Sheridan Ash, founder and co-CEO of Tech She Can, has develop into the thirteenth individual to be named Laptop Weekly’s Most Influential Lady in UK Tech.
Launched in 2012, the Laptop Weekly listing of the 50 Most Influential Ladies in UK Tech began as a listing of 25, increasing to 50 in 2015, and now seeing a whole bunch of nominations annually.
The listing was initially created to showcase the amazing women in the technology industry, shining a light-weight on the sector’s position fashions who could encourage the following technology of ladies in tech.
In addition to the 2024 longlist of more than 700 nominated women, and our listing of Rising Stars, there are additionally new entrants to our Hall of Fame, launched to acknowledge those that have made a lifetime contribution to the UK’s know-how sector.
This yr’s winner, Sheridan Ash, launched Tech She Can to show ladies and younger ladies about know-how careers and topics to encourage them to decide on this path sooner or later.
Till 2023, Ash led know-how innovation at PwC UK, and is at the moment co-CEO and founding father of the charity Tech She Can. She was a board member of the Institute of Coding for 4 years and, in 2020, acquired an MBE for companies to younger women and girls by means of know-how.
Tech She Can is an award-winning charity with greater than 240 member organisations, which collectively work with business, authorities and faculties to enhance the ratio of ladies in know-how roles. It supplies initiatives and pathways into tech careers throughout all of the completely different phases of women’ and girls’s lives.
At PwC, Ash led change within the know-how workforce, pioneering initiatives that noticed the proportion of ladies in tech greater than double to achieve 32%. Timperley is a contract advisor and co-founder of Tech North Advocates, a personal sector-led assortment of tech specialists who champion the know-how sector within the north of England.
In 2021, she co-founded advisory agency Development Technique Innovation, which helps to develop startup and scaleup organisations. She is now innovation director for Oxford Innovation, which helps organisations develop ecosystems for entrepreneurs and innovators, in flip boosting native areas.
Timperley was named a Computer Weekly Women in Tech Rising Star in 2017 when, till 2021, she was a board member of FutureEverything. She beforehand co-founded Enterprise Lab.
Turner based Angel Academe, a pro-women and pro-diversity angel funding group centered on know-how, and is at the moment CEO of the group.
Till 2023, Turner was additionally an advisory board member of tech recruiter Spinks, and in 2007 co-founded consultancy Turner Hopkins, which helps companies create digital methods.
Beforehand, Turner was an exterior board member and chair of the funding committee for enterprise capital fund the Low Carbon Innovation Fund and a board member of the UK Enterprise Angels Affiliation, the commerce affiliation for early-stage funding.
Hunter based Coding Black Females in 2017 to assist black feminine software program builders meet one another and community. Alongside her work at Coding Black Females, Hunter is a software program developer and a member of the BCS Affect Board.
She is an advisory board business consultant within the College of Essex On-line’s computing division, technical director at SAM Software program Options, and technical director at full-stack and front-end coaching organisation Black CodHer Bootcamp.
Beforehand, Hunter was lead software program engineer at Made Tech, and held roles comparable to senior software program developer, lead Java developer, app developer and technical advisor at varied companies. She was named a Laptop Weekly Women in UK Tech Rising Star in 2020. Earlier than her time as an MP, Niblett had an extended profession in know-how, having roles comparable to business gross sales chief at DXC Expertise and head of alliances, channel and ecosystem in EMEA at 1E.
Now, alongside her position as an MP, she’s founding father of the Labour: Ladies in Tech group, which campaigns to achieve equal gender alternatives within the know-how business. She’s additionally the co-chair of the All-Occasion Parliamentary Group on FinTech and the Parliamentary Web, Communications and Expertise Discussion board (PICTFOR), in addition to the chair for the Interparliamentary Discussion board on Rising Applied sciences and a member of the Ladies and Equalities Choose Committee.
An entrepreneur and co-founder, Brailsford joined Code First Ladies as CEO in 2019, the place she works to encourage extra ladies into the tech sector by offering software program improvement abilities and training.
Previous to her work at Code First Ladies, she co-founded and was CEO of efficiency administration agency Frisbee, which was a part of enterprise capital fund Founders Manufacturing facility. Till summer time 2024, she was was a board member for the Institute of Coding, the place she centered particularly on range and inclusion. She can also be a self-employed business and technique advisor.
As a part of her position as companion and head of digital for Europe at Oliver Wyman, O’Neill leads digital transformation and new proposition launches at firms everywhere in the world.
Alongside this, she can also be a strategic companion at FutureDotNow, a board trustee for Girlguiding and particular adviser to the founder at The Youth Group.
Sillem labored for the Royal Academy of Engineering for 12 years earlier than being appointed its CEO in 2018. Earlier roles on the academy embody deputy CEO and director of technique, director of programmes and fellowship, and head of worldwide actions.
In addition to her work for the academy, Sillem is a trustee of EngineeringUK and the Basis for Science and Expertise, and CEO of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.
Lakhani based Century Tech as a educating and studying platform centered on topics comparable to synthetic intelligence (AI), cognitive neuroscience, large knowledge analytics and blockchain, the place she can also be CEO. A frequent public speaker, she has beforehand been a member of the UK’s AI Council, a board member for the Basis for Training Growth, a board member for Unboxed 2022, and a non-executive director for the Division for Digital, Tradition, Media and Sport (DCMS).
She is a digital patron for Cottesmore College, and has appeared on the BBC’s AI Decoded information section. She was awarded an OBE in 2014.
Mary McKenna is a large supporter of entrepreneurship and startups, holding a number of roles as an adviser and investor. Her social enterprise, AwakenHub, the place she is co-founder, is targeted on constructing a neighborhood of feminine founders in Eire.
In addition to being an skilled adviser for the European Fee, she is an entrepreneurship skilled with the Entrepreneurship Centre on the College of Oxford’s Mentioned Enterprise College, and a trustee for CAST, amongst many different board memberships and non-executive directorships.
Thorne is co-CEO of Tech She Can, a charity aimed toward growing the variety of ladies within the know-how sector, in addition to a enterprise companion at Deep Science Ventures and a range and inclusion advisory board member for the Institute of Coding.
She has a background within the training sector, beforehand holding roles as director of innovation technique for the College of Surrey and govt officer to the vice-president (innovation) at Imperial School London.
Williams is CEO of inclusion marketing campaign FutureDotNow, which goals to make sure persons are not left behind by the rising abilities hole brought on by digital adoption. She is a member of the UK authorities’s Digital Abilities Council, and chair of the Good Issues Basis.
Previous to her present work, Williams spent greater than 20 years at BT in plenty of completely different roles, together with programme director for sustainable enterprise, director of tech literacy and training programmes, and director of digital society. Till 2024, she was a member of the board of trustees for Transport for London.
With a background in legislation surrounding telecoms, the web and media, Wright now makes use of her experience as director of not-for-profit The Institute of AI, in addition to companion at Harbottle & Lewis, heading up the tech, knowledge and digital group. She has labored within the tech sector for over 20 years. Her staff at Harbottle & Lewis is comprised of 66% feminine and 66% ethnic minority members.
Throughout 2023, she labored with the OECD, WEF and the ITU to construct a fame in relation to the regulation of AI. She can also be working with the Ditchley Basis, contemplating whether or not the collaborative strategy in relation to telecoms can work for AI regulation.
In her 30 years at KPMG, Mehta has had many tasks, together with constructing the agency’s concentrate on commerce and funding, and serving to scaleup purchasers to entry monetary help.
She is now chair of the organisation, and in 2022 was awarded an MBE for companies to UK commerce and funding and supporting feminine entrepreneurs.
An skilled in range, inclusion and neighborhood constructing, Farooq co-founded Muslamic Makers in 2016 as a networking group for Muslims in tech, design and improvement.
In addition to a contract range and inclusion advisor, Farooq is a scout for Ada Ventures with particular curiosity in edtech, healthtech and fintech, and till March 2024 was a neighborhood supervisor for Massive Society Capital.
She has an intensive background in digital and AI in each the non-public and public sectors.
Taylor co-founded TechReturners, the place she is at the moment CEO, to present expert people who’ve had a profession break the chance to attach with companies and assist them again into mid-level to senior-level tech roles.
She can also be co-founder of The Confidence Neighborhood, which goals to offer sources, coaching info and occasions to present folks extra profession confidence. Taylor is co-founder of neighborhood WIT North and co-founder of ReframeWIT. She lately based neighborhood platform Voices in Tech to assist join audio system with occasion alternatives.
Dawes has headed up Ofcom since 2020 following her earlier position as everlasting secretary on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Native Authorities, in addition to many different roles throughout the Civil Service.
She has beforehand been a trustee at Patchwork Basis, which goals to encourage under-represented younger folks to take part in democracy, and a non-executive director of client group Which?.
Award-winning entrepreneur Avril Chester is at the moment the CTO of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, her most up-to-date in a sequence of roles heading up know-how in organisations. In 2018, she based know-how charity platform Most cancers Central to assist help folks with most cancers.
Martin has a historical past of working as a take a look at advisor at companies comparable to Barclays, Sony, the UK House Workplace, Shazam and Sky, and is at the moment a startup adviser and founding father of her personal teaching and consultancy agency. Previous to this, she was head of high quality at Adarga.
She is a BCS Fellow and is at the moment chair for the BCS Particular Curiosity Group in Software program Testing, and till January 2023 was the vice-chair of the BCS LGBTQIA+ tech specialist group.
Amanda Brock’s position at OpenUK sees her main the sustainable and moral improvement of open applied sciences within the UK, together with know-how comparable to open supply software program, {hardware} and knowledge.
She additionally sits on the boards of each the Cupboard Workplace Open Requirements Board and US cyber safety agency Mimoto, is an advisory board member of a number of companies, in addition to appearing as a decide for the CIO 100 Awards.
Moore has been at Apps for Good since 2019, initially as director of training, merchandise and occasions, then as chief working officer (COO), earlier than changing into CEO in 2021. Her profession background has been closely weighted in the direction of training, having been worldwide training programme coordinator for London 2012, and volunteering as governor on the Harris Academy Ockendon and Sixth Kind.
Tanaka is at the moment a part of the programme staff for All4Health&Care, a neighborhood launched throughout the pandemic to attach digital healthcare suppliers with the general public sector. She can also be the pinnacle of the CMO Workplace for NHS Black Nation ICB, and is on the neighborhood help committee for BCS.
Beforehand, she has been a fellow, unbiased audit for AI methods for ForHumanity, and BCS Ladies membership secretary.
Calista has a historical past in each know-how and the general public sector.
Alongside her position at Labour Digital, she is head of coverage and public affairs at UK scaleup Vorboss, and he or she co-founded community Ladies in Tech Coverage.
She volunteers as an adviser for digital citizenship charity Glitch, and is a coverage board member for OpenUK.
With expertise in cloud at firms comparable to Salesforce and IBM, Kelisky began her position at Google in 2022 well-equipped with the talents wanted to run its cloud division.
Alongside this, Kelisky is on the board of administrators for Calnex Options, and is a member of the board of administrators for the Ladies in Telecoms and Expertise networking group.
Lila Ibrahim turned Google DeepMind’s first COO in 2018, taking care of groups in disciplines comparable to engineering, digital environments, programme administration and operations. Previous to this position, she was COO of on-line abilities platform Coursera, and has additionally acted at normal supervisor for rising markets platforms in China at Intel.
Philpot has a background in each gross sales, and studying and improvement, which she makes use of in her position because the vice-president of world gross sales enablement at Getty Photos. She has held varied roles each in and out of doors of gross sales at many notable companies, comparable to Shell, Mars and GSK.
In addition to being a board member for the TLA Black Ladies in Tech group, she is a member and speaker for the Gross sales Enablement Directive.
Hodson has an intensive background within the know-how sector, and has had roles comparable to managing advisor at EY and normal supervisor at Siemens Enterprise Providers answerable for public sector, healthcare, monetary companies and manufacturing.
Extra lately, she was vice-president for international gross sales, advertising and marketing and operations – discipline transformation at Microsoft, earlier than changing into chief govt of IBM in UK and Eire at the start of 2023.
She’s additionally a board member and deputy president of TechUK, and holds a number of non-executive directorships.
As managing director of Jomas Associates (Engineering & Environmental), Savage specialises in geotechnical and environmental engineering.
She can also be keen about subjects comparable to ladies in engineering and social mobility, and is on the UK authorities’s SME Enterprise Council.
With an extended historical past of CEO positions, Kirkby has expertise in working firms with a background in telecoms, and in February this yr took over as CEO of BT Group. Her previous CEO roles have included TDC group, Tele2 and Telia, and he or she can also be a non-executive director of Brookfield asset administration. Barclay has been with Microsoft for greater than 10 years, holding a number of roles together with director of SMB, normal supervisor of small and mid-market options and companions, COO, and CEO within the UK.
In November 2024, she turned president of enterprise and business for Microsoft within the UK. She is chair of the commercial technique advisory council for the Division for Enterprise and Commerce, volunteers as a board member for the British Coronary heart Basis and, till lately, was a non-executive director at CBI.
Oniwinde Agoro based BYP Community in 2016 to assist black professionals community and have simpler entry to jobs, after a visit overseas confirmed the challenges younger black folks face in getting jobs each in and out of doors the UK.
Till 2024, she was board trustee for volunteer organisation Getting On Board, and has acquired a number of awards and accolades, together with Forbes 30 Beneath 30 and Monetary Instances High 100 BAME Leaders in Expertise.
Wallace heads up range and inclusion, partnerships and other people change at Sky, and considered one of her focuses on this position is designing and delivering the folks technique for know-how inside the agency.
Exterior of this, Wallace was a member of the advisory board for lately disbanded Tech Expertise Constitution, and volunteers as a cub and scout assistant.
Scullion is a serial founder, having based dressCode, a not-for-profit that encourages younger ladies in Scotland to contemplate a profession in laptop science, and co-founded the Ada Scotland Pageant, which goals to make use of collaboration to shut the gender hole in laptop science training in Scotland.
These endeavours stem from her being a pc science trainer keen about encouraging extra youngsters to take the topic. Alongside this work, she is a volunteer for the Scottish Tech Military, a not-for-profit aimed toward utilizing tech for good.
Earlier this yr, Tulip took on the position of chief progress officer at software program engineering consultancy Conquer Expertise. In 2018, she co-founded community-led initiative Ladies In Leeds Digital, which inspires and helps minority teams to contemplate a profession in know-how. Tulip can also be chair of the regional productiveness discussion board in Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East for the Productiveness Institute, ambassador for Leeds as a digital metropolis at Leeds Metropolis Council, and managing director at &Then Consulting.
Moore co-founded knowledge analytics and AI agency Panintelligence in 2010 with the goal of serving to companies correctly organise their knowledge to extra simply undertake AI. She turned CEO in 2018.
Alongside this, Moore additionally based low-code tech neighborhood No Code Lab and gender equality neighborhood Lean In Leeds. In addition to a place as chair for Lifted Ventures, Moore is an Ada Angel for inclusive enterprise agency Ada Ventures.
As international director of id at Sky, Moore is answerable for main the agency’s id administration tasks. Previous to this, she held a number of roles as a mission supervisor, and was beforehand the pinnacle of infotainment group know-how for Vodafone.
In addition to being a member of the board for Tech Expertise Constitution, she is the co-founder of feminine tech leaders neighborhood Elevate as we Climb.
Maria Axente is the pinnacle of AI public coverage and ethics at PwC within the UK, the place she combines her abilities in analytics and moral AI coverage improvement to make sure AI is developed with people in thoughts.
Beforehand, she was the synthetic intelligence and AI-for-good lead on the agency, answerable for advising purchasers on accountable use of AI, and guaranteeing moral improvement of PwC AI operations, services.
She’s a vice-chair for the information, analytics and AI management committee at TechUK, and previously she has been an advisory board member for the APPG for AI, and adviser for the PHI for Augmented Intelligence.
As CEO of Nash Squared, White heads up the worldwide agency which supplies IT recruitment, know-how options and management companies out of 36 places of work internationally. White has an extended background within the tech sector, having beforehand held roles as CIO and director of IT, in addition to finishing a level in laptop science.
Bentinck was named a Computer Weekly Rising Star in 2014, and has co-founded a number of organisations, together with Entrepreneur First, a agency that helps European know-how startups, and not-for-profit coding coaching programme Code First Ladies.
She is on the Laptop Science Division Industrial Liaison Board for Imperial School London, is a board trustee for Technology and is the creator of startup enterprise e-book The right way to be a founder.
Hirt joined Innovate Finance in 2015 because the business physique’s head of neighborhood, earlier than ultimately changing into its CEO six years later. She now heads up the organisation, aiming to drive innovation and transformation within the fintech sector to make it extra inclusive.
She has labored world wide in a wide range of roles, together with appearing head of company relations for Chatham Home within the UK, head of membership for the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce in New York, and head new rent coach for an English language coaching programme in Japan.
Davis is the co-founder of range profession platform Diversifying, and founder and CEO of recruitment organisation BAME Recruitment and Consulting.
She is chair of the board of administrators for Pop Up Tasks and a board trustee for charity Over the Wall, each aimed toward altering younger folks’s lives for the higher.
Davis has beforehand held roles in expertise acquisition within the STEM sector, at telecoms agency BT, and as a part of a short-term mission at an aerospace, aviation, F1 and motorsport organisation.
The primary feminine to move up GCHQ, Keast-Butler moved into the director position final yr after serving as deputy director normal of MI5. With an extended profession in safety and defence, her earlier roles have included overseeing the maintenance of capabilities that help MI5’s operational actions and the launch of the UK’s Nationwide Cyber Safety Programme. In addition to her work as senior EUC engineer, infrastructure and cloud engineering on the London Inventory Alternate Group, Opong is a freelancer and STEM adviser and a board trustee for The Blair Mission Basis.
Till lately, she was a part of the Metropolis of London Company volunteer advisory group for equality, range and inclusion, and was beforehand an advisory board member for Neurodiversity in Enterprise, and a mentor on the TechUp mentor programme for Durham College.
Opong was a contributor for Voices within the shadows, the e-book of black feminine position fashions created by the 2022 Laptop Weekly Most Influential Lady in UK Tech, Flavilla Fongang.
Munby has an extended historical past of working in authorities, and have become everlasting secretary main the Division for Science, Innovation and Expertise in February 2023.
She has additionally been companion, chief of technique and company finance follow in UK and Eire at McKinsey & Firm, the place she led the agency’s work on productiveness throughout the UK financial system.
Crosswell is managing director of consulting agency Exadin, in addition to chair for the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Expertise. She holds a number of different non-executive directorships in companies comparable to Freemarket and the Centre for Coverage Research. In 2021, she acquired an OBE for companies to the monetary companies sector.
Graham has been the CEO of not-for-profit the ScaleUp Institute since 2015, and has an OBE for companies to UK enterprise and financial system.
In addition to being a visiting professor of entrepreneurship at Strathclyde College, Graham holds varied non-executive and advisory roles.
As CEO of Salesforce within the UK and Eire, Bahrololoumi is answerable for the workforce in these areas throughout all industries and capabilities, and is especially centered on guaranteeing its prospects are prepared for digital transformation. She sits on a number of boards, together with for Seeing Is Believing Coventry Place, Motion to Work and Most cancers Analysis UK Company Partnerships, and is an unbiased non-executive director on the TSB board.
In 2023, she was awarded a CBE for companies to the data know-how sector.
Naming the know-how sector her “acquainted territory”, Gardner has an intensive background within the know-how sector, having held roles comparable to first line help at Fujitsu, senior provide chain administrator at Technicolor and mission supervisor on the BBC as a member of the BBC’s Design and Expertise Enterprise Administration Unit HQ Workforce.
Now, she’s a enterprise operations analyst as a part of the know-how arm of Information UK, and is a board trustee of meals and hygiene financial institution Requirements UK.
Cardell has been on the Competitors and Markets Authority since 2013, first as normal counsel, then as interim CEO, and now as CEO.
Previous to her time on the Competitors and Markets Authority, she was a authorized companion for the markets division of vitality markets authority Ofgem, and in her early profession spent 11 years at legislation agency Slaughter and Could, working her means from trainee solicitor to companion.
Sinel based Teenagers in AI and Acorn Aspirations to assist younger individuals who need to clear up real-world issues utilizing know-how comparable to AI, digital, augmented and combined actuality.
She has received awards for her work, together with CogX 2017 Award in Utilizing AI for Social Good Tasks, and is at the moment an training taskforce committee member for the All Parliamentary Group on Synthetic Intelligence, and a enterprise mentor at Microsoft for Startups.
Earlier than engaged on Acorn Associates and Teenagers in AI, Sinel was a advisor for a number of companies, together with the British Council, NGOs, Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Mission. 1. Sheridan Ash, founder and co-CEO, Tech She Can
2. Naomi Timperley, co-founder, Tech North Advocates; innovation director, Oxford Innovation
3. Sarah Turner, CEO and co-founder, Angel Academe
4. Charlene Hunter, CEO and founder, Coding Black Females
5. Samantha Niblett, founder, Labour Women in Tech
6. Anna Brailsford, CEO, Code First Girls
7. Deborah O’Neill, partner – head of digital, Europe, Oliver Wyman
8. Hayaatun Sillem, CEO, Royal Academy of Engineering
9. Priya Lakhani, founder and CEO, Century Tech
10. Mary McKenna, co-founder, AwakenHub
11. Claire Thorne, co-CEO, Tech She Can
12. Liz Williams, CEO, FutureDotNow; chair, Good Things Foundation
13. Emma Wright, director, Institute of AI; partner, Harbottle and Lewis
14. Bina Mehta, chair, KPMG UK
15. Arfah Farooq, scout, Ada Ventures; founder, Muslamic Makers; founder, Muslim Tech Fest
16. Beckie Taylor, CEO, co-founder, TechReturners
17. Melanie Dawes, chief executive, Ofcom
18. Avril Chester, founder, Cancer Central; CTO, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
19. Nicola Martin, BCS Women committee member and BCS Pride vice-chair; founder, Nicola Martin Coaching & Consultancy
20. Amanda Brock, CEO, Open UK
21. Natalie Moore, CEO, Apps for Good
22. Tristi Tanaka, head of the CMO portfolio, NHS Black Country ICB; BCS committee member
23. Casey Calista, chair, Labour Digital
24. Helen Kelisky, managing director UK&I, Google Cloud
25. Lila Ibrahim, chief operating officer, Google DeepMind
26. Kate Philpot, vice-president, global sales enablement, Getty Images; board member, TLA – Black Women In Tech
27. Nicola Hodson, CEO for UK&I, IBM
28. Roni Savage, managing director, Jomas Associates (Engineering & Environmental)
29. Allison Kirkby, CEO, BT Group
30. Clare Barclay, president, enterprise and industry, Microsoft UK
31. Kike Oniwinde Agoro, founder and CEO, BYP Network
32. Sharon Wallace, head of D&I, partnerships and people change, Sky
33. Toni Scullion, computing science teacher; founder of dressCode
34. Sarah Tulip, chief growth officer, Conquer Technology; co-founder, Women in Leeds Digital
35. Zandra Moore, CEO and co-founder, Panintelligence
36. Laura Moore, global director of identity, Sky; co-founder, Lift as we Climb
37. Maria Axente, head of AI public policy and ethics, PwC UK; vice-chair and member of data analytics and AI Leadership Committee, TechUK
38. Bev White, CEO, Nash Squared
39. Alice Bentinck, co-founder and CEO, Entrepreneur First
40. Janine Hirt, CEO, Innovate Finance
41. Cynthia Davis, CEO and founder, Diversifying Group
42. Anne Keast-Butler, director, GCHQ
43. Akua Opong, senior EUC engineer, infrastructure and cloud engineering, London Stock Exchange; STEM adviser
44. Sarah Munby, permanent secretary, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
45. Charlotte Crosswell, chair, Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology
46. Irene Graham, CEO, Scaleup Institute
47. Zahra Bahrololoumi, CEO, Salesforce UK&I
48. Nzinga Gardner, business operations analyst, News UK Technology; chair of Women in Tech Network, News UK
49. Sarah Cardell, CEO, Competition and Markets Authority
50. Elena Sinel, founder, Acorn Aspirations and Teens in AI; business mentor, Microsoft for Startups
