Witad Awards 2026: Gender equality/diversity professional of the year (vendor)—Amelia Doyle, AutoRek

What is your position within your firm?
Amelia Doyle, AutoRek: I am currently the Project Management Office (PMO) lead at AutoRek, responsible for establishing, managing and continuously improving the PMO within professional services.

How long have you been in the financial services industry?
Doyle: I have worked at AutoRek for just short of six-and-a-half years.

How did you get into the industry? Was it a conscious decision or did you “fall” into it?
Doyle: Like so many others, I fell head-first into this industry. I started in project support and technical administration when I graduated and quickly found my natural strengths were being a strong collaborator coupled with a detail-orientated strategic focus. From then, I was supported and mentored by people in the company who helped enrich my career. My path wasn’t planned—it was built on curiosity, adaptability, and stepping in where I saw opportunities to improve processes.

What does your day-to-day role entail?
Doyle: My days are always a mix of part strategy and part operations, involving a lot of context switching, influencing and problem solving. My main responsibilities are enforcing project governance, supporting delivery teams, and maintaining clear reporting across the portfolio. I work to mitigate risks, prepare senior reporting, host steering committees, and solve emerging issues. As someone who is naturally team-spirited, I thrive in this role as it centers on enabling others to succeed.

“A ship in harbor is safe, but it’s not what ships are built for,” from John A. Shedd’s Salt from My Attic, was a small but life-changing message. We are not built for staying in comfort zones—we are made to live, make mistakes and thrive. Don’t be afraid to go out to "sea" and make the journey

What single project/piece of work are you most proud of during your career in the industry?
Doyle: I am proud of AutoRek’s Women’s Employee Resource Group, where I serve as chair. It’s a group of employees who are passionate about equality and diversity in the workplace. We’ve organized some fantastic networking events, empowerment training and a “next generation day.” We are a collective that supports one another and advocates for our colleagues, and we have grown to speak up for ourselves and each other with confidence, especially when it doesn’t feel comfortable.

To what extent were you helped during your career by a mentor/role model within the business?
Doyle: I have to give credit to Steven Carlin, who was, and still is, an influential mentor. He taught me the importance of true integrity, having pride in your work, and focusing on the “needful.” My manager, Emily Neish, has also been a huge support and inspires me by leading with strength and compassion as a senior woman in technology. Both have advocated for me in ways I couldn’t, and I am grateful to them for their support.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far during your career?
Doyle: I used to be afraid to push for opportunities, instead living in areas and challenges that felt comfortable, familiar, and “solvable.” That all changed when I heard the quote, “A ship in harbor is safe, but it’s not what ships are built for,” from John A. Shedd’s Salt from My Attic. It was a small but life-changing message. We are not built for staying in comfort zones—we are made to live, make mistakes and thrive. Don’t be afraid to go out to “sea” and make the journey.

What would you advise women just entering the industry?
Doyle: Believe in your potential, even before you fully see it, and believe people who tell you you’re talented. Ask questions and stay curious, and if you don’t feel safe enough to question and debate established ways of working, then work somewhere that supports this. Technology needs your voice and your perspective, so be courageous. Step forward and lift others as you go.

What does this award mean to you?
Doyle: It’s an honor. Technology thrives on progress and innovation, not only through “Eureka!” moments, but through the everyday commitment of asking, “How can we make this better?” I never imagined my work would be recognized in this way, and I’m proud to contribute to an industry that’s continually evolving. I hope the next generation sees the impact of our efforts, just as we recognize and appreciate the women who built the foundations before us.