TECHSHECAN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Communications Executive
With an extensive background spanning 8 years in both primary and secondary education, I enthusiastically became a part of Tech She Can in January 2023, initially as a project manager before transitioning to the marketing and communications team in June 2023. My daytoday role involves helping manage our website and social media platforms, striving to expand our outreach.
Having previously served as a Tech She Can Champion in 2022, I became acutely aware of the significant influence organisation holds for young individuals. Being part of this remarkable charity during a crucial juncture in society is truly a pleasure.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Trustees )
My current role is to create a seamless employee experience, in the office or remotely, by bringing together collaboration environments and devices for around 90,000 Kyndryl employees worldwide. I'm also NED on the Royal Navy Board; a member of the SPRITE+ Advisory board and two all party Parliamentary groups; and Chair of the Advisory Board for the Institute for Security Science & Technology at Imperial College. Technology can do almost anything - the difficulty is in defining what you want! That's where my interest lies - I've always been focused on delivering the best outcome, and how we can apply the right technology to achieve that.I'm delighted to be Chair of the Board of Trustees for Tech She Can as I'm passionate about supporting business growth through building a diverse workforce, and equitable and inclusive work environments. As technology continues to play a key role in our working lives, it's critical that we inspire as many children as possible to think broadly about technology, and get excited about how it can play a part in their future. That's where I believe the true power of Tech She Can can be harnessed.
Job Titles:
- Head of Education and Learning
I have over 10 years teaching experience at both a primary and secondary school level. I've had the pleasure of working with the Tech She Can team since 2019 and I lead on the creation and delivery of our Tech We Can educational resources.
I'm extremely proud of how far the Tech We Can resources we offer to teachers, parents and students has grown over the past few years. I'm passionate about ensuring all children and young people broaden their knowledge of the opportunities available to them in technology careers. Children can't aspire to be what they don't know exists, and this is where Tech We Can plays such an important role.
Job Titles:
- Head of Technology & Investments, PwC UK
I'm responsible for Technology & Investments at PwC UK, leading our teams of technologists and working with clients as part of our ‘New world. New skills.' initiative. I also work closely with colleagues across the international PwC network to develop client technology solutions for a wide range of industries and market sectors.
Successful business relies on technology, but most importantly technologists, to drive change and realise the potential of the tools we have available to us. I'm passionate about finding the best people to build the best solutions.
In my role on the Executive Board at PwC, I have a unique opportunity to use my platform to promote diversity and to support causes and initiatives that I believe can make a significant difference to the way young people view technology careers. Tech She Can has already made significant progress against this agenda and it's a privilege to be a trustee as we begin the next phase of the journey.
As a Chartered Accountant with over 12 years experience across a range of finance roles including audit at PwC and in commercial finance for a listed FMCG company, I bring a wealth of experience to my position as Finance Lead for Tech She Can. I thrive on problem solving, process improvement and financial planning with a commercial lens. I am driven to support the team to achieve sustainable growth for Tech She Can.
With a degree in physics, I am passionate about STEM and the impact Tech She Can is having on young people today - I would have hugely valued the services Tech She Can offers when I was thinking about career options and I am excited to be a part of a team that is making a difference.
A seasoned business leader, board-level consultant and behavioural scientist, Kate is one of the founding leaders at Business Four Zero - a consultancy recently acquired by Heidrick & Struggles to get teams on a mission to actually do business better.
With deep expertise in purpose, strategy, culture, innovation and tech, she brings a unique combination of behavioural science, design thinking and entrepreneurial commerciality to her work with senior leaders across the private and public sectors. She is an accredited executive coach, an LSE funded academic researcher specialising in the science of meaning, a restless advocate for gender equality, and a trustee and board advisor for a range of mission driven organisations.
I have worked in the field of Education for 11 years as a Primary school teacher, SEN teacher and teacher /coordinator for the Home Tuition Service in Hackney. I had a break in my career with the arrival of my children and while relocating, but have now joined the team at Tech She Can.
I am passionate about facilitating every child to reach their full potential, through embracing inclusion and diversity in all aspects of both my career and community work. Through my role of planning and delivering Career insight Days at Tech She Can, I hope to continue to inspire young people, especially girls, to believe they are capable of achieving their aspirations.
I'm an enthusiastic scientist with a passion for bringing the world of STEM alive for children. As our world becomes more heavily tech dependent, I believe it's our responsibility to prepare the youngest generation for the future that awaits them.
I first came across Tech She Can while at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2018. I was undertaking a PhD in Nanotechnology at the time, and had seen the difference in enthusiasm between boys and girls towards technical subjects while working as a secondary school maths and physics teacher. I asked about how I could help Tech She Can achieve their mission and was welcomed in by the team. Since 2018, I've been part of panel discussions, interviewed 30+ industry role models for our lesson packages, co-presented Tech We Can online lessons with Becky Patel and, most recently, voiced Katie in our ‘Katie and Tex' animation series.
Job Titles:
- Group Chief Operating Officer, Societe Generale
I'm passionate about driving diversity in tech and believe that different backgrounds and perspectives can fuel innovation and create products with broader appeal. I understand that equal access to educational opportunity fuels STEM interests and, as such, I sit on the Board of Teach For All.
I am the Group Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Group Executive Committee at Societe Generale, having been appointed in May 2023. Previously, I was the Chief Information Officer at Credit Suisse, where I worked for almost 30 years. During this time, I also held a number of senior leadership roles in Information Technology.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer, Zoopla
I look after teams of software engineers, quality engineers, and agile delivery managers who collectively maintain and deliver all of Zoopla's software and technology solutions. Partnering with Product, Design and Data teams, I help create industry-leading products which delight a broad range of customers, including estate agents, landlords, home seekers, home owners and renters.
Formally, you might call me a ‘technologist', but truthfully I'm simply a proud geek who loves fiddling and tinkering with anything vaguely technical. From programming languages, to new tools and applications, new and innovative ideas and products, to lifehacking products and gadgets - I'm always happy when exploring the world of possibilities that zeroes and ones can create.
As a technology leader, I've observed first-hand some of the challenges in creating and supporting a truly diverse technology workforce. I know I have a lot more to learn about how I can help. My hope for Tech She Can is that we find ways to inspire people to join our industry, help lower the barriers to entry, encourage allyship and advocacy in others, and provide learning and growth opportunities for those who need them.
Job Titles:
- Curriculum and Resources Lead
I've worked in primary schools for over 13 years and, in that time, I've taught in a variety of schools of different sizes and in different areas. Alongside working as a part-time class teacher, I started working with the Tech She Can team in March 2022, supporting the creation and delivery of our Tech We Can educational resources.
I believe that early careers education is really important for our children, and that the Tech We Can resources are invaluable in showing them how their passions can link to future jobs in technology. It's really important that we all work together to ensure that children are aware of the variety of technology careers out there, and to help to prepare the next generation for the future.
Job Titles:
- Chief Delivery Officer, UST and Managing Director, UST UK
Alongside my experience in setting up global delivery models and executing large programmes across multiple domains, I've also been instrumental in designing talent development programmes, including establishing the UST Digital Development centre.
I believe that, for future talent models to be scalable and successful, they need to enable team members from diverse backgrounds to collaborate without any fear or discrimination. Technology has played a significant role in removing barriers so that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to learn, adopt and build propositions which create a compelling competitive edge in the emerging marketplace. Tech She Can is uniquely positioned to sponsor programmes for girls, helping to demystify what a career in technology could look like and supporting the development of our future women leaders.
As I progressed in my technology career, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by leaders from diverse backgrounds. Mentoring plays an important role in developing talent potential and I'm looking forward to being part of a programme that can scale the support needed to nurture future women leaders.
Job Titles:
- Venture Partner at Merian Ventures, NED at UKRI & Member of InnovateUK Council
Throughout my career, I have always cared passionately about the importance of inclusion. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the only way we'll design the products, make good decisions and flourish as a society in a way that benefits us all. Resolving this for the long-term requires having more women involved in technology and more girls recognising technology is a career for them. It will take many players to overcome the societal barriers to get there but I believe Tech She Can can play a key role in achieving this goal and I'm honoured to support them as a Trustee.
I'm a Venture Partner at Merian Ventures, investing in women-led innovation, an Advisor to Kheiron Medical Technologies (a UK start up using deep learning to transform cancer diagnostics), a NED at UK Research & Innovation, the Digital Catapult & GB Badminton and Adjunct Faculty at the Ashridge Hult Business School. I was previously GM for RocketSpace, launching their UK operations. I used to be a career diplomat, most recently as British Consul General to San Francisco and previously in India and Spain.
I sit on the Royal Academy of Engineering International Committee, Althea Foundation Board, Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates Advisory Boards. I also am an Advisor to The Youth Group. I was awarded an MBE in 2021 for services to international trade and women in innovation.
Job Titles:
- Educational Partnerships and Experiences Lead
I have worked in the field of education for 17 years as the Deputy Director of an Initial Teacher Training centre, Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion and as a teacher in a Primary School. These roles have given me a wealth of knowledge and experience within Education, the Special Educational Needs sector and Initial Teacher Training.
I am passionate about inclusion and diversity within education at all levels from primary school through to postgraduate education. I strive to inspire all children to reach their full potential and career aspirations. In my role at Tech She Can, I am excited to use my knowledge and skills to plan and deliver Career Insight days in collaboration with schools and Tech She Can strategic partners.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director of Digital and Policy, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport ( DCMS )
As Deputy Director for the Tech Sector at DCMS, I'm responsible for relationships with big tech companies, championing and growing the broader UK tech ecosystem, and digital skills and inclusion. Prior to this, I worked as a diplomat, including as Private Secretary to Boris Johnson and Philip Hammond in the Foreign Office. Posted to Cairo during the Arab Spring, I subsequently led the UK's UN Human Rights team in negotiations in New York and Geneva. I was also part of the senior leadership team which founded the Diplomatic Academy under William Hague, creating a uniform (virtual) system of learning for the UK's global network of embassies.
Following a stint as Head of Cyber Policy in the Foreign Office, I transferred to DCMS to continue working in Tech Policy, before being surged to NHSX in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a remit to harness the power of the sector to tackle it. I'm passionate about gender equality and, in particular, upskilling and inspiring more women and girls to consider careers in digital technology.
I joined Tech She Can from PwC (one of our founding members) in which my experience covered Student Recruitment, Employer Branding, Tech Marketing and working alongside Sheridan Ash to inform our Women in Tech strategy and engagement.
I worked on the initial 'Time to close the gender gap' research in 2017, which helped to inform the creation of Tech She Can and have been involved since its inception. I helped to create Tech She Can as its own separate charity and am currently seconded to the charity to lead its operations. I work with our Strategic Partners, help direct the work we do as part of our charity and look after all of our operational needs.
As a parent, I'm extremely passionate about the future of the world our children are being born into. I'm passionate about the gender imbalance we're trying to solve with the lack of women in technology and, for me, it all comes down to tackling the education our children receive.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Communications Lead
With over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications, I've honed my skills as a seasoned professional in the field. Growing up in Sweden, where gender equality is deeply ingrained, I've been passionate about this cause since childhood.
Having lived in multiple countries, I've witnessed the stark disparities between genders worldwide which has fueled my determination to be part of the solution. I'm thrilled to join Tech She Can's mission to close the gender gap in technology.
I have worked in education for 11 years in different primary school settings and I have also worked as a specialist music teacher. I have always been passionate about giving children every opportunity they can to develop as individuals and, in my role at Tech She Can, I hope to inspire the next generation in technology. I believe that an early careers education is so beneficial and I am particularly excited to show children how they can use their talents and hobbies in their future careers in technology.