Beyond Conversation: How To Drive Real Change For Women In IT Services

When you’re a woman working in tech, you end up at a lot of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) focused events. Some feel like check-the-box exercises. Others center on moral or ethical debates. There’s almost always an ill-advised pun related to female empowerment and almost never a concrete takeaway. At a time when DEI programs are being defunded or even banned, the tone of corporate events honouring International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month has become increasingly unpredictable.

The truth is, despite progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in technology roles— especially in leadership positions. A few years ago, Orium’s growth investment firm Tercera reviewed 60 investor presentations from mid to large size IT services firms. They found that only one out of 60 CEOs was a woman. Even more striking, 28% had not a single woman in their executive ranks.

So, they’re doing something about it.

“We have a value at Tercera of being ‘constructive contrarians’,” said CEO Chris Barbin at the kick-off of a portfolio-wide International Women’s Day virtual panel. From the founding of the firm, they committed to maintaining a leadership team of at least 50% women (it’s currently at 60%) and actively seeking out and supporting female IT services executives at the highest levels. But they’re not stopping there.

At the event, Barbin announced that Tercera is doubling down on supporting gender equity in 2025 by building an advisory group to promote women in IT services leadership, hosting a series of executive dinners, and launching a program to accelerate women into CEO roles. This isn’t a check-the box performative exercise for them. It’s about structural change.

Setting a New Tone for DEI

Tercera’s International Women’s Day panel exemplified what it looks like when a firm treats DEI as a business priority rather than a PR strategy. The panel featured six women executives from their portfolio companies, each bringing unique perspectives—among them a former D1 athlete, a yogi, and a national rodeo competitor. The diversity of their experiences was a reminder that there’s no one way to be a leader in IT services.

Our industry thrives on great ideas, and great ideas come from bringing together different voices, experiences, and perspectives. Whether we’re working with clients to build digital experiences or shaping how technology serves real people, the best outcomes don’t come from a single viewpoint. They come from multiple lenses refining and improving a solution until it truly meets a need.

Especially in a world where AI is increasingly shaping digital experiences, diversity in leadership isn’t just a social good—it’s a business imperative. If the teams designing, building, and training these technologies don’t reflect a broad set of experiences, the outputs won’t either.

From the outset, the panel set a tone that made it clear it wasn’t going to be about defending diversity or responding to criticism. Instead, it held diversity out as a baseline necessity, and focused on how to make real, lasting progress.

Expanding the Definition of Leadership

One of the most potent insights from the panelists was around what leadership in technology services means. Historically, leadership in IT services has been synonymous with deep technical expertise. There’s an unspoken assumption that to lead in this industry, you have to be the strongest technologist in the room. However, the panelists asserted that this assumption isn’t just outdated—it’s wrong.

As the panel pointed out, leadership is about more than technical knowledge. Strategy, communication, problem-solving, and vision are just as critical as coding or architecture skills. Yet, many women hesitate to step into leadership roles because they don’t check every technical box, even when they have the skills that truly matter for leading a team or a business.

To tackle this, the panel had a few key recommendations, starting with how companies hire and promote leaders. For example, job descriptions often reinforce a narrow definition of technical leadership, listing an overwhelming number of requirements that discourage qualified women from applying. (Studies show that women are more likely than men to self-select out of roles unless they meet every listed qualification.) Companies that want more women in leadership must rethink how they define success and potential, focusing on what makes someone an effective leader rather than a perfect technical expert.

The best leaders aren’t the ones who know everything—they’re the ones who can guide a team, navigate uncertainty, and make strong decisions. Women shouldn’t hesitate to step forward simply because they don’t fit the traditional mold.

The Power of Sponsorship Over Mentorship

Mentorship has long been touted as a key way to support women in business. And while having a mentor can be invaluable, sponsorship is what truly changes careers.

Mentors offer guidance, insight, and advice, helping women navigate challenges and develop their skills. Sponsors go a step further. They actively advocate for women’s career growth, push for promotions, recommend them for leadership roles, and ensure their contributions are recognized. Orium’s Jen Wright emphasized that for women to advance, they need sponsors who are willing to speak up for them when they’re not in the room. This is especially important in industries like IT services, where decision-making often happens behind closed doors. It’s one thing to support women when they ask for advice. It’s another to proactively champion them and create opportunities for them to lead.

Companies serious about advancing women need to move beyond informal mentorship and implement structured sponsorship programs. Internships, executive sponsorship initiatives, and internal networks for women can all help build clear pathways for career growth. And for men in leadership roles, the question shouldn’t be, “How can I mentor women?” but rather, “How can I actively advocate for them?”

Making DEI a Long-Term Commitment

DEI efforts often start strong but lose momentum over time. Too many organizations treat DEI as a box to check rather than an ongoing commitment.

Real change isn’t about a single initiative; it’s about consistent, meaningful efforts that compound over time. Companies that truly want to move the needle need to embed DEI into hiring, promotion, and leadership development strategies. That means:

• Holding leaders accountable for fostering inclusive environments
• Listening to individual employee needs rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions
• Ensuring diversity is prioritized at every level—not just in junior roles

This isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s a business imperative. Companies that build diverse, inclusive teams innovate faster, attract top talent, and create the kind of workplace culture that retains the best people.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Tercera’s panel wasn’t just about featuring “women in tech.” It was a conversation with real leaders who have built their careers by navigating, challenging, and reshaping the industry’s outdated norms.

The gender gap in IT services isn’t new, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. There are tangible ways women and their allies can push for change at both an individual and industry-wide level. It doesn’t happen on its own, though. It requires action, at every level, to move the needle and keep the forward momentum.

Consistency is key, showing up day in and day out even when we fall short or miss the mark. There’s no perfect way to support DEI principles, but perfection isn’t the goal— progress is. Every organization has room to improve, and by publicly reaffirming their commitment to DEI and fostering open discussions among their portfolio companies, Tercera is proving that DEI isn’t just something they talk about, it’s something they actively work on every day. Just as importantly, they support their portfolio companies in doing the same, regardless of what’s dominating the news cycle. More businesses should follow their lead.

Author: Leigh Bryant, Director, Brand & Content