Championing Gender Balance in STEM: Strata at iWish
February 8, 2026
Last week, Melissa, Operations Director at Strata, joined an inspiring panel of industry leaders to discuss the importance of creating a more gender-balanced future across STEM at the iWish event in the RDS.
iWish is an annual national initiative that showcases the power of STEM to thousands of female Transition Year students from all over Ireland. The programme encourages students to explore diverse career pathways and meet inspiring, relatable role models working across science, technology, engineering and construction.
Prior to the panel discussion, attendees heard keynote addresses from Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, and Jenny Melia, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, who shared their perspectives on the evolving STEM landscape, future skills, and the critical role of diversity in driving innovation and economic growth.
Melissa participated in a panel alongside:
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Gillian Keating, iWish Co-Founder & Partner, RDJ LLP
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Ann-Marie Tierney La Roux, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Technology, IDA Ireland
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Sarah Waller, Senior Executive, Startup & Entrepreneurship Team
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Ciara O’Connell, VP, Global Business Services, Aptiv
During the panel, Melissa spoke to the importance of actively increasing female representation within the construction and engineering sectors, highlighting Strata’s commitment to championing diversity and inclusion and driving meaningful change across the industry.
At Strata, we are proud to support initiatives like iWish and to play our part in building a more diverse, inclusive and equitable industry for the future.
