2019 Honoree
Nicola Palmer
Chief Product Development Officer, Verizon
“It is critical that we reach the next generation to ensure young girls take advantage of opportunities with passion, skill, courage, and confidence. It’s up to each of us to encourage young women to follow their abilities wherever those abilities take them, to fully explore their interests, and continue to learn.”
In your opinion, what qualities make a “Power Woman”?
A Power Woman is any woman that lives life on her own terms and uses her strengths to make the world better, in ways big and small.
With all the different issues one could focus on, how do you balance your efforts in pursuit of gender equality? Is it a global approach or a specific issue that you are passionate about?
Technology is shaping the future–it’s an integral part of every business and consumer segment. The Forth Industrial Revolution will be powered by disruptive technologies, such as mobile computing with 5G, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things. It promises to fundamentally change the way we live, work, learn, and play. There is a dramatic disparity when it comes to female representation in tech. In 2018, women held 60% of the country’s personal wealth and comprised roughly half of the workforce, yet only held 25% of the technical jobs. The rate of women graduating college with an engineering degree hasn’t really budged in 20 years and the rate of graduating female computer scientists has decreased. Only 30% of women who graduate with an engineering degree are still working in the field 20 later. And 30% of women who leave the field cite organizational climate as the reason. As an engineer by trade and working in technology for nearly 30 years, I’m devoted to gender equality in STEM fields.
If you could have someone else’s job for a day, who and what would it be? Why?
Not many people can claim they are building the future for individuals, first responders, governments, and large enterprises, but that’s exactly what we do at Verizon every day. The decisions we make and the speed and quality of our execution will shape how people communicate and connect with one another today and well into the future.
What issues in the workplace contribute most to the gender pay gap: Accessibility? Unconscious bias (including questions about previous salary requirements)? Economic? Reproductive? Or some other nefarious reason. Why do you think these are still challenges we face?
There is not a single issue that contributes to the gender pay gap or the lack of women’s representation in the technology field, board rooms, and other critical areas. Truly successful and innovative teams are made up of individuals from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, genders and experiences that come together to challenge the status quo and drive real change. There is overwhelming evidence that a variety of perspectives lead to better strategies and decision making. Leaders believing in, embracing and committing to inclusion is critical. That includes a strong focus on hiring diverse talent, and purposeful development.
Was there a defining moment or experience in your life that led you to where you are today? What was it?
Actually the lack of a defining moment may be what’s unique about my experience. In school I liked math and science – not so unique. But my father is an engineer, and my mother encouraged all her children and told us that we could accomplish whatever we set our mind to if we worked hard enough. That support system led me to pursue a degree and a career in engineering. My wish is that every young girl that enjoys STEM fields has the exposure to role models and backing to follow her interests and abilities.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Early on in my career, after a couple of engineering roles, I was encouraged to take a job supervising line operations. Initially I was hesitant since it wasn’t “engineering.” I ultimately followed the advice of people that had my best interests in mind and, looking back, I learned more in that job than maybe any other. I learned how work really gets done, I learned about the importance of the ‘frontline’– connecting with people and customers, and I learned that regardless of the quality of your plans, it’s ultimately people that will make it work or not work.
There are many studies that support the idea that a female presence in the board room increases the bottom line and leads to healthier work environments. What can we do to continue to support and enhance the growth and presence of women in high profile positions?
It is imperative that women be well represented in positions of influence. To make that happen, it is incumbent upon those who are currently in those positions to purposefully develop and mentor women, to view their teams and their slate of candidates for promotions with a critical eye, and to engage in systemic and structural advocacy for inclusion and diversity. At the same time, it is critical that we reach the next generation to ensure young girls take advantage of opportunities with passion, skill, courage and confidence. It’s up to each of us to encourage young women to follow their abilities wherever those abilities takes them, to fully explore their interests, and continue to learn. We can all do more to lend our unique talents to the cause.
Who do you most admire? Why?
My mother, the Notorious RBG, single moms, underdogs.
What is your favorite book (fiction or non-fiction)?
Too many to mention… But I love historical fiction and am a sucker for a good self-help book. “Married to a Bedouin” by Marguerite van Geldersmalsen is on my nightstand right now. I had the privilege of meeting her on recent trip to Petra. I’m also thoroughly enjoying the second book from my college roommate Rae Theodore, “My Mother Says Drums are for Boys: True Stories for Gender Rebels.”
What is your favorite place on earth? Why?
Simple – Anywhere with my family.
