International Women in Engineering Day: Spotlighting CDW's Trailblazing Talent
In honour of International Women in Engineering Day, we’re shining a light on three women at CDW making waves in engineering and technology. We hope their stories can inspire and encourage the next generation of women pursuing careers in IT.
International Women in Engineering Day is a global initiative that aims to celebrate and recognize the achievements of women in the engineering field. From the first ever computer programmer Ada Lovelace, to Hedy Lamarr who co-invented the technology that would later become Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, women have made remarkable and innovative contributions to engineering and technology.
At CDW Canada, we are proud to showcase our commitment to women in STEM and highlight the exceptional contributions of our female professionals. In honour of International Women in Engineering Day, we want to shine a light on three remarkable women at CDW who are making waves in the world of engineering and technology. We hope their stories can inspire and encourage the next generation of women pursuing careers in IT and business transformation.
“I didn't know that it was possible to have a successful career in IT without being good at math”
Senior Consultant, Karin Skapski, specializes in Microsoft 365 and Azure at CDW Canada and plays a pivotal role in helping clients implement Microsoft cloud technology, including SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Entra, Purview and Power Platform. For Karin, no two days are alike and as a technical subject matter expert, she helps clients with configuration, best practices, governance and training for various Microsoft 365 products and builds customized solutions for clients based on their business goals. Karin’s transition to an IT career had an unconventional start:
"I taught myself how to code at eight years old and have always loved computers. When I was growing up, I didn't know that it was possible to have a successful career in IT without being good at math (I wasn't) so I ended up pursuing hairdressing,” says Karin. “One of my customers owned an IT company and after talking about computers over the years he asked me to interview at his company. He believed that technical skills could be taught as long as you had the willingness to learn and the right personality."
Her advice to the next generation: “Don't let anyone else decide what you're good at or what you should do for your career. Try new things, get exposure to different types of work and allow yourself to grow, even if it's in a direction you hadn’t initially thought about.”
“I started in reception for a technology training centre”
As a Modern Workspace Cloud Consultant at CDW, Kelly LaForest is at the forefront of delivering Microsoft 365 implementation projects to various customers. Her day-to-day work focuses on helping customers with content management with SharePoint, communication and collaboration with Microsoft Teams and securing information with Entra and Purview. She is the resident Microsoft Viva employee experience subject matter expert at CDW and is working on strengthening her Power Platform skillset as well.
"My journey to the IT industry wasn’t direct. I started in reception for a technology training centre before transitioning to business and brand development for a local IT managed services provider that wanted to rebrand as a boutique cloud consultancy. During my time there, I was given the opportunity to deliver training to customers, which led to work on consulting projects including site architecture design and file migrations,” says Kelly.
“My advice for women looking to pursue a career in IT is that attitude, aptitude and the desire to always keep learning opens more doors than a university degree.”
“This area of study opened my eyes to the tremendous potential embedded within data.”
As an Associate Business Analyst at CDW, Andrea Alvarez excels in analyzing and transforming data into valuable insights. In her role, Andrea uses data analysis techniques to gain deeper insights from data and works with internal stakeholders to leverage these findings to guide strategy and decision-making.
“My introduction into the tech industry began during my undergraduate studies, where I specialized in data science. This area of study opened my eyes to the tremendous potential embedded within data. I was captivated by how data could be transformed into powerful insights and predictions that have the ability to shape business decisions and strategies.
“The potential for ongoing learning and growth within this sector is thrilling,” says Andrea. Her advice to up and coming women IT professionals: “Take the opportunity and don’t let anything hold you back. The industry is constantly evolving and each year more women are making their mark, so join us!”
The future is AI
On the future of IT, Karin, Kelly and Andrea all expressed excitement for emerging technologies that are shaping the industry, specifically AI and machine learning. The potential of AI in empowering individuals, streamlining everyday tasks and the transformative capabilities of machine learning and AI assistants is all part of what makes these women so passionate about their field. Their shared interest in AI showcases their forward-thinking mindsets and dedication to leveraging cutting-edge technologies for innovation and progress in engineering.
Karin Skapski, Kelly LaForest and Andrea Alvarez Delgado exemplify the dedication, expertise and passion that women bring to the field of engineering and technology. We remain committed to fostering diversity, inclusivity and recognizing the invaluable contributions women make in shaping the future of STEM.