Mercedes Diaz Sánchez, young adviser to European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes; co-founder of Women 2020
Mercedes Diaz Sánchez is one of the 24 young advisers to European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes on Europe’s Digital Agenda. At the European Digital Agenda Assembly in Dublin last week, she spoke to Siliconrepublic.com about the digital areas that she advises Kroes on, as well as her particular passion for getting more women, especially young girls, involved in ICT careers in Europe.
Diaz Sanchez says she became so passionate about women and ICT because of her own experience as an ICT professional.
“After not long you realise every time you go to a meeting that you are the only girl standing there. There’s really no good reason for that,” she explains. “I think there is so much that women can do in ICT and in any field.”
As well as digitising her family’s cherry farm business, Mi Cerezo, in her native Spain, Diaz Sánchez is a co-founder of Women 2020.
Come forward!
She is passionate about how the ICT industry needs more women roles to come forward to inspire other girls to bring their skill sets and talents to the industry as part of Europe’s digital future.
Finally, Diaz Sánchez is also collaborating with Zen Digital Europe, a Brussels-based enterprise founded by Cheryl Miller. Zen Digital aims to encourage more girls to bridge the gender divide and pursue education in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) space in Europe.
Listen to what Diaz Sánchez has to say about digital and STEM skills in Europe here:
For more reports and videos from the Digital Agenda Assembly 2013, visit out our dedicated website.
Women Invent Tomorrow is Silicon Republic’s year-long campaign to champion the role of women in science, technology,engineering and maths
