Silka Patel is a strategic marketing expert with 15+ years’ experience of working within the technology industry, including for global blue chip organisations like Cisco. Her current role is to successfully deliver and reflect market industry trends in Digital Transformation to help future-proof the UK’s businesses from digital disruption. Silka moved from London to Glasgow in 2008 and is the Founder and Chair of Scotland Women in Technology group (SWiT), where she actively drives to attract, inspire, empower and retain women and young people into the sector by developing a community and network to help grow women’s contribution in IT business. She also leads the Women’s Group in Cisco Scotland with several initiatives and programs to develop the progression and collaboration of the Women’s community. She has recently been appointed to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Economic Leadership Board advising the Scottish Government of how funding can be spent on matters like infrastructure and enabling Smart Cities to benefit Glasgow and the wider economy. Silka has been a Non-Executive Director position for Glasgow Women’s Library for the last 3 years advising the board on marketing and digitalization aspects for future growth.