Seven Técnico alumnae accepted the challenge of returning to Técnico to share their experiences and challenges they faced as women in a predominantly male environment. On March 7, the Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade hosted the 23rd edition of Alumni – Talks Women Edition, with the aim of bringing alumni closer to their ‘Alma Mater’ and to the current Técnico student community.
Isabel Guerreiro (IT and Computer Engineering alumna, Head of Retail and Transformation and Board Member at Santander), Leonor Mello Franco (Industrial Engineering and Management alumna, Junior Account Manager at Dell Technologies), Lara Próspero (Engineering Physics alumna, Global Director – L&D Delivery Excellence at Microsoft), Maria Vilar (Electrical and Computer Engineering alumna, Co-founder and CEO at Immersiv), Catarina Aleixo (Electrical and Computer Engineering alumna, Principal Software Engineer at McKinsey & Company), Marta Santos (Aerospace Engineering alumna, Space Department Coordinator at Portuguese Air Force), Sara Lucas (Materials Engineering alumna, Fleet Contracts Management at TAP Portugal) and Beatriz Silva (Mechanical Engineering alumna, Associate Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico and Head of the Gender Balance @Técnico).
At the start of the session, the president of Técnico Rogério Colaço, emphasised ‘the commitment that Técnico has made to getting closer to its alumni’, through various initiatives and the Técnico Alumni platform itself, where alumni have the opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues and have access to exclusive news. ‘The primary connection between a school and society is its alumni, who contribute to the success of the country and the world,’ he emphasised. Finally, he expressed his gratitude to the guests for sharing their most precious asset: ‘their time’.
The participants split up among the various tables and began conversations that lasted around two hours, addressing challenges, obstacles and successes in an area where gender equality has not yet been achieved. Marta Santos, Catarina Aleixo, Lara Próspero, Sara Lucas and Isabel Guerreiro recalled the challenges and achievements as Técnico students, at a time when the road to gender equality was being paved.
Beatriz Silva, representing the Gender Balance@Técnico, emphasised the importance of initiatives such as the Alumni Talks Women Edition in reinforcing Técnico’s commitment to gender equality. ‘Women need the support of men to have an equal place in society’.
Isabel Guerreiro, Head of Retail and Transformation at Santander, a member of the Técnico Partner Network that supports the initiative, reinforced the company’s commitment to supporting education in all its dimensions: ‘I’m proud to be here representing Santander, it’s a giveback to the place that shaped me the most into the person I am’.
