After years of hard work, saving, and careful planning, many professionals look forward to a rewarding retirement. However, this stage of life comes with important questions: When is the right time to retire? What do you want to achieve in retirement? Why do you want to retire? Should you consider retiring early or wait until later? Since everyone's situation is unique, the ideal retirement timeline varies from person to person. It’s essential to evaluate a few key factors to make an informed decision.
Join Linda Hicks, Gail Farnsley, and Membership Engagement Director Tori Harper Mercado as they explore how thoughtful planning and a clear understanding of your goals can help you enjoy a truly fulfilling retirement.
The event is FREE and exclusive to Women & Hi Tech members! Space is extremely limited, and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Once registration is filled, no wait list will be initiated. Registration for ClickSide Chat is required in order to provide you with the final login instructions.
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Gail Farnsley
Gail Farnsley is a retired IT executive, board member and advocate for women in tech. Her last corporate role was VP, Executive Partner at Gartner. In this role, she worked with CIOs and other executive clients as a trusted advisor to provide expertise and guidance to help them achieve their business objectives.
Prior to joining Gartner, Gail spent most of her career in Information Technology – starting as a programmer at Public Service Indiana, spending 10 years as an analyst and manager in Atlanta with Georgia-Pacific, then joining Cummins, where she worked in various IT roles, including an assignment in the U.K., where she led IT for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Her last role at Cummins was leading the global IT organization as VP of IT and CIO.
When she left Cummins Gail took a “reverse sabbatical” – working at Purdue and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). As a Visiting Professor in the College of Technology (now Purdue Polytechnic), Gail co-taught a Women in Technology course and developed a CIO Leadership course and a study abroad program to take students to India over spring break to learn about the Indian IT services industry.
At NCWIT, Gail launched the Affinity Group Alliance, working with affinity groups and networking organizations across the globe to share promising practices, establish an international communications network, and provide members access to cutting-edge research-based strategies for recruiting, retaining and advancing women.
In retirement, Gail spends as much time as possible with young people - whether that is her grandchildren or as Board President for the Techpoint Foundation for Youth. She also serves Purdue as an active member of the Diversity Advisory Council and the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Purdue Polytechnic Institute as well as the Krenicki Center Advisory Board at the Daniels School of Business. In the hours that are left, she is committed to saying yes to advising leaders and mentoring young women whenever asked.
Linda Hicks
Linda Hicks is a retired chemical industry executive who now spends her time with business and technical consulting and serving community non-profits whose mission is focused on filling the STEM pipeline with more women and supporting women in their STEM career journeys and professional development. Linda is a chemical engineer by training and has over 33 years of experience in the chemical industry as well as 5 years in the environmental engineering and consulting market. Although Linda spent a couple years of her tenure doing commercial work as the Director of a specialty chemicals business, the majority of her career has been spent within technology deployment, construction and operations management. She has led global manufacturing and technology organizations including engineering, process safety, research and development, applications development, supply chain, operations, and global quality. Linda built the first pyridine and picolines manufacturing plant in China and has traveled the world establishing technology teams, processes, and manufacturing assets.
Linda earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Grove City College (Grove City, Pa.). Linda is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Society of Women Engineers and served on the Executive Advisory Board of the U.S. Center for Chemical Process Safety for over 10 years. Linda is active in the community and has a passion for advancing girl/women empowerment, financial independence, and STEM careers. She is a Trustee of Marian University and chairs the Board of Visitors for the Witchger School of Engineering. Linda is the Board Treasurer for Every Girl Can STEM™ and on the Advisory Board for the Girls IN STEM Academy. She has been an active member of Women and Hi-Tech for 9+ years and has served on the Board as President and the EWF Director. Linda was the board chair of TechPoint Foundation for Youth and of Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis. The mission of Girls Inc., “Inspiring all girls to be Strong, Smart and Bold” and TechPoint Foundation, “STEM For All”, resonates strongly with everything Linda does. Linda was the co-recipient of the 2014 Money Magazine’s Money Hero for the state of Indiana, awarded the 2014 “Mentor Me” Leading Light Award by Women & Hi-Tech and named a 2015 Women of Influence by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Linda is married and has two accomplished daughters.
Women & Hi Tech’s ClickSide Chats are virtual discussions amongst our members to share ideas, resources, and perspectives about the professional and personal challenges we are facing and serve to build new connections with fellow members. One or more members serve as co-hosts and share their experiences, advice, talents, and resources for our greater good. ClickSide Chats are presented by the Membership Engagement Committee, led and facilitated by Women & Hi Tech Board Member Tori Harper-Mercado.
Tori Harper-Mercado serves as an Account Executive at a local, woman-owned Data, Analytics, and AI consultancy. The firm specializes in empowering business leaders to make better, faster decisions through user-friendly data analytics and business intelligence solutions. In her role, Tori excels as a relationship builder and networker within the IT consulting industry. She holds a degree from the Kelley School of Business at IU Indianapolis and a sales certification from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Tori's diverse background includes experience in civil engineering and the sports and entertainment sectors, where she has held various marketing and sales positions.
Tori participates and involves herself in areas where she feels she can give back to her community such as coaching and mentoring athletes of her high school track and field and middle school volleyball teams and being an active committee member for Rebuilding Together Indianapolis.
Outside of work, she is a mom, wife, and new experience fanatic that thrives off of fun adventures, connectivity, and the love of animals (especially dogs).
**By registering for this event, you acknowledge that you may be photographed, videotaped, and/or audio-taped during the course of this event and hereby give permission for your image, and/or voice to be used in education, training, promotion, advertisement, and/or trade and communications media by Women & Hi Tech in any and all media outlets throughout the world, without restriction as to frequency or duration of usage.**
***PLEASE NOTE: W & HT event registration is non-transferable. ***
