On the Greene side of the hill

Trade

JENNIE GREENE is channel account manager at 3Com and, like many of her female counterparts, fell into the IT sector by accident. Greene worked at the British Tourist Authority in Dublin and, after nine years promoting tourism to Britain, she decided it was time for a change.

She moved to Ericsson and held various roles over a three year period. A restructuring saw her department move to Dun Laoghaire, which added two and a half hours to her already lengthy daily commute. As a mother, Greene felt this was too much time to be spent travelling. Her solution was to take time out with her family, returning to the workplace with 3Com in 2002.

Greene says her role is very enjoyable due to its variety. “As channel manager I look after 3Com partners in the North and in the Republic. One day I could be in Belfast discussing business plans and training requirements for a partner who wants to improve their staff’s skills. The next day I am back in the office tracking shipments or putting together an advertising campaign and working on quotes.

“I also work closely with the 3Com brand managers at our distributors, both here and in the UK, ensuring they are aware of all current promotions, pricing and lead times, along with creating incentives and marketing plans.”
Greene believes the IT world is very male dominated but it is getting better. She said that where woman would previously have been generally working in admin or marketing roles, more are now joining sales and management teams. “I know a few who are technical engineers. Personally, I have never felt any male bias. I think these days there are far more forward thinking bright young men who realise the potential of having women in their team.”
With four children, Greene has had to become a consummate juggler in order to achieve a balance between the demands of family and work. However, the 3Com office is just a 15-minute commute from her home, giving her the time to drive her daughters to school in the morning and to get home relatively early in the evenings. “I think these days a flexible work life is as important to men as to women. Both myself and my partner work, so we have to share in the home effort. However, as a working mother there is always added pressure to be superwomen both in the office and at home. Fortunately, 3Com’s flexible working environment certainly helps, as I can work from home when appropriate.”

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