Nearly 80 Institute of Director’s (IoD) Isle of Man members and representatives from the business community gathered to mark International Women’s Day.
The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2025 was ‘For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.’
Representatives from local charity Love Tech were invited as guest speakers to provide insights into their experiences, career development, and anecdotes about their mentors.
Love Tech
Love Tech is an initiative run by a group of local business leaders and technologists in the Isle of Man.
The Love Tech team aim to inspire and empower girls and young women to explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through events, workshops and mentorship in the Isle of Man.
The Love Tech panel was moderated by its Chair, Angela Van Den Berg, and featured:
- Jenni Devine, Associate Director Cyber Security Operations at Flutter Entertainment;
- Sarah Saunders, a Principal Medical Writer;
- Jacqui Verduyn, Architect;
- Alexandra Koyfman, Senior Business Analyst at PDMS.
The importance of seeking opportunities, taking risks and being supportive of others came through as a strong underlying theme throughout the discussion.
IoD Celebrate Women’s Day
Debbie Clague, Director at Crowe Isle of Man LLC said: “As proud sponsor of the IoD Isle of Man International Women’s Day Connect lunch, we were delighted to be part of such a successful event that brought together several influential female leaders, professionals and like-minded individuals.
“The Love Tech panel members were insightful and inspirational, and it serves as a reminder to us all of the great work the charity performs in the drive to achieve gender equality in STEM-related courses and careers.”
Debbie Clague, Director at Crowe Isle of Man LLC
Steve Billinghurst, Chair, IoD Isle of Man, said: “The lunch was a fantastic insight into the careers of just a few of the island’s successful women.
“As a father of a daughter beginning her own career in STEM, it is always reassuring to hear from others because what’s vital is that the Island continues to ensure that it has in place the right policies that address the continuing inequalities that close off opportunities for women.
“Much can be learned from how other countries address issues such as female participation in the workforce, the gender wage gap, and the impact on economic performance and productivity.
Steve Billinghurst, Chair, IoD Isle of Man
“Policies that deal with shared parental leave, childcare provision and pay inequity are crucial to maximising opportunities for women in the workplace.
“It is also crucial that business leaders (and I’m really talking about the men) on the island are aware, open-minded, and engaged with the issues that affect women as they progress through the different stages of their working lives.
“To that end International Women’s Day is not just a day for women to celebrate, but a day for me to learn.”
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