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No one would suggest that IT is the last bastion of male dominance, but there’s no doubt it has had an image problem for many years as a sector that isn’t exactly regarded as open to women. Is it still as bad as it was? Or has there been progress in female participation in channel businesses in recent years? What else can be done to improve the situation? Small steps forward Jodie Carroll, HR director of UK & Ireland at TD Synnex, starts with the positive, noting there has been progress in persuading more females to enter the industry and in encouraging more women to apply for technical and management roles. “But we still have some distance to go before we have anywhere near enough female participation in the channel,” she warns. Nevertheless, she says the channel “is a dynamic, vibrant and fast-moving place to work, and anyone who is ambitious – regardless of their gender – can succeed in our industry”. She points to the number of women at board level, “many in senior positions”, and a growing pipeline of talent at the ...