Workday roundtable: Women still hold just one in eight AI leadership roles

A Workday-hosted roundtable in Dublin brought together four industry leaders and guests to discuss AI adoption, reskilling, and the gender gap in AI's highest-paying roles. The panel included Clare Hickie, EMEA CTO at Workday; Terry O’Laoghaire, COO of State Street; Dympna O’Sullivan, VP of research and innovation at TU Dublin; and Sue Duke, LinkedIn’s managing director for EMEA and LatAm and VP of global public policy.

Joined by guests from Enterprise Ireland, IBM, and Connecting Women in Technology, the discussion focused on real-life applications rather than hype.

O’Laoghaire emphasized the importance of security and governance in adopting AI, given State Street’s role as manager of trillions of global financial assets. While staff were eager to embrace AI, she noted the underlying fear of job security. LinkedIn’s data showed that job displacement isn’t occurring; instead, the shift lies in changing skill demands.

Clare Hickie highlighted Workday’s “everyday AI” program for employees, which has accelerated AI adoption and improved efficiency. TU Dublin’s Dympna O’Sullivan discussed the challenges in higher education, such as balancing AI use with academic integrity and redefining what is being taught and assessed. LinkedIn’s Sue Duke projected that by 2030, 70% of the skills required for most roles will change, requiring a diverse set of skills.

These include hard technical AI skills, AI literacy, and soft skills, which are increasingly crucial for leadership.

The panel also addressed concerns about junior talent being overwhelmed by AI, fearing failure and hindered growth. TU Dublin’s Dympna O’Sullivan argued that friction in workplace learning should not be removed, as it is essential for growth. Similarly, Terry O’Laoghaire stressed that in infrastructure, skills evolve rather than disappear, requiring continuous learning. Overall, the roundtable underscored the importance of safeguarding time for upskilling and fostering a learning environment that embraces challenges.