As part of International Women’s Day 2020, WIDE (Women In Digital Empowerment) interviewed and highlighted women on their backgrounds and careers. A look back at the interview with Dany Thielen, head of the “Internet Presence” and communication officer at the State Information Technology Center.
What is your current position at the State Information Technology Center (Centre des technologies de l’information de l’État – CTIE)?
I have two different functions: I am the head of the “Internet Presence” division and I am in charge of communication.
The “Internet Presence” division includes the teams responsible for the Guichet.lu information portal and its interactive platform MyGuichet.lu, as well as the web and user experience team that works as a web agency for the technical and graphic realization of the ministries’ and administrations’ Internet portals. My teams have the great opportunity to realize projects that are part of the eGovernment policy of Luxembourg and that are directly aimed at citizens and companies.
As a communication officer, I am in charge of the internal and external communication of the CTIE. Internal communication is an important challenge to cultivate a team feeling in an administration with more than 500 employees. I feel responsible for informing all the agents of the management decisions and strategic choices, of the arrivals and departures of new colleagues, and of the major projects that have been started or that are being completed…
Another challenge is the promotion of the CTIE as an employer – eGovernment is in full development and we are looking for a lot of IT specialists in almost all areas, whether it is infrastructure, generalized platforms or custom application development.
What is your educational and professional background?
I did a Master in information and computer sciences at the University of Luxembourg and I worked 4 years as a Web Application Developer at the IT department of uni.lu. After a stop at the National Library, I joined the editorial team of Guichet.lu as head of department before taking over the tasks of division manager and communication officer.
What is your opinion on the IT field nowadays?
I started my studies in computer science almost 20 years ago and I am surprised to see that IT is still a predominantly male field. It’s a shame that stereotypes still seem to hold back many young women from studying IT. They could bring a new perspective on IT problems thanks to their soft skills. Women tend to show more empathy towards users, which could be reflected in the design of interfaces.
Moreover, IT is a booming sector that offers great perspectives to everyone – man or woman.
Women in Tech Magazine
Release date: 5 March 2020
By: Women In Digital Empowerment (WIDE)
This interview has been translated from French to English.
