NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Accenture (NYSE:ACN) is launching a program to engage women in blockchain technology and address imminent skills shortages in this technology. The program kickoff will be two luncheon sessions that will take place in New York at Consensus 2017, an annual summit organized by CoinDesk focused on blockchain technology, and involve a number of leading technologists.
“Blockchain has the potential to reinvent the operations and economics of nearly every industry,” said Christine Leong, a panelist and blockchain lead at Accenture. “But to tap the technology’s full potential and innovate and scale up rapidly, we must unleash the largest possible pool of talent to work on its development. Some of the most recognized leaders in this space are women. They are role models who are passionate about the opportunity to make their mark, but there is more to be done. That’s why we are so inspired by these opportunities and proud to participate in and sponsor discussions about putting blockchain on the path to faster development.”
According to recent research from Accenture and Girls Who Code, the demand for computing skills in areas like blockchain far outstrips current supply. The shortage of women in this field not only limits the market’s overall ability to bring blockchain to scale, but could ultimately limit U.S. innovation and global competitiveness in new technology paradigms.
The two kickoff luncheon sessions will feature leading women spearheading innovative projects leveraging blockchain technology, from companies across industries. For more information, please visit http://www.coindesk.com/events/consensus-2017/agenda/.
Consensus 2017 will feature over 100 speakers and 2,300 attendees from the leading industry startups, investors, financial institutions, enterprise tech leaders, academic and policy groups who are building the foundations of the blockchain economy. Luncheon roundtable participants will discuss the trends and outlook for blockchain and how the talent gap is affecting adoption. The panel asks, what can be done to engage a much larger percentage of the workforce in the development of this game changing technology?
David Treat, managing director, Blockchain technology at Accenture said: “Blockchain presents a massive paradigm shift in enterprise technology architecture, but it is still in its nascent stages. Corporations and governments face a deficiency in the skills needed to advance this technology and it is critical that this be driven by a diverse workforce. We need talented women across the spectrum of their careers to help close the skills gap. And we want to celebrate and shine a light on this to make sure we’re engaging all available talent and bringing out the best in our people and service for our clients.”
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 401,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
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