In an industry where it is rare to see a female at the top, Jo Clark OAM OLY has been appointed into the General Manager role at BrainStorm Software – one of Australia’s leading ERP (Enterprise Resource Systems) and software solutions companies.
Clark joins a line of women who are changing the statistics in the workforce. In Australia, there has been a four percent increase from 29 percent in 2014 to 31 percent in 2019 in women holding senior management roles. [Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre]. And specifically to the tech industry in the USA, Finance Online reports that there are even fewer senior roles held by women: only 19 percent as tech senior vice presidents and 15 percent as CEOs, so there is still a major gap.
Being a part of the female movement is nothing new to Clark, she was a member of the Gold medal-winning water polo team that debuted the sport for women at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (Men’s water polo debuted in 1900) and she is eager to continue to motivate and inspire other women out there.
“It’s an honour to be appointed into the role of GM for Brainstorm Software. We have such a great team and I’m looking forward to growing the business more and more.
“I’ve held a few management roles in the past but this feels different, we’re a global company and the evolution seems endless.”
“I don’t take the role lightly, I know there is a lot involved in the position and I hope to represent not just BrainStorm Software well but women in the industry,” said Clark.
Owner BrainStorm Software, Ty Osborne says when appointing Clark to the role, “It was a no brainer, Jo has been with us almost since the beginning, she’s helped the company grow and was already at the forefront of management within the company, so it seemed like an easy decision.”
“It’s not about if you’re a male or female, it’s about who can do the best job and Jo was the perfect fit. It’s nice to see women moving to the forefront of our industry, we have six women working over both our Australia and Indian team engaged in all areas, marketing, management, tech, consulting, and development.”
Osborne is on the right track as according to the 2020 Gender Equity Insights report, the more women at the top proves better for business. With statistics showing that profitability, performance, and productivity increase under female leadership, and female top-tier managers add 6.6 percent to the market value of ASX companies.
After a career in her top-level sport water polo, Clark began her work career in 2004 in management and events within the not-for-profit industry assisting and running youth programs (Whitelion, Red Dust Role Models, Eumerella Eco Village, and Kokoda challenge).
In 2014, whilst juggling three kids under nine, Clark decided to start her own marketing/ communications and events agency, which soon led to a role at Brainstorm as the Senior Marketing Manager.
“I didn’t mean to fall into the tech industry and I wasn’t sure about it at the start as I didn’t think I was following my passion in helping people, however, BrainStorm doesn’t just create software, they help companies become better and that’s what I love most about it,” Clark confessed.
Sport and ambition is a running trait in Clark’s family with her nephew Ben Hance recently walking away with three medals Gold (100m Backstroke), Silver (100m Freestyle Relay), and a Bronze (100m Butterfly) at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
“He’s now the most successful athlete in the family, he’s a great inspiration to us all and apparently I was an inspiration to him. He was only a baby when I won Gold in Sydney but I hope to keep inspiring not only women but men as well, to make a difference and be the best they can be,” explained Clark.
BrainStorm Software is an enterprise software development company and ERP Reseller. They develop, implement and enhance enterprise software to help businesses achieve their most ambitious goals. They now have a proficient team of specialists who implement ERP’s, integrate systems, and develop bespoke solutions.
