Nearly 80 Institute of Directors Isle of Man members and representatives from the broader business community gathered at the Claremont Hotel to mark International Women’s Day recently.

Representatives from island charity Love Tech were invited as guest speakers at the event that was sponsored by Crowe Isle of Man.

Love Tech is an initiative run by a group of business leaders and technologists in the Isle of Man.

It aims to inspire and empower girls and young women to explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through events, workshops and mentorship.

The Love Tech panel was moderated by its chair, Angela Van Den Berg, and featured Jenni Devine (associate director cyber security operations at Flutter Entertainment), Sarah Saunders (principal medical writer), Jacqui Verduyn (architect) and Alexandra Koyfman (senior business analyst at PDMS).

Director at Crowe Debbie Clague said: ‘As proud sponsor of the IoD Isle of Man International Women's Day Connect lunch, we were delighted to be part of such a successful event.

‘The Love Tech panel members were insightful and inspirational, and it serves as a reminder to us all of the great work the charity performs.’

Chair of IoD Isle of Man Steve Billinghurst said: ‘The lunch was a fantastic insight into the careers of just a few of the island's successful women.

‘It is vital that the island continues to ensure that it has in place the right policies that address the continuing inequalities that close off opportunities for women.

‘Policies that deal with shared parental leave, childcare provision and pay inequity are crucial to maximising opportunities for women in the workplace.

‘It is also crucial that business leaders, and I'm really talking about the men, are aware, open-minded, and engaged with the issues that affect women as they progress through the different stages of their working lives.

‘To that end International Women’s Day is not just a day for women to celebrate, but a day for me to learn.’