Additional reporting by Kathryn McKenna
Lisa Shields is the Head of People at StormHarvester, the tech-for-good company based in Belfast which specialises in AI-driven analytics for wastewater utilities.
Lisa brings a wealth of experience to her role – not least in terms of the skills and knowledge gained through working across varied industries. Starting out, Lisa went straight into working in the aerospace industry, a field she felt “fascinated” by.
“The criticality of the expertise in that industry and the work that goes on, no one gives adequate kudos to, which really fascinated me,” Lisa explains.
Having joined StormHarvester in the last three months, Lisa experiences the same interest now in her current role, having never given “much thought” to how wastewater is handled and the efforts being made, as well as the difficulties faced, to manage this important issue for both health and environmental reasons.
Using machine learning and hyperlocal rainfall forecasting to help utilities manage their networks more efficiently, StormHarvester technology is designed to reduce flooding and pollution events by providing operational and asset intelligence.
READ MORE: StormHarvester receives £8.4M investment to expand business
“In this role I have had my eyes well and truly opened,” Lisa tells Sync NI. “I am both intrigued and motivated by StormHarvester’s journey, as a locally-owned business achieving big things globally, and by the value it is adding to the wastewater industry providing a truly invested service, partnering with utilities for the greater good.”
Having recently wrapped up their Series A funding round, “a huge milestone” for the company, Lisa explains the local company has global ambitions. “It’s all about helping us take our tech to wastewater companies around the world. We're already expanding into new territories like Australia, New Zealand, and the US, which is really exciting.”
With this growth, StormHarvester is preparing to scale the team too, with hiring plans over the next year including hiring across the board; from software development to sales and marketing. “We’ll have plenty of opportunities for people who want to get involved in something ambitious and fast-moving,” Lisa comments.
On the topic of recruitment, Lisa is rapid in her defence of the skilled male coders and developers in the tech industry. Whilst acknowledging the need to take action and effectively increase the percentage of the female workforce in tech from just 23 per cent in Northern Ireland, Lisa is keen to recognise the talented males she works alongside, explaining advocating for more women in tech does not mean the many talented male coders and developers should not be recognised for their skills and experience also.
“The tech industry is awash with skilled male coders and developers. I am lucky to receive an abundant supply of male software engineering CVs in Northern Ireland offering great expertise and wonderfully curious minds to our teams. This cannot be seen as a negative aspect of the talent pool, as our economy and our team needs and thrives on these excellent people. However, we would love to be able to offer and develop more females in this space.”
Adding to this, Lisa explains we cannot stand by and do nothing. She comments: “In today’s era, we cannot continue to accept the imbalance. We have to ask why is it like this, and challenge ourselves to be creative and take action to open doors and pathways to more females in this space.
“It isn't just in fair hiring practices, and flexible working arrangements where the effort is needed, it is further upstream than that.”
Companies including StormHarvester and the many other successful tech organisations in Belfast need to continue engaging with schools and universities to showcase that tech career paths are just as real, rewarding and successful as a dentist or a teacher. “This would help young girls to visualise their career paths and believe these pathways are achievable earlier in life,” Lisa explains.
“In addition to diversity of gender, we also need diversity of thought, perspective and behaviours and this comes from balancing your workforce demographics.”
One way to reach out and connect with a wider demographic audience and connect with the future workforce is by attending careers fairs and engaging with schools, Lisa explains.
Another key objective of Lisa’s includes exploring the potential of apprenticeships.
She explains: “The thought of my daughters leaving university with a huge loan and still not being sure what they want to do, as I did, is both comical and worrying.
“There are many pathways available, and university is not singular focusthat it used to be. I want to explore this for StormHarvester and actively reach and grow talent at a younger age. As a result of a different approach I want to see if we can promote this agenda and reach more female candidates as a result.”
Lisa is resistant to labour the point of females being disadvantaged in Northern Ireland in 2025, fearing that it may risk feeding a narrative that is self-fulfilling.
“Females are underrepresented in many areas, as males are in others, HR for example being one. Asking ourselves why and how do we fix this is the most important agenda. Rather than just celebrating women in tech let's challenge ourselves continually to drive change and equality.
"Being a working mum is full on and exhausting whilst working in a fast paced tech environment, but it is the reality for any woman who wants a career and a family. You can make it work. Seek out the right employers and colleagues that allow you to be a success at both and walk away from those who don’t - that’s the key.
“It may be idealistic, but take positive action at a micro level rather than believing a macro issue is stopping you. If we focus on what we can control and influence top down and bottom up, the more we talk to young females about taking your own reins from an early age and not accepting these macro trends as blockers to success, the more we can influence on a larger scale.”
Overall, it is absolutely vital that Northern Ireland, in its status as a thriving hub of innovation, offers diverse thought through its representation – as diversity of thought harnesses the greatest results. Lisa concludes: “It’s incredibly important to attract more women into the local IT and tech sector, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it genuinely strengthens the industry.
“In Northern Ireland, we’ve got a growing reputation as a hub for innovation, but to truly thrive we need diverse voices at the table. Women bring different perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking that are vital for building inclusive products and tackling complex problems.
“There’s still a long way to go in terms of visibility, support, and pathways into tech for young women. This is what compelled me to get involved with an exciting initiative like SistersIn. I was so motivated to use my experience and my career highs and lows, as a mechanism to aide and assist young females to chase their dreams. It was an enlightening experience to see their potential and hear what they have to offer the world.
“My message to them and any female interested in pursuing a career in tech is clear, it is important to never under-value what you have to offer.”
Visit syncni.com/company/stormharvester to find out more about StormHarvester including open job opportunities, Day in the Life features and news articles.
