roles has recently declined, prompting a Current 2023: The Next Generation of Kafka Summit panel to discuss ways to advance gender equity in the industry. Executives from Cardinal Health, Denny’s, AWS, Confluent, and Penske Transportation Solutions emphasized authentic, empathetic leadership, kindness, vulnerability, collaboration, and cognitively diverse teams as foundations for stronger organizations. Panelists highlighted mentorship and sponsorship as important tools for building confidence, providing guidance, and opening career opportunities, alongside employee resource groups, training, and early outreach to girls in middle and high school. They also encouraged women to build trusted networks of “safe people” who can offer candid advice and support through difficult decisions. Addressing the gender gap, they argued, requires active allyship—particularly from men—and collective advocacy for inclusive, equitable workplaces rather than treating gender equity as an adversarial issue.

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