The Real Face of Corporate Feminism: SASRIA’s CIO Fiona Oakley-Smith Spills the Beans
In a shocking exposé, Fiona Oakley-Smith, the CIO of South African Special Risks Insurance Association (SASRIA), reveals the hidden truths behind the company’s IT strategy and its efforts to promote women in tech. But is it just a clever PR stunt or a genuine attempt to empower women in the industry?
According to Oakley-Smith, SASRIA spends a whopping 32% of its annual budget on IT-related matters, which is a staggering amount considering the company’s focus on insurance. But what does this really mean for the company’s priorities? Is it a sign of their commitment to innovation or just a way to keep up with the Joneses?
But let’s get to the real juicy stuff. Oakley-Smith discusses the company’s efforts to improve data quality by introducing machine learning and other advanced technologies. Sounds impressive, right? But what about the human factor? Are they really empowering their female employees or just using them as tokenistic props to boost their reputation?
And then there’s the topic of women in tech. Oakley-Smith claims that South Africa is making a big push to get more women into the industry, citing a Deloitte report that states one in four tech leaders in big tech companies are women. But is this just a myth perpetuated by companies to look good on paper? Are women really being empowered or just being used as a diversity checkbox?
Oakley-Smith’s comments about the insurance industry being "intentionally transformed" to make it more inclusive are particularly noteworthy. But what does this really mean? Is it a genuine attempt to address the industry’s diversity issues or just a PR stunt to appease the masses?
Ultimately, the real question is: is SASRIA’s commitment to women in tech genuine or just a clever marketing ploy? Only time will tell.
