Sheila Flavell is passionate about enhancing diversity in the workplace and creating exciting careers for the next generation of digital talent.
As the Chief Operating Officer and an Executive Board Director of FDM Group, she has over 27 years of experience in both the public and private IT sectors internationally.
Sheila is a firm believer that “you cannot be what you cannot see” and knows the importance of highlighting strong role models within business. She acts as mentor to several women within the IT sector, supporting them through their career progression and travels the world championing a career in tech for all.
Sheila’s Top tips
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Never stop learning. Knowledge equals confidence. The more knowledgeable you are the more confident you become
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Find role models who inspire you and from whom you can learn; look for someone who is positive, calm, confident in themselves, hardworking, who demonstrates leadership and strives for bigger and better things
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Find mentors; you can have more than one depending what you want to learn from each of them. Alongside mentors, find a someone in the company who will sponsor you; this will help you build your profile as you progress and take on new challenges
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Step outside your comfort zone to challenge and stretch yourself; this is where your mentor and sponsor can help you.
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Don’t worry about mistakes. It’s important to learn from them and move on. Without mistakes, you can’t have success.
Sheila spearheads FDM’s Global Women in Tech campaign and their Getting Back to Business programme, aimed at providing opportunities for returners to work. She sits on the main Board of techUK and the Women in Tech Council and is frequently called to advise government committees on various issues, especially around the digital skills gap.
Recognition for Sheila’s work
Sheila has won numerous awards throughout the years for her services to both business and the tech industry. This includes being recognised for the third year running as one of the top 25 most influential women in North America’s mid-market by CEO Connection, being conferred with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Scotland Women in Technology, Woman of the Year at the Information Age Women in IT Awards and Computing’s Women in IT Excellence Awards, Tech Champion at the TechWomen100 Awards, Leader of the Year at the everywoman in Technology Awards, one of the 100 Women Role Models in Tech by Business Cloud, being selected as one of Brummell Magazine’s Top 30 Most Inspirational Female Entrepreneurs in the City, featuring in Computer Weekly’s Influential Women in UK IT listings and being awarded the Editors’ Choice Award at the Women in IT Awards.
