Maria Tsiakka: The face of technology remains predominantly male

“Cyta operates with a daily culture of plurality and inclusion—not just as a slogan, but as a practice,” stated Maria Tsiakka, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at Cyta.

In her welcome address at Cyta’s “Women in STEAM” conference, Tsiakka emphasised the need for greater representation of women in the digital and technological world, using specific data from within the organisation to highlight the issue.

She said: “We live in a digital era—we can see it from our children but also from our parents, who, even at an advanced age, have become familiar with technology.”

According to Tsiakka: “Technology today is part of our lives. We live in an era where technology touches every aspect of our existence.”

The face of technology remains predominantly male

Tsiakka highlighted a global issue: the face of technology remains predominantly male. Even when we’re asked to spontaneously name figures in tech, the first names that come to mind are Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tim Cook, she noted.

This image is also reflected within Cyta itself. In nine recent job postings for STEAM-related positions, out of 521 applicants, only 95 were women—just 18%.

Among Cyta’s technical staff in managerial positions, only 1 in 7 roles is held by a woman—31 women out of 209 positions (compared to 178 men). A similar pattern is seen in technical specialties: of 355 individuals, only 87 are women (about 25%).

However, Tsiakka also stressed that Cyta implements merit-based processes and policies that promote work-life balance for all staff, regardless of gender.

Notably, she mentioned that in recent promotions, 50% of the new directors appointed were women. Still, none of these women were assigned roles directly related to technology, she observed.

Her inspiring speech concluded with a call to parents and schools to encourage children to access a wide range of skills, including STEAM, so they can unleash their full potential.