Laura Barrowman

Laura Barrowman Laura has a premium account Click to upgrade to Premium CTO at Credit Suisse London, Greater London, United Kingdom 500+ connections Contact info Credit Suisse University of the Witwatersrand About An innovative leader in the firm’s Chief Operating Officer Division, Laura currently oversees over 5,000 employees globally as CTO of Credit Suisse. Laura focuses on providing core technology services to the organization and ensuring the integrity of IT production environments within the bank’s control framework. In addition to her duties as CTO, Laura is also the Chief Information Security Officer, and Head of UK IT (UK & Ireland) and UK Group COO IT SMR. Prior to assuming her current multi-faceted role, Laura held a number of management positions within Credit Suisse over her 23-year tenure. Most recently she served as CIO for Technology Services. She also previously led the Production & Shared Testing Services Group, and was formerly the Head of Information Technology for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. At Credit Suisse, Laura has honed her client relationship and vendor management skills, while developing a keen ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical persons. She has a proven track record of successful execution, delivery and problem solving, while simultaneously managing complex global projects and organizations. - Laura is the global lead for the firm’s IT Women’s Council, a diversity forum which develops strategies to advance the career development, mentorship and networking opportunities for women in Credit Suisse IT. - Laura has been recognized as a role model and trailblazer in financial services technology, and is regularly consulted and supports educational initiatives to promote female students pursuing higher education and careers in IT. -Laura is the Credit Suisse Executive Champion for the bank's sponsorship of STEMconnector and the European expansion of its Million Women Mentors Initiative. - In 2012, as Regional EMEA Head of IT for Credit Suisse, Laura was selected by ComputerWeekly.com as one of the 25 most influential women in UK IT. Articles 2,007 followers Combatting Bias and Steering Girls Towards Careers in STEM Laura’s profile photo Laura Barrowman Published on LinkedIn Ever since primary school, I have loved mathematics. There’s something about mental arithmetic and the satisfaction of finding a solution to a problem that captured -- and has kept -- my interest for decades. Augment that early passion with the good fortune of having some great teachers to fuel the enthusiasm, and you have an unbeatable equation for success. Teachers’ ability to impact and inspire the future career path of their students is so often undervalued. One impactful teacher or memorable learning experience can help shape a young girl’s STEM career trajectory. Inversely, so can one negative one. There’s a well-documented disconnect between girls and the pursuit of STEM subjects in their teens. And this is largely due to the way young girls are taught STEM subjects and how they are socially conditioned by their teachers, parents and peers to think of careers as gender appropriate or specific. With the glut of jobs on the horizon that require STEM skills growing exponentially and the number of girls seeking to pursue STEM subjects actually on the wane, the labor shortfall will be great – both in the number of well-trained STEM job applicants, and more particularly, qualified female applicants. Recognizing this as a cause for real concern, educators are coming up with new and creative ways to teach tailored curriculum for science and maths that better align with research-based differences in learning patterns and preferences among genders – while simultaneously infusing fun into the equation. It is imperative, after all, that we educate our children for jobs of the future. As the Chief Technology Officer for a financial services firm, I am concerned about the projected shortfall for both my future pipeline and perhaps more selfishly, for the caliber of innovation. My 20-plus years in the field of technology are testament to the fact that a diversity of voices produces the best products, technologies and innovations. I intentionally take notice of the efforts by educators and administrators to develop creative educational path for kids, especially those with a clear vocational focus. Here are a few notable programs and methods. “Wise Interventions” to Combat Unconscious Bias: Much research has been done to analyze intervention methods in the classroom to combat unconscious bias – especially in terms of student achievement, income level and racial/ethnic background, as well as curriculum choices among the sexes in the fields like computer science. The most promising outcomes have resulted from teacher-facing interventions that encourage teachers to admit to their own inherent bias without penalty and empathize with their students’ experiences and worldviews. Odyssey of the Mind: Dating back to the 1970s, this international creative problem-solving program engages students in their learning journey by encouraging their knowledge and ideas to come to life in an exciting, productive environment. Odyssey problems have challenged students to pursue STEM studies and methodologies to design mechanical dinosaurs, invent new factory machinery and build working vehicles, just to name a few. The program combines its emphasis on STEM with history and art – helping to broaden the appeal of the program to girls, many on the precipice of deciding their future course. Girls Who Code: Female-exclusive coding groups and clubs, often affiliated with schools, offer girls a unique way to learn to code among friends in a comfortable, familiar environment. Taking these girls out of an environment riddled with inherent bias and stereotypes, allows them to see that coding and computer science offer a fun way to make a living – and ultimately help to fuel the pipeline of future female technologists. But these are just a few options worthy of note. And the key is to not only influence the path early on, but also maintain interest through targeted programs as girls progress through their undergraduate and graduate studies. There are many ways to make a discernible dent in the STEM shortage. Please respond to my post with suggestions of your own. Maybe it’s a curriculum currently being offered at your child’s school that is making an impact or a program that has helped your company align with future STEM professionals? Through dialogue and conversation, we can help to determine “best practices” with resonance that will help us close the gap! Posts are in a personal capacity only. 674 40 Comments Like Comment Share See all Experience Credit Suisse Company NameCredit Suisse Total Duration4 yrs 9 mos TitleCTO, Group CTO Dates EmployedJan 2016 – Present Employment Duration3 yrs 8 mos Globally responsible for providing core technology services to the organization and ensuring the integrity of our IT production environments within the bank’s control framework TitleCIO, Technology Services Dates EmployedDec 2014 – Dec 2015 Employment Duration1 yr 1 mo Credit Suisse Company NameCredit Suisse Total Duration20 yrs TitleHead, Production & Shared Testing Services Group Dates Employed2013 – 2014 Employment Duration1 yr TitleHead of EMEA Regional Deploy and Operate Team Dates Employed2012 – 2013 Employment Duration1 yr TitleHead of Information Technology for the EMEA Region Dates Employed2012 – 2013 Employment Duration1 yr TitleVarious IT Roles Dates Employed1994 – 2012 Employment Duration18 yrs Show fewer roles Education University of the Witwatersrand University of the Witwatersrand Degree NameBachelor’s Degree Field Of StudyBusiness/Commerce, General Dates attended or expected graduation 1987 – 1992