MetLife to Host Major Conference on Women in Tech

Bringing Together Top Business Leaders to Share Insights and Actions to Advance Women and Drive Innovation

CARY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Three days. Twenty sessions. More than 50 speakers. MetLife will host its second annual Triangle Tech X conference on Oct. 28-30, a complimentary virtual summit focused on critical issues facing women in today’s technology workplace.

With more than 800,000 women leaving the workforce between August and September this year¹ due to the impact of COVID-19, the conference will examine this economic dislocation and an array of other timely topics related to women in technology, including overcoming obstacles in male-dominated fields, building a robust STEM pipeline, and surprising opportunities in the data-driven insurance industry.

“We want Triangle Tech X to be one of the premier technology conferences in the region focused on improving equity for all and diversifying the industry,” said Bill Pappas, executive vice president and head of Global Technology & Operations at MetLife. “We’re honored that so many business and technology leaders will convene to provide actionable steps to advance women in technology.”

In addition to 25 executives from MetLife – including four women from the company’s Board of Directors – the conference will include speakers from a range of companies and organizations, including Microsoft, Cisco, Netflix, IBM, Dell, SAS, Duke University, Girls Who Code, TriWiSTEM, OfColor, and Rewriting the Code.

While this year’s Triangle Tech X is virtual, the conference was born in Research Triangle Park (RTP), the country’s largest research park. With more than 20,000 technology establishments operating in the state, the North Carolina tech industry employed more than 260,000 people in 2018 and is expected to grow tech occupations by 10.4% by 2024². North Carolina is a leading state for women in tech, who make up 35.5% of the workforce.

“As a top employer in North Carolina, with more than 2,500 MetLife employees across our Cary and Charlotte campuses, we see first-hand the positive impact women have on businesses, particularly in STEM roles,” says Susan Podlogar, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at MetLife. “However, there is still work to be done in addressing the obstacles women face, and conferences like Triangle Tech X are important to help sharpen our focus.”

For additional details about the conference and to register, please visit https://na.eventscloud.com/website/17647/home/

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

¹ National Women’s Law Center “Four Times More Women Than Men Dropped Out of the Labor Force in September” 2020, Page 1

² NC Tech Association “North Carolina State of Technology Industry Report” 2020