Mums in Tech – feat. Jane John-Lewis

As a special edition of our ongoing series of interviews that shines a light on incredible working mums within tech, we are featuring mothers that have trained through Code First Girls.

This is our chat with Jane John-Lewis, Robotic Medical Tech. Consultant at Intuitive Surgical.

The purpose of our 'MotherBoard’ content series is to highlight incredible working mums within tech & data, as well as individuals and businesses that are supportive and progressive within their approach to creating more inclusive tech & data teams for women.

Sophie @ MotherBoard: Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?

Jane: Hi, I am Jane John-Lewis, a Med. Tech. Consultant within the robotics sector. I have been working in Med. Tech for over 10 years. My current position requires me to create robotic surgery projects within hospitals around the UK. This involves teaching and training surgical teams to use robots to complete complex surgery to save lives daily. I am also currently completing a Doctorate of Engineering in AI and Machine Learning.

Sophie @ MotherBoard: Please can you tell us about why you decided to career switch into (/ or embark on a career in) tech?

Jane: I decided to enhance my skillset by joining CFG to enable me to identify problems within the market and apply technical solutions on the product development side. Versatility and future proofing is important to me, so I chose to join Code First Girls and complete a coding course in Python.

Sophie @ MotherBoard: How do you manage the balance between parenthood and your career?

Jane: I have a 2yr old and a 6 month old baby, and although I absolutely love being a mum, the struggles can be very real. Motherhood brings around its own challenges, hence why its important to plan and have a great support system. I stay motivated by telling myself any challenge I face is only temporary and a great learning opportunity. Juggling my roles as a student, an Engineer, a CEO of my own property company and most importantly a mother make me stronger every day.

Sophie @ MotherBoard: What do you think businesses can do to support mums more in the workplace?

Jane: Business can offer great support to mums in the workplace by, supporting their childcare needs where possible, offering flexibility in being able to work from home and providing better maternity packages. Checking in sessions with professional support teams for mothers in the workplace can also be very effective.