By Kathryn McKenna, Editor of Sync NI
Sync NI sat down recently with Suzanne Ledgerwood, Associate People Experience Generalist, ESO Belfast Site Lead and Carole Callender, Senior People Experience Manager of ESO, to hear first-hand why people show up differently at the global tech-for-good company and how they ensure gender equality is an intrinsic value.
ESO has more than 700 employees located in offices in Fountain Street, Belfast city centre, as well as the United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, and multiple remote locations. With headquarters situated in Austin, Texas, the ESO mission is to improve community health and safety through the power of data.
Having just two members of staff when it arrived to Belfast in October 2019 including Carole, the company has since created over 150 local jobs, reinforcing its commitment to the city, emergency response and healthcare outcomes across the globe.
READ MORE: Tech for Good - ESO celebrates five years in Belfast with roundtable event
The Belfast office marked its fifth anniversary in October whilst ushering in a new era of leadership with Russell Beggs transitioning to focus on his role as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Suzanne Ledgerwood and John Fitzsimons stepping in as Co-Site Leads, guiding the Belfast office through the next chapter of growth.
With females currently representing just 23 per cent of the technology sector working in Northern Ireland, we explore how vital male support is in the drive for gender equality in order to keep turning the dial in the right direction.
“We need male allies as women cannot achieve gender equality on our own,” explains Suzanne, adding that a standout moment took place recently when she was participating in an International Women’s Day panel where many male ESO colleagues attended in support. For Suzanne this was reflective of how they feel every day. “We were the biggest show of male support and I think that speaks a lot for the men at ESO Belfast. We know our male allies have our back and would call out unconscious gender bias if they saw it.”
Suzanne Ledgerwood, Associate People Experience Generalist, ESO Belfast Site Lead and Carole Callender, Senior People Experience Manager of ESO. Suzanne and Carole are both keen to emphasise the fantastic opportunities in tech
In keeping with the inclusive nature of ESO, both Suzanne and Carole emphasise that any behaviour which goes against their company ethos would simply not be tolerated. The inclusive culture is deeply rooted in ESO’s core values and is embedded within all vital processes such as the recruitment process, quarterly reviews and HR policies.
“The company mission and the values are well known at ESO as they are talked about in absolutely everything that we do. Everything we design is rooted in our core values therefore it is vital that our values inform our recruitment process as it is how we measure people and advance people through their careers,” Carole explains.
With revealing statistics showing that more women than men are forced out of work, sometimes completely, due to parenting and caring responsibilities, Carole is keen to emphasise that whilst returning to work after a period of leave can feel intimidating, women should never underestimate the power of experience.
“Returning to work can feel quite daunting and we completely empathise with this. You might be full of self-doubt but it is important to remember that all of the experience you gained before you went off does not leave you,” Carole emphasises. “Support from the company you work for is also vital because this is a two-way relationship.”
The team at ESO ensure that rather than adding additional barriers to female returners, they strive to achieve work life balance. “At ESO, we hire people because we need good people to do good things. It is important for us to ensure we are doing what they need as well. For some people, this might be a phased return to work, or it could mean flexible working arrangements such as condensed or reduced hours. We embrace such requests, coming at it from the angle of asking, how can we make this work best for the individuals of our company,” Carole explains.
Reflecting upon her own first-hand experience of returning from maternity leave last year, Suzanne reveals the measures ESO has in place to help support a return to work was a “huge weight” off her shoulders. “Knowing I had the flexibility to change my working pattern and reduce my hours to suit my childcare needs, and being completely supported in doing so, made such a huge difference to how I felt returning to work. It was invaluable,” she comments.
READ MORE: ESO marks five years in Belfast with two new site leads
Keen to highlight the skills people gain during this time, Suzanne observes:“Life has seasons for lots of people and taking time out should not be viewed as a setback. I believe you come back a lot stronger and have more confidence from your new experiences plus increased time management, skills and efficiency. I am more mindful of my time now because I have a shorter day and a shorter week so I am extremely conscious of what I get done. This impacts my life outside of work as I want to be able to fully switch off and enjoy the day that I have with my son. It all boils down to having that all-important support from the company.”
In terms of equal opportunities the team at ESO are deeply committed to ensuring their hiring practices are completely inclusive. Once employees have entered the company,equal opportunities for learning, development and career progression continue.
Carole explains: “I feel this is something we as a team at ESO do particularly well, for example we have a Leadership Development programme which is based solely on our team members, both female and male, who possess leadership qualities and how we can help develop them.”
Carole and Suzanne emphasize that achieving impactful and lasting change for women in tech starts with reaching out to schools. They believe that encouraging primary school-aged children to develop an interest in STEM subjects is crucial.
“There are many careers fairs for university students but we need to target primary school aged children. We need to spark interest in young pupils and not allow the false stereotype of technology being ‘just for boys’ to take shape,” Carole emphasises.
“We also need to continue educating teachers and parents around the vast opportunities and potential within a career in technology and the different pathways into it.”
READ MORE: ‘Women must not allow incorrect perceptions about working in tech to stand in their way’
For this reason, ESO conducts community outreach work where young girls have the opportunity to meet and engage with their female workforce working in senior leadership positions.
For Suzanne and Carole it is also important to convey the message that additional career opportunities in tech exist on top of technical roles. “Carole and I are prime examples of non-technical members of an organisation, and there are many more examples of this from accountancy to marketing and communications,” Suzanne outlines.
“Throughout my career journey, ESO is the place where I have found role models and leaders who have been inspiring for me.
“Working at ESO has been my first experience of working at a company with a personal touch. Work life balance is championed here and you truly matter as an individual. Whether male or female, people are here for a bigger reason, for the greater good, and because of this people show up differently.”
Carole concludes: “It is important that we build a culture where young girls feel included and invited to be a part of the tech world in a variety of ways.”
Sync NI's Summer 2025 magazine celebrates women in tech across Ireland as we continue to encourage more women to enter the thriving sector and address the current gender imbalance. Read the Summer 2025 Sync NI Magazine online for free here.
