“The #MeToo movement may have made a difference to some corporate systems, but societally there is still progress to be made” Pauline Norstrom, Founder and CEO, Anekanta® Consulting and Anekanta® AI

I didn’t quite fit into the inflexible higher education system offered in the late 1980s; I excelled in both arts and science and back then university courses didn’t accommodate a mix, you had to choose one or the other. I deferred my place to read Law, and instead became a technology entrepreneur, including being part of the team which developed one of the first e-commerce sites, pre-Google.

In the 90s I was working on my business idea to create a template-based online system and one of my projects asked me to join the management team.  I didn’t know the corporate world and accepted the opportunity to develop my career. I was lucky to be appointed a mentor, a (male) engineer with an MBA from whom I learned a great deal about all aspects of high-level business management. Through my hard work and commitment (often working until 2-3am) I progressed into more strategic roles.

The technology industry was, and still is, a male-dominated environment which seeks to judge women to a higher standard.  I have experienced language and gaslighting behaviour which could not be left unaddressed, for the sake of other women too. The #MeToo movement has made a difference to some corporate systems, but societally progress needs to be made to get used to seeing women in leadership roles. To address bias, I have developed a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ system, the first, accepting that mistakes can happen, the second perhaps a coincidence, and the third, a pattern, whereby I call out the behaviour or make more formal complaints.

In my experience, it is usually a handful of people who perpetuate bias. Most of the men I have worked with have been very supportive, but I have found that a misogynistic environment left unchecked by the leadership can have a chilling effect on the willingness of others to speak up.

The voluntary side of the tech industry, which is also mostly male, has been extremely welcoming and supportive. I really enjoy being a board advisor to the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), following being elected their overall chair in 2014-16, and the role now involves leading and advising on AI, biometrics and facial recognition policy and practice, regulations and governance.

When I was appointed to the Board of AD Group I was the only female on the board, and only one of two women in statutory director roles across the entire business. This was a tough job involving difficult decisions but sometimes you need to say yes to a challenge to get on.

I joined the IoD because I wanted to be clear about the role of the statutory director and the legal duties and responsibilities. I embarked on the Chartered Director Programme and I also work on a voluntary basis with the IoD Expert Advisory Group for science, innovation and technology. It will be good to see the group become more gender diverse; I am the only female and would encourage other females to join.

In 2016, I formed Anekanta AI and the company’s values are based on a Jainism principal meaning ‘in search of the truth’ which I think represents my career well. The IoD’s new ‘AI in the Boardroom’ guidance – which has been a priority for the Expert Advisory Group – is based on my business’s own ethical framework.