Women in gaming: amazing things await

During my time at R. Franco I’ve held many positions, each bringing greater responsibility than the last. Today, I am proud to be the company’s engineering and manufacturing director, but my journey here began over two decades ago. At that time, there were only three other women in R&D, but we were never treated differently to male colleagues.

It’s crucial to cultivate an ongoing dialogue around the under-representation of women that sadly still exists in today’s industry. In the past, society has not approved of women doing jobs which were primarily expected of men – but I’m pleased to say it has been different at R. Franco. Thanks to Joaquín and Jesús Franco, career opportunities unavailable to women have never existed in our company – and rightly so. Instead, employees are selected based solely on merit – a philosophy which continues to prove fruitful.

Unfortunately, not every company shares R. Franco’s outlook. Women continue to be underrepresented, not just in the igaming industry, but the world of business in general.

We must keep up the fight for equality in the workplace, breaking down the socio-cultural barriers that block progress. For instance, IT has long been a male-dominated profession, and the same can be said of igaming. It is, in my view, essential to identify and implement specific actions that will help women realise their potential – thus benefiting the global economy as a whole.

We are already witnessing how the role of women in this male-dominated industry is changing. There are more and more women rising through the ranks, developing the skills and experience necessary for success. Gender is irrelevant, and those who fail to realise that fact will continue to miss out on a wealth of talent.

Looking back on less progressive times, there are many things I have accomplished in 23 years at R. Franco, and I’m very proud of my achievements. The most significant among them is leading our machine production plant – a demanding daily challenge involving large numbers of people and a complex diversity of tasks.
Production line
I’ve stayed in engineering ever since, where I oversee the mechanics, hardware, materials and prototype manufacturing teams. On the manufacturing side, I continue to manage the carpentry, mechanical workshop, digital laboratory, production engineering, assembly chain, dispatch, purchase, warehouse and quality teams. My remit therefore includes virtually the entire machine cycle, from creation to end-use.

Ensuring the process meets our high standards often proves complicated, but I relish overcoming these challenges within a company I’m proud to work for. The job requires me to know the product and the industry inside out, and it is this expertise combined with my proficient skills that have got me where I am today.

It’s always important to find inspiration – I do so by overcoming personal challenges and taking immense pride in my work. There’s no better feeling than solving a problem, something I’m fortunate to experience several times a day. I constantly try to learn from colleagues and hold the late Joaquín and Jesús Franco in particularly high esteem. Their strength, passion and devotion are a shining example to us all.

If I could give advice to women starting out in igaming, it would be to persevere, prove your value every day and never give up. This is a hugely exciting industry, and although its hard to combat deep-routed social and cultural conventions, do not be demoralised because your future is bright. Amazing things await.

Sonia Fernández is the R. Franco Group’s engineering and manufacturing director. A company veteran of 23 years, she oversees the company’s entire land-based fabrication process across global markets.