ORLANDO--The Mobile Marketing Association launched the Women in Wireless initiative, intended to increase the visibility and influence of female industry leaders in an industry traditionally dominated by men.

Laura Marriott, executive director of Mob;ile Marketing Association and new co-chair of the Women in Wireless committee said that wireless being a technology driven industry has more often than not relegated the main engineering and technical roles and women to supporting marketing and communications roles. While the goal of the initiative isn’t to turn that structure on its head, it does intend to promote the efforts of Women in the industry, raising the profile of female executives in the technology, financial and marketing/communications fields as well as encourage more women to join the industry, Marriott said.

“One of our key goals is to mentor women,” she said. “We want to encourage them to stay in the business and elevate the profiles of those who are in it.”

The group will have four focus areas: education and professional development, mentoring particularly for newcomers to the industry, networking and the establishment of a forum of female leaders, and recognition of individual achievements of women in the industry.