LeoVegas Group are proud to be a co-creating sponsor of the Women In Tech Sweden conference, with 19 of our colleagues attending tomorrow, 23rd April. Ahead of the event, we spoke with our Deputy CEO, Mattias Wedar, about the value of more women in the tech industry, how leadership can drive change and why DEI continues to be important.
Why has LeoVegas Group decided to be a co-creating sponsor of Women In Tech Sweden this year?
“Women in Tech is a great initiative that shares LeoVegas Group’s values and beliefs around gender diversity, particularly inspiring more women to pursue careers in tech – an exciting, growing industry that will benefit from increased diversity. As co-creating sponsors, we see it as an excellent opportunity to introduce more women to the tech and iGaming landscape.”
How can increasing the representation of women in the tech industry drive positive change for a business?
“Seeking and supporting viewpoints that are informed by different experiences and perspectives leads to better decision-making, innovation and outcomes. For the tech industry, innovation is incredibly important and, in fact, the more opinions and diversity of thought you have, the more richness is brought to a tech product. This is crucial in a fast-evolving industry like ours, where staying competitive means continuously pushing boundaries. Tech companies are also among the fastest-growing companies globally, so investing in a diversified environment will attract a broader talent pool that will be essential in supporting sustainable long-term growth.”
Not everyone sees the value of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), particularly during times of financial uncertainty. How can we better communicate its value and long-term impact?
“Historically, there have been clear signs companies scale back or reform their DEI efforts in times of economic pressure or uncertainty. Given the current global recession, DEI seems to be falling further down the priority list for many businesses. However, as LeoVegas Group continues to grow, we want to do so in a way that remains diverse and inclusive.
Leadership plays an important role in this. It’s up to leaders and managers to create an environment where it’s natural to talk about DEI and gender equality. It’s understandable that lots of people might not be as forward in expressing their opinions in a workplace environment, so it’s down to key leaders to bring these topics up in the business and show that they’re valued. Also, it shouldn’t just be women advocating for women to be seen in the tech industry, it’s a collective responsibility with both men and women being part of the change. Every person that’s on board means that we’re one step closer to reaching the point of gender equality.”
Can you share some of the ways LeoVegas Group has considered DEI, specifically for women, in its practices?
“We continue to invest in important events such as Women in Tech Sweden, and we will once again participate in the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit in Warsaw – marking our third year at the event. These events are an important investment for us as a Group and for our employees across the organisation to attend, share knowledge with others in the industry and return with insights and ideas that can continue to drive change in the business.
A healthy work-life balance is something we believe in across the Group. And whilst we’re a global company and constantly evaluate what support and policies we can offer to our employees in each location we operate in, we also strive for clear alignment when it comes to DEI. Over the past few years, we have introduced DEI training at the onboarding stage for all leaders in the business, with hands-on tools and methods that can help advance a more inclusive and equal environment. Through 2024, we saw a steady increase in female leaders across our organisation, and a rise in the number of women being promoted internally within the company too. It’s an important step in the right direction.”
Are LeoVegas Group open to feedback on their efforts?
“Absolutely! Closing the gender gap in tech is not going to happen overnight, it needs to be a joint effort internally to continue driving change forward, as well as working with the wider industry to keep learning about what we can do better. One thing we know is that it’s really end-to-end. We need to be asking ourselves the tough questions constantly like “Do we consider DEI right from the start of our projects? Is this what the right space looks like for everyone, including women, to work well and share their ideas?”
Part of what we’re trying to do at LeoVegas Group is understand where we need to focus more of our efforts and provide a platform for team members to speak up about their experiences, engage in meaningful discussions, and contribute to the ongoing conversation on diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. Partnering with and co-sponsoring WIT Sweden this year is a proud moment for the Group and it’s great to see that 19 members of our team will be attending.”
