As a technology executive for PNC Bank, Deborah Guild has long been helping women blaze career pathways in the business world. Now she's helping them in what seems a most unlikely field: auto racing.
Guild, head of enterprise technology and security for PNC Bank, has become a spokesperson for Women in Motorsports, a campaign launched in March 2022 to boost gender equality in racing. The campaign included an inaugural intern class of five women college students who took part in the 2022 season of the NTT IndyCar Series, which features the Indianapolis 500. Pittsburgh-based PNC is partnering on the campaign with Chip Ganassi Racing, an IndyCar team whose namesake was born in the Steel City.
"We are banking on creating a community of support around this cohort of women to reaffirm for these ladies that they are good at it, it is an exciting field, and it is rewarding," said Guild. "There are lots of advancements in the motorsports field, including autonomous vehicles and eRacing. Women should be involved in this transformation."
Guild has been a technology leader since 2013 at the $540 billion-asset PNC, where she has created a structure integrating cyber security, fraud and physical security. She also has been on the front line of efforts to adapt the company's staff to remote work, which has involved strengthening security but also deepening employee engagement.
While they may be working at home, many employees now attend monthly all-hands meetings in person, as well as face-to-face networking opportunities provided by PNC."We've made it a priority to create moments for our employees to connect," said Guild.
Guild also has emphasized access to technology at PNC as part of her work in diversity and inclusion. The bank, for example, has been assessing its digital tools for accessibility and making accommodations. They range from software that makes written communication easier for employees with dyslexia or dysgraphia to live-caption services that ensure meetings and events are more accessible to people with hearing impairments.
"We know that having stronger employee-facing adaptive solutions ensures these accommodations are reflected in the products we create," Guild said.
