SWE Europe Inspiration Session: Career Pathways

Join us on International Women’s Day – 8 March 5 PM CET – as we explore career pathways for women engineers. You’ll hear from 3 professionals at different career stages, and get to share your ideas on how women and girls can be encouraged and supported through key career milestones.

Our host for this session will be Siddika Demir. Siddika is a board director, founder, angel investor and accomplished leader in STEM. Her 25-year long career spans diverse industries from biotech/pharma, engineering/construction to tech entrepreneurship. Siddika has also held numerous Board roles in both for and non-profit settings, including the SWE Presidency in 2010-2011.

Learn how educational background, location, first career steps and professional challenges have influenced our speakers’ choices and opportunities. After the panel, breakout sessions will connect you with fellow professionals as you share your experience and perspectives on how to improve gender diversity in STEM fields.

This virtual event is free for SWE members and non-members, but pre-registration is required. 

Panelists

Elizabeth Zapata

Distinguished Technologist and R&D Manager, Large Format Printing, HP Inc

Elizabeth has more than 25 years of experience developing large format inkjet printers for the Signage & Display, Graphics, Textiles, and Packaging markets. She has worked in the United States, in Israel, and in Spain in engineering and management roles. She is currently doing a dual role as a Distinguished Technologist and R&D Manager of the Print Systems team in the Large Format Printing division in Barcelona, Spain. Elizabeth has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Masters in Business Administration from E.S.A.D.E. She decided to get involved in SWE initiatives since she greatly values supporting and promoting the development and growth of a diverse engineering community.

Femi Adedimeji

MEng, Product Launch Manager, AVEVA

Femi graduated from the University of Manchester with a master’s in engineering in Biomedical Materials Science. She has nearly 10 years’ experience in industrial cloud computing, engineering and technical training. She is currently a Product Launch Manager at AVEVA, Frankfurt, managing collaboration across the product, business and content teams in preparation for product launches.

She’s an advocate for race and gender diversity in technology and is part of the team that founded the BLACK Voices employee resource group in AVEVA in 2020. It represents the perspectives of Black colleagues worldwide with support from allies. As chair, she leads and supports the group towards a vision of a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all. Femi is an active member of Women @AVEVA network and her endeavour to cultivate spaces in tech where underrepresented groups feel welcome, led her to SWE.