Women Leading in Tech: Alison Kiing
In the lead-up to the Summit for Women in Tech, we're sharing Women Leading in Tech Executive Spotlights across our blog, social media channels, and newsletters. These spotlights are designed to highlight and celebrate the achievements of female tech leaders from our state, providing them with a platform to share their stories and insights. Stay tuned to meet the trailblazers who are shaping the future of technology!
Provide a brief description of your current role:
Distinguished Engineer, Head of Raleigh Technology, Head of Data Observability. As a Distinguished Engineer, I am committed to continuously improving the level of engineering at UBS. I provide regional oversight for Raleigh Technology and am building out a new Enterprise Data Observability platform.
Who and/or what influenced you most in pursuing a career in technology?:
As a student, Artificial intelligence really intrigued me (although it was very limited back then) and my love of problem solving naturally drew me to technology.
If you could describe your greatest professional success/accomplishment in just one sentence, what would you say?:
Being named a Distinguished Engineer at UBS in 2023 was a real honor. The designation represented the acknowledgement that my achievements -- from strategic project and platform deliveries to my work in the community in encouraging more girls to pursue STEM careers to bridge the gender gap – were impactful and important.
If you could switch roles with one other person for a week, who would choose and why?:
If I could travel back in time, Ada Lovelace because she was considered the first computer programmer and the first to recognize computers had applications beyond pure calculation.
What are some things that your company or organization is doing to grow and support women in the tech workforce?:
We have a flagship initiative within our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion portfolio called Women in Technology. The Women in Technology platform aims to promote diversity and help women realize their true and equal place in technology. There are regional and global activities centered around themes e.g. development, networking, mentoring, leadership, external engagements and more.
NC TECH hosts an annual Summit for Women in Tech gathering women from all parts of the state and in all stages of their careers. How are you involved? What are your favorite aspects of this event? Why is an event like this important for women to attend?:
I am involved as a member of the host committee that helps set the agenda and will also be a panelist for the Allyship panel discussion and a dinner host. This has quickly become my favorite event of the year. My favorite part, in addition to choosing the topics and presenters, is accruing all the smart takeaways I leave with that propel me for the next year. It’s important for all of us, as women in tech, to engage in conversations to better understand what is causing the gender gap so that we can bridge the gap for better outcomes in the technology sector.
What book(s) would you recommend as a must-read and why?:
This is a hard question, there are too many books to list and I don’t want to leave any out. In general, I like to read things that can help bring out my authentic self, challenges my beliefs and helps me grow.
What is your favorite way to spend a day off?:
Anything outdoors in nature -- whether it be relaxing, hiking, cycling, kayaking or snowboarding.
What is your favorite quote?:
Billie Jean King: “And if you can see it, you can be it”. It is a constant reminder for us women in technology that we should pay it forward and serve as role models for girls/all women of the next generation.
Thank you, Alison, for being on the Host Committee for the Summit for Women in Tech! Learn more about the event here.
Interested in submitting a piece for the NC TECH blog?
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