We recently announced the launch of MSc Business Analytics (Online). The programme takes our highly regarded MSc Business Analytics to the online and global market. In this article, we share three very different experiences of how MSc Business Analytics at Imperial helped students to advance in their job role or switch careers.

Programme Director, Professor Kalyan Talluri, says, “MSc Business Analytics at Imperial was one of the first programmes in the world that taught analytics and big data tools in the context of business problems, and it has been very successful. However, in our conversations with companies we found that there are a lot of employees who want to upgrade their skills or move laterally within their firm whilst keeping their full-time job, who were unable to consider a full-time programme. We started the programme to cater to this group of people who felt they were missing out on the new data revolution, whilst still targeting recent graduates.”

Students on our Finance Master’s programmes had a once in a lifetime opportunity to study Macroeconomics and Finance for Practitioners in Dubai for the international elective.

The elective is taught in two parts with the first part delivered online. The second part took them out of the classroom and into another time zone. A group of 48 students headed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the Head of the Department of Finance, Alex Michaelides. He talks about the objective of the elective:

Students develop a good understanding of how macroeconomics affects the determination of asset prices. We gave special emphasis to the monetary and fiscal policy issues arising in an economy like the UAE.

Company visits, presentations and learning activities

Over eight days, the packed itinerary included five lectures, four company presentations and visits, multiple cultural activities and a networking event with locally based Imperial College alumni. Some of the highlights included:

• Learning about the UAE business environment and an introduction to the financial market with the CEO of Grant Thornton Dubai.
• Understanding the principles of Islamic banking with Dar Al Sharia Legal & Financial Consultancy LLC (a subsidiary of Dubai Islamic Bank).
• Learning about sovereign wealth fund investment trends in the UAE on a visit to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
• Understanding the monetary policy of the region on a visit to the Central Bank of the UAE.

Alex talks about the benefits of these learning activities to students’ knowledge of macroeconomics and finance. He says:

Students had the opportunity of experiential learning in a fast-growing international market with a diverse labour base. Visits at the Central Bank and ADIA helped reinforce the examples explained in class in terms of the links between macroeconomics and asset prices. Exposure to a different culture through lectures on Islamic Banking and local traditions and social events helped build the team spirit and connections among the students.

A taste of culture

A multitude of cultural events allowed students to develop more awareness of the region, which in turn helped to broaden their international mindset – a key aptitude in today’s international finance sector.

They learnt about local customs in the traditional setting of the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, went on a guided tour around Dubai and the souk street market and visited the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

On the final day, students had the complete Arabian nights experience with a half-day desert safari trip complete with a camel ride and farewell dinner. Alex says, “Learning from each other and fostering a team spirit in the class through social events was critical.”

Photo competition winning entries

Students had the opportunity to showcase their photography skills in our Photo Competition. We awarded prizes to the standout images from the trip.

First prize is awarded to Han Wang for his fantastic shot of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Han used angles and lighting to magnify the grandeur of the largest mosque in the UAE.

Second prize goes to Johanna Irnich who captured the beauty of the Arabian Desert and the wonderful friendships fostered during the elective.

Ese Sifo (Ese (left) with a classmate on his Graduation Day) is the Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Lockheed Martin, a global aerospace, defence, security and advanced technologies company.

While completing his Global Online MBA in 2017, Ese moved companies and got promoted to a Senior Partner position towards the end of his studies. We speak to Ese about his career, MBA studies and get an insight into his industry.

1. You recently completed your Global Online MBA. Looking at the programme in retrospect, how have you grown from when you began your studies to now?

I’m a deeper critical thinker and I analyse problems from very different vantage points. I find I have incorporated my learning’s not only into my career but my family life as well.  I have also started my own consulting firm and our module on Entrepreneurship definitely supported that venture.

2. During your studies, you moved from your position of Manager Talent Management at Phillips 66 to the HR Business Partner at Lockheed Martin. How did the MBA prepare you for this step-up in leadership?

One of the critical skillsets required for the HRBP role at Lockheed Martin was someone who could be a Change Management Agent. As a company, we focus on changing our culture to bring about the right results. I believe I was a natural fit for this role due in large part to the module/elective I took in Leading and Executing Strategic Change. The coursework I completed prepared me for the situations I encountered in the workplace. Analysing possible outcomes of implemented solutions in Grad School helped me to see that there is no one way of doing things. There are many effective ways and some not so effective ways, the choice is up to you.

3. You were then promoted at your company into a Senior Partner position. What role did your MBA play in securing this promotion?

The Global Online MBA programme was more of a simulator of what I would experience in the workplace; from managing complex work issues to managing diverse and unique personalities. By the time I made the transition to Lockheed Martin, I was performing well above my level and so the promotion was a natural progression for me.

4. How did you balance moving companies, location and roles while studying your MBA?

To be honest, the transition within roles and the move from one geographic region to another in the US were possible because I had a strong support system in my wife and kids. My wife gave me the chance to immerse myself in the programme and really became a front-line leader while I transitioned between jobs. I will say my support system was key to accomplishing these changes. I am very thankful to them.

5. What are the top three skills you learnt on the Global Online MBA that have been most useful to your career?

The first without a shadow of doubt was the Managing Negotiations elective. I am forever grateful to Jonathan Pinto for being a great lecturer and pushing us to fully understand the art of negotiating. I would also say thanks to Harry Patel, my opponent in one of my class projects. He was so hard on me and I felt so hard done that I vowed to never leave anything on the table anymore when it comes to negotiations (laughs).

There were several others but I would say the ones that stood out given the nature of my career were Change Management and Entrepreneurship core modules. I find that I am most effective as a Business Partner when I think with the mind of an entrepreneur.

6. One of the key aspects of the Global Online MBA is the Personal Leadership Journey. How did your leadership journey develop on the MBA and what were the parts of the programme helped with this journey?

The Personal Leadership Journey (PLJ) was an eye-opener for me because it really allowed me to reflect on what type of leader I am. Since then, I have come to accept that I am more of an inspirational leader. At Lockheed Martin, we talk about servant leadership and it is amazing to me how much my PLJ covered facets of this at Imperial. My advice to people considering this programme is that the PLJ is essential to realising who you are; your strengths and developmental areas. This self-reflection becomes a defining moment for your career once you complete the MBA.

7. Lockheed Martin is in the aerospace, defence and security industry. What is the main challenge facing this industry and how are you working to combat it?

It seems strange but, a few years ago, I would have said our competition was maybe Northrop Grumman or a company as big as that. Nowadays, our competition is the little drone company founded out of someone’s garage in a small town. The industry is changing so fast and to remain number one, we are relying more and more on our innovation, and trying to see things from an unconventional perspective. Don’t get me wrong, companies like Google and Tesla are also mounting a challenge in our industry with some of their new programmes as well. Our advantage is our people. We are always looking for ways to attract, develop and retain the brightest minds.

8. While studying your Global Online MBA, how did you find using the online learning platform, The Hub?

I had my apprehensions initially but I was really blown away by the ease with which The Hub worked. It allowed for me to turn any location into my classroom environment. For a father of two young boys, this was key to me being able to fit my family and work life with my study commitments. I really enjoyed The Hub. I actually miss it now.

9. What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about applying for the Global Online MBA?

The Global Online MBA requires a lot of commitment and hard work. It has the capability to transform one’s career and really propel you to greater heights. You will truly be a part of a global team from all hues of backgrounds and industries. You will be working with very tight deadlines and schedules across multiple time zones but you will have amazing support from staff every step of the way… Well, what are you waiting for? Apply!!!!

10. Why did you choose Imperial and more importantly, did it live up to your expectations?

As someone who already has a Master’s in Finance, I was very specific about what I wanted from an MBA. I wanted to be a part of an Ivy League school with rich tradition and an alumni network that would be global and accepting of my diverse background, culture and skill sets. Imperial College Business School delivered everything and more. It is my hope that my sons will continue the Imperial tradition also.

We are in the midst of a global fintech revolution. To help our students and graduates thrive in this evolving industry, Imperial College Business School is launching a pioneering Master’s in Financial Technology, new for our 2019 intake.

This highly specialised one-year programme will equip students with the requisite quantitative and analytical skills for a successful career in fintech or in the financial services sector.

About the programme

This new Master’s programme has been established in response to the rise of fintech and a growing demand for specialised skillsets relevant to the industry

With this in mind, we designed the programme to give students both the practical and theoretical skills to work in fintech. James says, “The programme combines the intellectual rigour of an Imperial MSc with a practical understanding of the potential and limitations of this exciting new technology. This means combining strong foundation modules in finance theory and computer science, including machine learning and coding skills, with the latest thinking and innovation in these new technologies.”

Setting-up students for careers in fintech

Fintech is a rapidly growing area and employers are looking to recruit graduates with a combination of both financial and programming skills. Lisa Umenyiora, Director of Careers says:

“Our new MSc Financial Technology allows students to better understand a range of disruptive financial innovations.  They will develop analytical skills which will enable them to create and review large financial data sets or evaluate investment decisions.  They will learn programming tools which will allow them to implement financial models. Importantly, students will also gain an understanding of current issues affecting the fintech landscape.”

Lisa also says, “From discussions with our employer partners, it is clear that these are skills being sought after not just by fintech companies but employers more widely as technology continues to drive and impact the world of work.

This is further verified by findings from search engine Joblift, which has seen an average monthly growth of five per cent in the number of fintech jobs posted in the UK in the past year; this compares to a growth of one per cent in the UK job market as a whole.

We expect our MSc Financial Technology graduates to work in tech-driven roles in finance including big data, financial research, algorithmic trading, transactions and peer to peer lending.

Lisa says, “Graduates may work in the fintech industry, including challenger banks and startups, or they may work for more established banks, hedge funds and consulting firms.”

Hear from a student

Perlyn Ng studied the Topics in Fintech Innovation elective as part of her MSc Finance & Accounting, Class of 2017-18. Having completed the programme and now working as a Corporate Analyst at J.P. Morgan, Perlyn shares her reflections on the elective:

“I decided to study the Topics in Fintech Innovation elective because the business environment is trending more and more towards automation and technology-driven processes and systems. It is absolutely critical and relevant for graduates in the future to be equipped with this knowledge to really add value to the organisation, especially financial institutions nowadays which are very much driven by technology.

“The knowledge gained from the elective is certainly useful and will come in handy especially in the banking industry – which I currently work in – where we are talking about AI taking over and making employees redundant. By having this exposure in fintech and how one can add value, you would certainly stand out among your peers by being able to contribute innovative ideas and new ways of doing things.”

Why study fintech at Imperial?

Imperial is uniquely positioned to offer this programme. As part of Imperial College London, we are global leaders in science and technology. We host Imperial’s Centre for Global Finance and Technology and students will benefit from the College’s research in data science, programming and AI technology.

Imperial is also home to the Fintech Network of Excellence, which draws together academics across Imperial who share an interest in financial systems and connects them to stakeholders and partners in this space.

Students will also benefit from being part of a world-class Department of Finance. The Business School already has a world class reputation for MSc Finance which ranked 1st in the UK and 9th in the world in the Financial Times Master’s in Finance Ranking 2018 (excluding multi-campus programmes).

The Master’s in Finance also celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, commemorating the event at the London Stock Exchange in conversation with Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England.

Moreover, with London hailed as the global centre of fintech, our central location means we can provide students with the opportunity to meet and network with leaders and organisations of all sizes and specialisms in the financial sector.

With practicality, relevancy and links to industry at the heart of the MSc Financial Technology, it’s clear that students have a wealth of opportunities available to them at Imperial to be immersed in the fintech industry.

We look forward to welcoming the first class of students onto this new programme in 2019.

“Unconscious bias is a natural process and we all do it,” according to Dr Pete Jones a Chartered Psychologist and a Chartered Scientist who specialises in research and consultancy around our unconscious biases*. “Unconscious biases are simply our unintentional people preference.”

Dr Jones was speaking at the Imperial Women’s Network seminar organised as part of a programme of events by the Network on the theme of ‘Growth’. The Network were delighted to welcome Dr Jones, who presented to an audience of over 60 Imperial College and Business School alumni, students and guests.

Describing the difference between our conscious and unconscious Dr Jones highlighted the speed at which our unconscious makes connections and processes information, as well as relying on intuition. This is in contrast to the slower processing power and more rule driven nature of our conscious mind, which has a finite limit on what it can compute at any one time. This means that our unconscious is continuously processing data, hard-wring our brains and categorising people, while our conscious remains unaware. “This enables  us  to make rapid decisions about people without having to engage the limited resources of the conscious mind, which are required for more complex cognitive tasks such as problem solving and planning.” "Implicit biases develop and are maintained from our culture, our experiences and from the media we absorb. Being bias is part of who we are, we are ALL biased and have a bias blind spot.[1]"

The problem with this comes when we need to make decisions, Dr Jones explains, especially as “biases are easily triggered under cognitive or emotional load”.

“Commonness leads to comfort, which leads to trust and some people being seen as more competent.” This is known as affinity bias – an inclination to prefer people who are similar to us, for example a similar social background, gender, accent, education, ethnicity etc. We therefore tend to favour them by listening to them more, giving preferential treatment in the workplace and in selection and recruitment.

Dr Jones talked through some of the many studies that have been done which demonstrate our propensity to favour tall people, especially men, to trust and like attractive people more and the earnings impact attributed to weight.

There are many effects of unconscious bias, both good and bad, but the good news is that there are ways to challenge these:

1. Get tested – gain insights into our personal biases, so you can challenge them more easily
2. Have contact – positive contact with people from groups for who you may have a bias helps to undo some of that hard-wiring
3. Use role models – remember people who have impressed us
4. Counter stereotypes – remind yourself of statements which oppose the stereotype
5. Perspective taking – try to see things from a different point of view
6. Avoiding reinforcement – recognise what external factors reinforce your biases and avoid them
7. Avoid triggers – try not to make decision when you are stressed, tired, hungry or anxious
8. Slow down at key times – just taking a step back can slow down our unconscious
9. Challenge – challenge bias when you see it in action

There are also simple ways that organisations can challenge this in the workplace including reviewing processes, holding people accountable for decisions, training, testing and ensuring leaders set the standards.

After his presentation Dr Jones opened up questions from the floor, which led to interesting discussion around whether the idea of unconscious bias is there to excuse conscious bias. There was also discussion around challenging bias when you are on the receiving end. However as Dr Jones said, it is very hard to mitigate yourself as you are not the one with the bias! You should see allies who will argue your corner.

Feedback from attendees included:  “This is exactly the sort of event the network should be holding. It was an engaging presentation with practical tips.” And from Qiongwen Kang (Imperial College alumna), “This event was an excellent opportunity for us to meet, support and inspiring each other.”

In summing up Dr Jones used a quote from Professor Trish Devine: "There are no bad people, just bad thinking habits. Unconscious bias is a thinking habit we have learned and which we can unlearn."

Our thanks to the Imperial Women’s Network, EY Women’s Network who hosted us and Dr Pete Jones. The Imperial Women’s Network run events throughout the year.

*Dr Jones has provided training in unconscious bias for The Royal Society,  the universities of; Edinburgh, Manchester, Cambridge, Sheffield and London (Imperial and Queen Mary’s) as well as some of the UK’s largest banks, law firms and engineering companies.  Pete speaks nationally and internationally on bias management.  He is the author of Implicitly®, believed to be the first commercial psychometric test to measure our hidden biases and is one of the Runnymede 360 emerging leaders in race equality.

[1]Pronin (2002)

Inspired by his experience of moving location frequently, alumnus Andrea Guzzoni (Msc Strategic Marketing 2014) struck upon the idea of Rentuu.com, an online platform providing a service for renting anything you need be it for your house, rented apartment, or even camping trip! In this Q&A Andrea talks to us about how he started the business and his future plans:

What inspired you to launch Rentuu.com?

Being a frequent business and leisure traveller, coupled with my experience with moving a lot and working abroad, I found it frustrating that there were no straightforward platforms for renting household items online. It made no sense for me to spend money on, say an air mattress or a grill, only to have to get rid of it a couple of months’ down the line. This was particularly pertinent when living in London: storage space was scarce, and it felt both wasteful from an environmental perspective as well as from a budget perspective, to buy things only to use them a handful of times.

The online rental companies I did come across were either P2P – which meant there was no guarantee of quality – or were extremely difficult to navigate. Why would I want to phone up a company to book a stroller for my sister and her baby? It really struck me that we can order food, electronics – almost anything, really – online, but we still can’t hire items in a hassle-free way. That’s essentially how Rentuu came about!

What is the biggest challenge of being a start-up?

Hiring! I still find it difficult to gauge a candidate’s suitability for a role based solely on their CV and interview, so finding the right people has been a real challenge. And, of course, as a founder you are responsible entirely for your successes and your failures – this creates immense internal pressure. You can’t just take two days off work and switch off like you would if you were working for someone else; your business is always on your mind. You’re also hyper-conscious of making sure your team, your investors and your partners are all happy, which, again, can be challenging and a great source of stress.

How did your time at Imperial College Business School help prepare you for launching your start-up?

I have to admit that I wasn’t particularly tech-savvy before I went to the Business School. However, attending one of the leading science-focused Universities in the world was a hugely rewarding experience, largely thanks to the incredible people that I had the pleasure to meet. The focus on innovation, technology and the power to shape and change the world was hugely inspiring, and I’m very grateful for being a part of such a rigorous and stimulating environment.

What are you future plans for the business?

We want to revolutionise the travel and hospitality industries while keeping a sharp focus on sustainability. Customisation is a huge ‘buzzword’ at the moment, and for good reason – customers want a more tailored experience when they travel which means being able to have access to things traditional hotel rooms or apartment rentals might not have. We also believe in reshaping the future of ownership; as populations and communities continue to be more fluid in their travel, so do their needs. Rentuu hopes to expand to the great metropolis cities like New York, Hong-Kong and Amsterdam – easing every travellers’, residents’ and expats’ consumer lives.

After all, the key question we all need to ask ourselves is really quite simple: why would you buy it, when you can just rent it?

Do you have any words of advice for someone who is thinking of starting their own business?

I found The Lean Startup methodology to be extremely helpful. The book by Eric Ries is a must-read for anyone thinking of launching their own business. I’m glad our website went live in a sort of draft form before I decided to quit my job and take on the business in its entirety. I’d say that being able to test the product or service before really diving into it, to better understand whether there is a demand for what you’re doing, is crucial. 

You can find out more about the service Rentuu.com offers and read the company blog here.

Michael Pawlicki, MSc Strategic Marketing 2012, co-founder and Ecommerce Manager, Asset.Digital follows up on his blog post Making Best Use of Search Engine Optimisation For Asset Building, by looking at the use of pay for click advertising and the use of social media in helping build the ‘value’ of your business website.

Pay Per Click Advertising

Pay Per Click (PPC) is a form of search engine marketing offered by Google and other search engines. Website owners can purchase ‘clicks’ or search traffic for their sites, and convert some of the additional traffic into sales.

Building digital assets with Pay Per Click

As a standalone product, Pay Per Click (PPC) cannot transform a website into a digital asset. However, it plays a key role in support organic SEO processes. PPC ads can create and boost brand awareness by highlighting your company, and traffic from those display ads can improve your website’s rank over time.

Potential Problems With Pay Per Click

In essence, PPC is simply a reverse Dutch auction for online traffic. Instead of a dropping price until a buyer is found, there is a steady rise in price for the most in-demand search terms. This means that PPC is a highly competitive battlefield, where money talks and capital investment is king. When it comes to PPC, the only winners are usually the companies who have a unique competitive advantage, or a limitless pool of capital. Price comparison sites also gain an advantage through this type of paid marketing.

Companies with a unique selling point can use PPC to highlight their service or product, and make buyers aware they are the only place to find it. Price comparison sites can edge out individual businesses with their comprehensive service, and they pass on the cost of clicks to the companies that advertise through them. This often leaves very little space in the PPC market for the average company. Companies that depend heavily on PPC tend to be high in liabilities and low in assets on their balance sheet, and this is not ideal for an e-tailer.

Social Media

Social media is an essential tool for marketing. It can be used for brand promotion and it provides access to a large number of customers for relatively little investment. Social media can also be used for market research, and it provides vast amounts of information about a company’s potential customers. Companies can utilise social media to better understand their target markets, and to cater for their needs.

Building digital assets through social media

Many companies use social media to improve their brand equity. An example of good social media marketing is Etihad Airways, a Middle Eastern airline which markets to Europeans through social platform Facebook. As well as growing brand awareness through regular campaigns, it can attract the attention of its potential audience and drive traffic to the company’s website: traffic which could be converted into sales. Though customers directly seeking flights will still use the search engines, social media customers could be inspired to travel – or to consider Etihad the next time they take a vacation.

A social media campaign cannot directly improve search engine rankings for a company website, but it can enhance ongoing SEO processes. Social traffic can be diverted towards a website through eye-catching, entertaining posts. Search engines such as Google use ‘referral traffic’ – visitors harnessed via social media – as one of many metrics that calculate PageRank and signal a good quality website. Therefore, social media can contribute to the building of digital assets.

Potential Problems With Social Media

An asset is something that belongs to your business. Your web domain and your web content can be valuable assets: they are owned by you, and serve as virtual real estate. Upon this, you can build your business presence. On the other hand, content published to social media does not belong to you. The social media company retains the rights to your content at all times. Though it can benefit your SEO campaign and improve your digital assets, social media can never be a standalone way to build assets.

Business managers need to ensure that when they allocate financial resources for marketing and search optimisation, they are engaging with channels that have a chance to create a positive return. Ultimately, organic search optimisation remain the best way to drive traffic to your site, and it is the only way to ensure your website becomes a digital asset.

Want to transform your own website into a strong asset that works for your business? You can contact Michael Pawlicki: co-founder of the web development company Asset.Digital

The Imperial Women’s Network teamed up with the Deloitte Women in Technology Network to host an interactive session on the topic: ‘Technology Predictions – Skill or Science?’. This session explored how understanding tech behaviours will help identify winning technology in the future. Over 60 alumni, students and guests enjoyed an evening of stimulating discussion at the Deloitte offices. 

The event began with a keynote talk delivered by Aisling Teo, Deloitte Global Technology Chief of Staff. The initial straw poll of attendees confirmed that they thought predicting the future is hard. However Aisling challenged this: “Predicting the future is not that difficult when you get the basics, getting the timing right is the hard part.”

To demonstrate she highlighted six essential skills to achieving this:

1. Be aware of bias: All human beings are victims of our own biases. We introduce subjectivity and blind spots in our assessments of the world. To avoid these pitfalls as much as possible, seek diversity of opinions to test against and question why you are making particular assumptions.
2. Refer to reliable sources: Review the quantity and quality of data. In this current arena of ‘fake news’ make sure you don’t believe everything you read without checking first!
3. Maintain a healthy scepticism: Critically challenge the information and play devil’s advocate to find if it still stands or if you find holes/angles not explored. This will help you create an edge in your understanding of a trend and prediction of outcomes.
4. Read, listen and research: The more you read the more you widen your knowledge base and understanding of critical issues.
5. Embrace other disciplines: Cognitive technologies will change the way we do business and people who possess a mix of business and technology skills have a big role to play. Ensure you have a blend of skills across different interests.
6. Anthropology: Those that understand human behaviour will be able to instinctively know that a product will be successful and, importantly sniff out a trend ahead of the crowd.

A lively discussion then took place with panel members who included:

• Amy Fowler, Head of External Relations, Ada, the National College for Digital Skills
• Nity Dhayaa, Information Delivery Practice Lead, Deloitte
• Will Beech, Global Lead, CIO Programme and Technology Insights, Deloitte
• Paul Lee, Global Head of TMT Research, Deloitte
• Scott Campbell, Head of Deloitte External Ventures, Deloitte

Some of the highlights of the discussion included a focus on the skills people should invest in to stay current and the need to be agile. “This is a sector of constant change and therefore constant learning,” commented Amy Fowler, representing Ada who aim to empower women, BME students, and those from low income backgrounds to join the sector.

Paul Lee provided his view on the role governments should play in shaping tech careers and business. He commented that the UK government is currently investing in 5G, full-fibre, and AI. The communications space is a big area for growth and the government wants to make access to this easier and will invest in research to stimulate growth.

Taking risks verses watching and waiting was an interesting question centred on when to take the risk of investing in the first person to introduce a new technology. The panel agreed there was no easy answer to this, it would be on a case by case basis depending on the proposition, the nature of the risk and the appetite for the public to adopt new technologies. Things that sounds good on paper aren’t always assimilated by the public, which is why knowing your audience’s needs, doing your research and knowing the current market position is so important.

How to encourage more women into the technology sector

There was much debate as to how to encourage more women into the tech industry, a key focus for Deloitte which is already ahead of the curve on this. The panel spoke about the need for management to reflect diversity in men/women, but also in terms of backgrounds and skill-sets. It is essential to have an agile team, not simply one staffed with technologists. The panel also threw this back to the audience with a challenge about taking ownership of this – work for companies that are diverse and forward thinking. Look at the composition of the management tier, it is the type of company that reflects your personal values?

What is the next big thing in technology

Firstly the panel agreed that there needs to be a drive to address the huge skills gap in the market in order for it to develop. Amy Fowler talked about the 40,000 unfilled digital jobs in the UK, at a cost of £63bn to the UK economy, and what a huge opportunity this provides.

In terms of how to spot the next ‘big thing’ Will Beech talked about how technology trends tend to happen slowly and then suddenly burst on to the scene. For example Alexa took a long time to create and come to market, but then suddenly it was everywhere! Therefore, he suggested, look for the small things that are making changes now. The general consensus however was that AI will play a big part in the future, as will blockchain and user-interface technology.

Xia Chen (MSc Management 2015), committee member, Imperial Women’s Network, and Architecture and Integration Consultant at Deloitte who hosted this event commented: “This was the first technology related event that the Imperial Women’s Network have organised and we are delighted with how successful it has been. Our thanks to the excellent speakers who shared their experience and insights as well as engaging the audience to stimulate intellectual conversations. Our thanks also to Deloitte for their support in hosting this event. We now focus on driving this theme forward with another tech-related event on ‘Innovation in Banking and Finance’, which we will host in October at Oracle. We hope to see you there!”