Speaker Feature - David Maher Roberts

Ahead of our in-person event "The Retention Opportunity: how can we retain women in tech" at Huboo in Bristol, we had a chance to speak with one of our speakers, David Maher Roberts, Managing Partner of Digital DNA & Founder of TechSpark.

A bit of background, who are you, what do you do and where do you work?

I am David Maher Roberts (DMR), I’m an experienced C-Level exec and Board advisor. I was previously a Board Director at Future (launched GamesRadar and TechRadar), MD at Immediate (in charge of all sports magazines and website), CEO of TheFilter (Peter Gabriel-backed recommendation system for video and music), CEO of Dialect (a global digital marketing agency).

I also founded TechSPARK and The SPARKies and today I provide advisory and consultancy services through Digital DNA.

Why is it so important for everyone to keep the topic of diversity in tech at the top of the agenda?

Well, for starters, diverse teams and more diverse thinking lead to better-performing teams, to more creative solutions, to a better understanding of your audience and your customers. So it is not only the right thing to aim for (morally) but also the smart thing to do from a business point of view. 

What are you most looking forward to about the MotherBoard event?

Learning from other panellists and people in the audience and meeting people who share my passion for this mission.