Former Bam Boom Cloud CEO talks Women in Dynamics.
Pax8 recently announced its acquisition of Bam Boom Cloud. Now, former Bam Boom CEO Vicky Critchley has joined Pax8 as CVP of Business Applications and is fully invested in the growth of managed service providers (MSPs) and their small- to medium-sized business (SMB) clients. She also chairs the recently relaunched Women In Dynamics, a nonprofit organization championing underrepresented groups in the Microsoft Dynamics community around the world.
The organization, which is sponsored by Pax8, focuses on how diversity in the workforce fuels innovation and strengthens company growth and market share. For Critchley, achieving business growth through Microsoft Dynamics, a suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) business applications, and supporting women in technology go hand in hand.
Change takes time — and advocacy
Discussion and momentum around women’s equality in the technology industry is not new but does seem to have picked up in the last few years. That’s amid reports that women hold only about a quarter of tech jobs, which just brings the issue into focus and highlights the need for greater advocacy.
Critchley has seen the evolution of women in tech over the span of her career across Silicon Valley, in-house IT, and most recently at Bam Boom Cloud. In her perspective, women entering the space need to ignore pressure to adapt themselves to fit a certain mold or type.
“You don’t have to be a man to be in a man’s world,” Critchley says. “Early in my career, I was the only woman in the room. Once I had my own business, I really committed to ensuring more women were advancing in tech.”
Businesses like Bam Boom Cloud and Pax8 are committed to advancing careers for women in the industry through targeted actions and kept promises. Critchley hopes that together, Pax8 and Women in Dynamics will spur new opportunities for the education and enablement of underrepresented populations to excel in career paths focused on cloud technologies.
Pax8 also offers employees various memberships to groups focused on leadership development and career growth to provide women with the internal and external resources they need to be successful.
Mentoring and representation are key
At Pax8, we want to empower our teams to feel welcome in the workplace. Employee resource groups are an integral part of the Pax8 employee experience. The group pWr, for example, is a global initiative for employees of all gender identities to come together for education, mentorship, and transparency regarding the experience of women at Pax8. Critchley sees these three areas as crucial pillars of any plan to empower women.
“I didn’t really have women to look at as mentors as I was starting out, to ask for advice or see models of how I could grow,” she says. “I really wish, looking back, that I had people like that, and I want to ensure women today have those connections.”
Equitable hiring practices and gender identity representation can help women entering the industry to feel they have the skills they need to be successful. Equity is a constant work in progress, and Pax8 is proud to commit to that work in an ongoing way around the world. As more women are elevated to leadership and as more women enter roles across the industry, that representation may aid more women feel as though they, too, belong in tech.
Women’s equality is not just for women
Of course, we all have a part to play in the movement toward gender equality in our industry. At Pax8, leaders and individual contributors in all functions of the business contribute to a welcoming and inclusive culture. This culture also extends out to the MSPs, SMBs, and vendors that make up the Pax8 ecosystem through our employees. Critchley says that when employees feel empowered in their workplace, that feeling will extend outward to every organization a company works with.
“You can’t really have an inclusive practice that excludes people, so of course we need others in the industry to join these conversations,” Critchley says.
Women in Dynamics presents sessions led by male leadership figures designed to encourage industry professionals to support gender equality practices in their businesses. As businesses embrace modern work through cloud technology products like Dynamics, they also have an opportunity to craft the future of inclusivity throughout the industry.
A bright future lies ahead
Bam Boom Cloud has empowered SMBs with the operational efficiencies achieved through Dynamics for years. As the Global 2022 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Dynamics 365 Business Central, they are a trusted organization that will now carry that dedication and growth to Pax8 partners around the world. A new stream of opportunity is possible with the power of Dynamics.
Similarly, all companies have the ability to redefine who feels welcome and capable in technology. The burden of increased diversity should not fall solely on the shoulders of those who are underrepresented. Everyone, from leadership down, has a role to play.
“With Women in Dynamics, my two worlds have collided,” Critchley says. “I’m excited to harness so much energy towards better opportunities in this community for all who want to enter it.”
