Business First Summer 2017 Business First Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 58
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Fujitsu and Women in Business
collaborate to put diversity at top of
agenda
Sinead Dillon, Principal Consultant at Fujitsu with Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive of Women in Business NI
ne of Northern Ireland’s biggest ICT
solution providers, Fujitsu, is
partnering with Women in Business NI
to help ‘Create a New Economy’, one based on
maximising potential through inclusive
growth.
Through the new partnership programme,
Fujitsu and Women in Business will deliver
business development projects, learning and
mentoring services and advice to women
across Northern Ireland.
Together, the organisations are seeking to
empower the Northern Ireland economy with
new ideas and additional skills that comes
from harnessing the ability of all those in
society.
Having won a number of accolades for its
workplace engagement and diversity
activities, including Business in the
Community’s ‘Responsible Business of the
Year’ Award, Fujitsu has a proven track
record of encouraging and empowering those
in the ICT industry.
Sinead Dillon, Principal Consultant at
Fujitsu said; “Since 2013, the UK has fallen
O
56 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk
from 18th to 20th place in the Global Gender
Gap Index so there is still a lot of work to be
done to create diverse and inclusive
workplaces.
“At Fujitsu, we believe our success is built
on the skills and knowledge of our people
we want to attract and retain the best talent –
regardless of individual differences such as
gender or ethnicity.
“Through fostering an inclusive work
environment, we’ve seen firsthand how
creativity and innovation flourishes, creating
value and growth not just in our business –
but the wider sector and ultimately the
economy.
“Companies should also ‘think diverse’
when it comes to designing their business
models.
“Digital technology – especially if we look at
areas such as IoT and A.I – is creating growth
in Northern Ireland and can be used by all
businesses to solve and overcome problems
and to empower their organisations.
“To fully capitalise on the opportunity
presented however we need to maximise the
talent available in this country and that
means having a diverse workforce.”
Speaking about the new partnership,
Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive of Women in
Business NI said; “With over 2,500 members
across all sectors and with businesses of all
sizes, we are uniquely placed to provide
impactful support to today’s current and
future leaders.
“Fujitsu has taken a proactive role in
supporting Women in Business for many
years, from sitting on our Board of Directors,
to supporting our events to delivering
workshops for our members.
“We are delighted they are taking this one
step further and coming on board as our key
partner.
“Their expertise – particularly in skills
development, diversity championing and
digital innovation – will be vital if we are to
continue to support Northern Ireland’s social
and economic development through inclusive
growth.”