A Conversation with Georgina Lee – Empowering Women in Tech

A coffee with my younger self: Reflections on the journey

• Take us back to the beginning – what inspired you to enter the technology industry, how did you get to where you are today?

To be honest I ended up in a technology business by chance, although I’ve always been inspired by providing solutions when faced with challenges. Problem solving and innovation has been a key strategic aim of Advanced Secure Technologies. This evolution of our technology offering over the 20 years through our investment in research and development is how we’ve been able to keep ahead of the fraud challenges and risks.

• If you could sit down with your younger self at the start of your career, what advice or encouragement would you give her?

I would advise to never give up and regardless of the challenges faced and don’t let your enthusiasm be hampered by anyone. If your challenged with a question you can’t answer, don’t be afraid to say you don’t know but you’ll find out from someone that does know.

• What’s one misconception you had about leadership or success early on in your career that you now view differently?

I naively believed given training and opportunity everyone was capable of reaching the same level, but as I developed I appreciated everyone is different with varying goals and ambitions. I also realise that not everyone thinks they can lead but given opportunity many find they are natural leaders.

• Looking back, what were some of the defining moments or challenges that you face? that shaped your mindset and helped you reach where you are today?

Many years ago and in a business under new management I faced being told I had too much baggage (a family with young children) to do the new business role I was already very successful in. I had to fight for my place but it made me more determined to prove how wrong people can be, yes it was hard work being a young mum and doing a very challenging job but thankfully I’ve always liked hard work, it also taught my kids that hard work pays off.

Lessons from Leadership: Breaking Barriers & Creating Opportunities

• Throughout your career, what has been one of your biggest lessons and how has it influenced you?

I have always battled with myself over the fact I didn’t go to university, I had to be completely self-sufficient from 16 so never got the opportunity to go back and study. Throughout my career I kept telling myself that one day I would graduate and that would be the evidence that I had been successful – I’m proud to now realise I have been successful even without the degree I always longed for. It’s still on the bucket list but the development of the business is my primary passion.

• What barriers to entry do you see for women and girls entering tech or leadership roles?

It’s a very male oriented industry but so is sales however barriers are coming down and thankfully there is a different mindset today than there was all those years ago. It’s not just about the recruitment and development of women but also about building a team that can work together and support each other during their career journeys.

• Change doesn’t happen overnight – what meaningful actions can companies take to foster diversity, inclusion and empowerment?

Encouraging open discussion around career aspirations and opportunities and for me with a mindset of everyone being equal and no barriers regardless of an individual’s gender, ethnicity, belief, age and ability and for everyone to have an opportunity to develop & grow their career.

• Who were the mentors or role models who influenced your leadership style? What did they teach you?

My mentor has been my business partner Kevin Bassett, he believed in me way back in 1996 when others didn’t and gave me the opportunity to gain experience and develop and still challenges me every day to do this.

Accelerating Change – Empowering the next generation

• Empowerment can mean different things to different people—what does it mean to you? And how do you bring that into your work?

Allow people to step up, be proactive and take responsibility. They may not always get it right or do things as we would do but they’ll learn and may even surprise you and themselves with what they achieve.

• Reflecting on your journey, what initiatives are you most proud of in supporting inclusion, diversity and equality and creating opportunities in the workplace?

I’m proud that Advanced Secure employs a diverse spectrum of employees, those that are best suited to the role regardless of gender, ethnicity, belief or age  – the most important credentials for me is their attitude and their work ethic, everything else can be learnt overtime.

• If you could give one piece of advice to women starting their careers in the technology industry, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to put forward your ideas, be confident and faced with challenges, face them head on. Whilst, my core expertise is not technical, my broad business experience and problem solving skills, I have always managed to find the answers to queries and I have learnt a lot over the years.

• What excites you about the future? What new opportunities do you see for women in the present day and future?

Advanced Secure Technologies not only helps foster careers for all individuals but has the scope to keep developing great high value jobs in our core markets – something we’ve always been very passionate about. Recruitment is always a challenge, I’m hoping for female applications to increase to give us a more even balance of gender across all of our teams.

Closing Reflections:

• Fast forward 10 years, what’s your vision for the future of women in technology, and what role do you hope to play in shaping it?

In 10 years, I envision a technical landscape where women are not just included, but are key to the  innovation, leadership, and decision-making. The gender disparity, a past issue with women leading start-ups, heading R&D teams, serving on boards, and reshaping the culture of tech itself.

I hope to play a proactive role in this transformation by mentoring young women, amplifying under-represented voices and challenging systems that hold back progress. Whether it’s by creating inclusive hiring practices,  or sharing my story with others. I want to help break down barriers at every stage of the journey.

My role is also to listen, to continuously learn, and to let others take their turn, as real progress happens when we build organisations that outlast us. So my aim is to help build great career opportunities and a legacy of empowerment for all.

• Any other thoughts?

Yes – this isn’t just a women’s issue; since I passionately believe that diverse teams build better products. When everyone is equally represented in designing systems, protocols, educational technology platforms and organisations, we reduce bias, increase relevance, and create solutions that serve everyone equally.

We therefore need to celebrate success of everyone, not just at senior levels but across every level of the organisation. Recognition and achievement creates incredible motivation and career possibilities.

Finally, the future we’re striving toward requires us to consciously make a change and that means everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, belief or age, has a vital and important role to play.