Most Influential Ladies folk in UK Tech 2020: Entrants to the Corridor of Reputation

Debbie Forster, CEO, Tech Skills Charter

The 2019 winner of Computer Weekly’s list of the Most Influential Ladies folk in UK Tech, Debbie Forster, CEO of authorities-backed initiative Tech Skills Charter (TTC), is a prolonged-standing recommend of selection and inclusion within the tech sector.

The Tech Skills Charter, which is aimed toward “connecting the dots” between selection and inclusion initiatives within the tech sector to enhance the sequence of underrepresented groups working in tech, no longer too prolonged within the past known as for a shift in point of curiosity away from getting extra girls folk into the field, and in direction of bettering selection within the industry extra widely.

Alongside her work at TTC, Forster is additionally a vary board member for the Institute of Coding, an advisory board member for Barcelona Digital Skills, a mentor for We in Social Tech, a board trustee for the British Council, a member of the Digital Economy Council, and director at consultancy Unique Originate.

Starting up her occupation as an English teacher and then college headteacher, sooner than TTC, Forster became as soon as co-CEO for pupil-focused initiative Apps for Honest, as properly as heading up education for e-talents UK. In 2017, Forster received an MBE for digital innovation, and became as soon as named WISE girl of the year in 2016.

Eileen Burbidge, accomplice, Passion Capital

Recurrently acting on Computer Weekly’s list of the Most Influential Ladies folk in UK Tech over the last five years, Eileen Burbidge is a accomplice at London-based totally mostly mission capital (VC) firm Passion Capital, where she affords journey won from plenty of tech roles one day of her occupation, as properly as by serving as a non-executive director for many minute and rising agencies, corresponding to Monzo.

Her occupation in technology has spanned 15 years and entails roles at firms corresponding to Yahoo!, Skype, PalmSource, Openwave, Solar Microsystems and Apple.

Alongside her characteristic at Passion Capital, Burbidge is the special envoy for fintech for HM Treasury, a non-executive director at Dixons Carphone, and a co-founder/startup angel and manual for White Undergo Yard.

Till no longer too prolonged within the past, she became as soon as the chair of Tech Nation, and became as soon as beforehand a member of the Top Minister’s business advisory team.

Margaret Ross, emeritus professor of tool quality, Southampton Solent College

First and predominant heading within the correct direction to was a secretary, Margaret Ross, a professor at Southampton Solent College, went on to originate degrees in arithmetic, which eventually led her to programming and computing.

Despite the incontrovertible truth that she’s semi-retired, alongside her work at Southampton Solent she is involved within the BCS in roles in conjunction with as a member of council, chair of the Hampshire branch, and vice-chair of quality and e-discovering out specialist groups, and is a allotment of BCSWomen.

In 2009, Ross became as soon as awarded an MBE for services and products to education.

Nicola Mendelsohn, vice-president EMEA, Fb

Nicola Mendelsohn has been vice-president of Europe, Heart East and Africa operations at Fb since 2013, where she makes a speciality of progress areas within the location.

As properly as her characteristic at Fb, Mendelsohn is a chairperson for the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation, non-executive director of client items firm Diageo and co-president of charity Norwood.

Previously, she acted as industry chair of the Inventive Industries Council and a director of the Ladies folk’s Prize for Fiction.

She has had a prolonged occupation in technology, as properly as marketing and marketing in roles corresponding to executive chairman and accomplice on the Karmarama marketing company.

In 2015, she became as soon as awarded a CBE for services and products to the ingenious industry.

Sheila Flavell, chief working officer, FDM Group

A member of the tech sector for 30 years, Sheila Flavell became as soon as appointed chief working officer of IT services and products firm FDM Group in 2008, and is an executive board director of the firm where she spearheads FDM’s World Ladies folk in Tech campaign and FDM’s Getting Attend to Commercial programme, aimed toward offering opportunities for returners to work.

She is a non-executive director of TechUK, a chairperson for the Institute of Coding Change Advisory Board, and is recurrently known as to enlighten authorities committees on plenty of points, especially across the digital talents gap.

She won Leader of the Year on the Everywoman in Skills Awards in 2012, and in 2019 became as soon as awarded a CBE for services and products to gender equality in IT and the employment of graduates and returners.

The mute members of the Corridor of Reputation are:

Amali de Alwis

Winner of Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Girl in UK Tech accolade in 2018, de Alwis is now the UK managing director of Microsoft for Startups. Sooner than joining Microsoft, she became as soon as CEO of coding practicing programme Code First: Girls, which no longer most piquant objectives to enhance selection within the tech sector, however in 2018 became as soon as instructing extra girls folk within the UK to code than the UK’s college procedure.

As properly as her characteristic at Microsoft, de Alwis is a board member at Ada, the National Faculty for Digital Talents, a member of the vary and inclusion board on the Institute of Coding, an advisory board member on the Founders Academy, and a founding member at Tech Skills Charter.

In 2019, she became as soon as awarded an MBE for services and products to selection and practicing within the tech industry.

Kate Russell

Russell has been writing about technology since the mid-1990s, and is considered as a topic expert when it comes to the technology sector. Sooner than her occupation in TV presenting and journalism, she sold CD manufacturing to computer recreation firms.

Russell is a frequent occasions speaker and works with organisations that honest to enhance the sequence of kids that pursue a characteristic within the tech sector, corresponding to TeenTech.

Till no longer too prolonged within the past, she became as soon as a presenter on BBC technology programme Click, which she stepped down from to create a Twitch channel dedicated to rescued ferrets.

She has published many books, in conjunction with Working the cloud, Elite: largely innocuous and A bookkeeper’s manual to handy sorcery.

Kathryn Parsons

Parsons based Decoded in East London “with a bank card and a mission to educate code in a day”. The coding college has taught folks in agencies worldwide in regards to the inner workings of applied sciences corresponding to code, files, man made intelligence (AI) and cyber security.

Parsons launched the Decoded Files Academy in 2018 and needs Decoded’s efforts to enhance digital literacy in agencies and authorities, and dangle the guidelines talents gap.

As properly as being a non-executive board member for the Department of Commercial, Energy and Industrial Technique, she sits on the business advisory boards for the London mayor and 10 Downing Avenue.

Parsons became as soon as awarded an MBE in 2016 for her work in campaigning for code to be equipped into the UK’s curriculum.

Maggie Berry

As executive director for Europe at WEConnect Global, Berry helps the firm to assemble its company and public sector benefit, and grow its community of better than 1,500 girls folk-led agencies to connect with the corporate present chain.

Berry beforehand ran on-line job board for recruitment and networking womenintechnology.co.uk, and is an recommend for selection within the technology industry. She became as soon as awarded an OBE in 2019 for her services and products to ladies folk in technology and business. She is additionally a freeman of the Files Technologists’ Company within the City of London and a vary advisory committee member for Founders4Schools.

Max Benson and Karen Gill

Benson and Gill launched Everywoman in 1999 to act as an on-line community for girls folk across the UK and present a community, benefit and resources for girls folk alive to to commence their very have agencies.

The community eventually grew to benefit no longer most piquant feminine entrepreneurs, however additionally girls folk in sectors corresponding to retail, shuffle back and forth, transport and logistics, and insurance coverage and risk.

In 2010, it expanded extra to cater to girls folk within the technology sector, and Benson and Gill launched the Everywoman in Skills Awards to showcase the field’s characteristic items and shine a steady-weight on the assorted kinds of roles and careers within the field.

As allotment of Everywoman, the pair launched the charity Novel Muse, a platform led by girls to inspire young girls folk into careers they could well not in every other case maintain concept about by giving them entry to characteristic items and info about roles in plenty of sectors.

Benson and Gill had been awarded MBEs in 2009 for services and products to ladies folk’s mission.

Chi Onwurah

Onwurah is the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and shadow minister for digital, science and technology.

She has held many authorities roles involved on technology, in conjunction with shadow minister for custom and the digital financial system, shadow Cupboard Web page online of business minister main on cyber security, social entrepreneurship, civil contingency, commence authorities and transparency, and shadow minister for innovation, science and digital infrastructure.

Sooner than her roles in authorities, Onwurah labored in plenty of connectivity and telecoms-based totally mostly agencies, in conjunction with Ofcom, Teligent, and Cable & Wi-fi.

Hannah Dee

Dee is an files security and databases lecturer at Aberystwyth College, where she researches computer vision. She has had a prolonged occupation in science and technology.

She based the BCSWomen Lovelace Colloquium in 2008 as a conference for feminine undergraduates. Now deputy chair of the colloquium, final year Dee helped scamper the first Ladies folk in Tech Cymru summer conference.

She has won awards in instructing and received a Suffrage Science award in 2018.

Dee sits on the committee of BCSWomenm, is secretary of BCS Mid Wales, and is a founding member of on-line journal Scientists are folk.

Sarah Wooden

Wooden based world marketing marketplace Unruly, where she became as soon as CEO except 2015 when it became as soon as obtained by Files Corp.

She sits on plenty of boards, in conjunction with Tech Nation, and is an envoy for The Prince’s Believe Ladies folk Supporting Ladies folk programme.

Wooden no longer too prolonged within the past wrote a e book, Stepping up: How to high-tail your leadership ability, which she describes as a occupation instruction manual for the millennial generation.

In 2016, she became as soon as awarded an OBE for services and products to technology and innovation. 

Sherry Coutu

The 2017 winner of Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Girl in UK Tech title, Coutu is a serial entrepreneur, having based or co-based firms corresponding to Founders4Schools, Workfinder, the Scaleup Institute and Silicon Valley Comes to the UK.

She is now chair of those firms, is an angel investor, and sits on the boards of plenty of firms, charities and universities.

Coutu is a non-executive member of Pearson, Raspberry Pi Purchasing and selling and the London Stock Change.

In 2013, she became as soon as awarded an OBE for services and products to entrepreneurship.

Gillian Arnold

Arnold is managing director of IT recruitment firm Tectre, which is aimed specifically at supporting girls folk in technology roles.

Previously chair of BCSWomen, Arnold has been within the tech sector for better than 30 years.

Now a non-executive director of the BCS, Arnold has frolicked as chair of the European Ladies folk in IT taskforce aimed toward growing most piquant practices and Europe-huge activities to enhance the sequence of girls folk within the tech industry.

As properly as having chaired a forum for IT trade physique Mind (now TechUK), Arnold dilapidated to act as a board member at Realizing, which helps girls folk in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Maggie Philbin

The 2016 winner of Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Girl in UK Tech, Philbin is founder of TeenTech and has spent better than 30 years reporting on STEM topics for tv and radio.

She co-based TeenTech with the honest of serving to kids be impressed by, and explore a future occupation in, technology by fixing real-world concerns with technology.

A gigantic recommend of selection within the tech sector, Philbin has received eight honorary degrees and an OBE to recognise her services and products in this home – though she insists those honours belong to her “unparalleled and devoted” team.

Jacqueline De Rojas

The 2015 winner of Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Girl UK Tech, De Rojas insists that you “can maintain all of it”. She will be able to not be any longer most piquant president of two firms and non-executive director of plenty of extra, however is additionally married with three teenagers and two dogs.

De Rojas is president of every TechUK and DigiLeaders, co-chair of the Institute of Coding, and non-executive director of Rightmove, Costain Group and FDM Group.

She acts as a business adviser and mentor, and is an recommend for selection and inclusion thru positions at Whisk up-Her and BigYouthGroup.

She became as soon as awarded a CBE in 2018 for services and products to world trade in technology.

Joanna Shields

The 2013 winner of Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Girl in UK Tech, Shields is now CEO of man made intelligence firm BenevolentAI, which objectives to put collectively computers to trade how treatment is developed.

She became as soon as beforehand parliamentary beneath-secretary of enlighten on the Department for Tradition, Media and Sport (DCMS), and except early 2018 became as soon as the UK minister for web security and security.

From December 2016, Shields acted as the highest minister’s special representative on web crime and harms, riding a extra world methodology to web security and security.

Previously CEO of accelerator programme Tech City, Shields based no longer-for-profit WeProtect.org in 2013 to warfare on-line child abuse and exploitation.

Previously European chief of Fb, Shields has had plenty of roles as an adviser on digital. She believes the UK must address digital transformation properly if it is miles to remain a run-setter in digital pattern.

Jane Moran

Jane Moran, world CIO at Unilever, became as soon as the first winner of Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Girl in UK IT when it became as soon as launched in 2012.

On the time, Moran became as soon as CIO at Thomson Reuters, where she took allotment within the Thomson Reuters Ladies folk’s Network, Ladies folk in Skills Global and the National Centre for Ladies folk in Skills.

Alongside her responsibilities as CIO of Unilever, Moran is a non-executive director for JP Morgan Securities and Institutional Money Distributors, actively taking allotment within the IT community, and is an recommend for leadership talents and making sure extra girls folk set up in suggestions a technology occupation.

In 2014, Moran became as soon as positioned first on the annual Computer Weekly UKTech50 list, a showcase of the tip movers and shakers within the UK IT industry.  

Martha Lane Fox

Co-founder of Lastminute.com, serial entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox continues to promote the clarification for girls folk and selection within the IT industry.

She additionally works for digital talents parity and believes extra wants to be finished to guarantee that the 12 million adults who can no longer use the win can invent even essentially the most traditional projects involved in a digital future.

Lane Fox intends her Doteveryone project – which she launched one day of her speech on the 2015 Dimbleby Lecture – to act as a platform to gas the dialogue around startups, governments, gender and talents.

A firm believer that the win wants to be dilapidated as an enabler for trade, Lane Fox has dilapidated her set up apart as chancellor for the Launch College, a member of the board of advisers for the Authorities Digital Carrier (GDS), and crossbench ogle within the Condominium of Lords, to be in contact out about the want for selection and digital enablement.

Lane Fox is now a director at Twitter, having joined the firm’s board in 2016, and became as soon as appointed a favorite fellow by the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, alongside Wendy Corridor.

Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley

In 1962, Shirley developed a “tool home” for feminine freelance programmers, which eventually employed better than 8,000 folks and paved the components for versatile working.

When she launched the firm, she began signing her title as “Steve” to beat male preconceptions about girls folk in business.

Shirley appears to be like in every the Bletchley Park and California computing museums, became as soon as the first feminine president of the BCS, a grasp of the Worshipful Company of Files Technologists, and co-based the Oxford Web Institute in 2001.               

Sue Black

In 2016, Black launched her e book Saving Bletchley Park, which info her campaign to discontinuance the ancient Bletchley Park from falling into disrepair.

In 2015, she became as soon as awarded an OBE for her services and products to technology, and is an outspoken recommend for making sure extra girls folk and girls take an hobby in technology.

Black on the 2d acts as the founder and chief evangelist of the TechMums initiative, which objectives to support extra teenagers into technology by making sure mothers originate self perception and talents within the usage of IT.

She additionally acts as a mentor for startups at Google Campus for Mums and an manual for the UK’s Authorities Digital Carrier (GDS).

Wendy Corridor

Corridor holds plenty of positions on the College of Southampton, in conjunction with professor of computer science and affiliate vice-president (world engagement), and is an executive director of the college’s Web Science Institute.

Corridor became as soon as named a Dame CBE in 2009, and is a fellow of the Royal Society.

She has held plenty of excellent positions within the STEM sector, in conjunction with president of the ACM and senior vice-president of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

As properly as being a member of the UK Top Minister’s Council for Science and Skills, Corridor became as soon as co-chair of the UK authorities’s 2017 AI review, and became as soon as no longer too prolonged within the past equipped by the authorities as the first talents champion for AI within the UK.