2019 everywoman in Tech Forum: The Power of Diversity

Holly is Head of Data Services for BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. She has 12 years’ experience of strategy development in both the public and private sectors, including serving as HMRC’s Head of Applied Data, helping to deliver a billion-pound technology transformation strategy for a large financial institution, and leading Applied Intelligence’s data ethics and literacy thought leadership. Holly is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM, and is a volunteer mentor with the Stemettes.

Fiona Buckland is a professional Co-Active Life Coach and facilitator, passionate about releasing our full potential into our lives and leadership. She counts world-leading corporations, arts and philanthropic, governmental and non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and brands among her clients, as well as hubs for work, learning and play. She is also on the faculty of The School of Life and also leads several Guardian Masterclasses.

As an executive coach, leadership facilitator and consultant, Des thrives on getting her clients to acknowledge and cut through the internal and external interferences holding them back from achieving outcomes, success and fulfilling purpose, ambition and executing strategy. Des uses an exploratory approach through different tools and techniques to achieve this and becomes energised when she experiences shifts in individual and collective thinking and actions. Des’ style is described by clients as intuitive, challenging, insightful and outcome focused. Des has spent 19 years working across different industries and in different national cultures across Europe, the Middle East, USA and Asia Pacific. Before setting up accelerate development 11 years ago, Des was a Principle Consultant for a boutique leadership development consultancy and prior to that worked as a leadership development consultant for three corporate organisations in the technology, oil and professional services sectors.

Des is a certified CTI coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation and accredited in the Dr Harry Schroder Behavioural Model, Peter Hawkins Team Coaching model and is certified NLP coach. She is accredited in a number of psychometrics including; MBTI, SDI, Leadership Orientations, Talent Q, WAVE, Individual and Team Strengthscope, GCIndex and techniques such as Transactional Analysis, Systemic Coaching, constellations and Gestalt. She also presents at leadership conferences, inspiring leaders to perform to their full potential and find ways to develop and engage their talent. Des sits on the panel of experts at Everywoman; an organisation that focuses on developing and harnessing the potential of females. She has been chosen as an executive coach to support the Game-Changing Impact Programme targeted at graduates from across the world looking to enter the Energy sector. Des is collaborating with an innovation agency to help organisations accelerate innovation and growth and shift the needle on the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.

Jessica is IBM’s Head of Blockchain and leads a team of strategists, business change SMEs, technical architects and developers who work with clients to shape and grow new market networks enabled by blockchain, IOT and cognitive technologies.   She is energised by the transformational potential of these technologies to change the ways market work to deliver new benefits to customers, businesses and society.

Before taking the reins for IBM’s UK blockchain practice, Jessica led BM's market and client response to the GDPR.  She anchors and she sees the opportunity this presents for Financial Institutions to strengthen customer trust and create value-sharing experiences with customers in uncertain times.

Jessica draws on over twenty years of business transformation work with her clients in retail banking and wealth management.   She brings experience and expertise in Blockchain, Analytics, Digital and Mobile Innovation, Data Ethics and Sales, Marketing and CRM.  As well as banking, Jessica has worked with CPG and Pharma industry clients to deliver sustained customer and business results.

With a unique background that includes communications science, image consulting and psychometric profiling, Jodi Goldman has become one of the UK’s leading Personal Impact Specialists.

Teaching people how to transform both the outer AND the inner, her holistic approach has helped thousands of people to develop a signature style, an impactful mindset and charismatic communication skills.

With a greatly increased profile - and the power to connect with whomever they want - each of Jodi’s clients gain the personal edge in an ever more crowded marketplace.

Jodi's specialties include Aspiring Leader programmes, Women in Leadership, and Graduate programmes. Jodi has a way of not just teaching the tools, techniques and systems needed to truly be an inspirational leader at any level; but she is able to really light a fire under people and get them to step up, stand out and shine. 

Some companies Jodi has worked with include:  RBS, Ladbrokes, Post Office, Merlin Entertainment, Selfridges, Dorchester.

Pippa Isbell is a commercially astute business consultant with a wealth of hands-on experience, which she now shares through coaching, training and strategic consultancy.  She brings a potent blend of entrepreneurial flair, business acumen and a ‘business-like approach’ to her coaching, with particular expertise in building leadership presence and influence. In 2012, she was named Mentor of the Year in the Women 1^st Shine awards.

Until 2013, Pippa was Chief Executive of PRCo Ltd, the integrated public relations and digital consultancy.  Pippa joined PRCo from NYSE quoted Orient-Express Hotels, where, as Vice President, Corporate Communications and a member of the Executive Committee, she was responsible for investor relations. 

She was headhunted for Orient-Express having started, built and sold PIPR, her own highly successful public relations consultancy.  Founded in 1987, PIPR became the largest independent travel and leisure specialist, numbering among its clients household brands such as Inter-Continental Hotels, Thomas Cook Group and Avis Rent A Car.

Pippa started her career in management development and training with Harrods, Harvey Nichols and the Jaeger Group; and served as a communication skills advisor with The Industrial Society before moving into public relations.

Paula is a Global Digital and CX Leader, with over 20 years’ experience in the Global BPO industry, creating technology-enabled customer solutions to disrupt and rethink customer management. She was the recipient of 2018 Institute of Directors Award and Stevie Award for International Leadership, these accolades head a number of other industry awards throughout 2018 for excellence in CX and leadership.

 Paula also serves as a seasoned industry awards judge for digital transformation and innovation globally. Integrated to her international business responsibilities, Paula is a champion and advocate for diversity, leading a Global Lean In programme for Concentrix, and gives back to the local community as a female business mentor and Non Executive Director for the Board at Brain Injury Matters NI. 

Clare McDonald is the business editor at Computer Weekly, covering the use of technology in the retail sector as well as diversity and skills in the technology industry. Having studied computer science at Brunel University, Clare has first-hand experience in some of the problems women can face when making their way into the tech sector.

Dr Nicola Millard heads up Customer Insight & Futures in BT's Innovation Team. Despite working for a technology company, Nicola isn't a technologist and combines psychology with futurology to try & anticipate what might be lying around the corner for both customers and organisations (sadly, her crystal ball is broken).

Nicola has been with BT for over 25 years. She has done a number of jobs around the BT business, including research, user interface design, customer service and business consulting. She was involved with a number of BT "firsts", including the first application of AI into BT's call centres, BT's initial experiments with home working and developing new ways to measure customer experience.​

Troy Norcross is an experienced Strategy Director specialising in defining how Blockchain can be used to create incremental business value. Troy is Co-Founder of Blockchain Rookies and former CEO of Opengoods. By focusing on the business opportunities created by Blockchain, Troy separates the value from the technical delivery of Blockchain projects. Troy’s background ranges from software development for flight simulators to running his own start-up focused on permission marketing. Hailing originally from 4,000 acres of farmland in Missouri, Troy has lived in Amsterdam, Munich, Helsinki and currently resides in London. Troy’s breadth of experience across multiple industries gives him a unique perspective when looking at how Blockchain can be applied to a business opportunity or to an industry at large.

Jacqueline de Rojas CBE is the President of techUK and the President of the Digital Leaders board. She sits as a Non-Executive Director on the board of UK technology business Rightmove plc; on the board of Costain plc, which is committed to solving the nation’s Infrastructure problems; and serves on the board of the online retailer AO World plc. Jacqueline is a member of the government’s panel to review Post-18 Education and is an advisor to fast-moving tech businesses and a business mentor at Merryck Group offering board and executive level coaching.

She is the co-chair at the Institute of Coding, advises the board of Accelerate-Her and is especially delighted to lend her support to the Girlguiding Association for technology transformation. Passionate about diversity and inclusion which informs where she places her support. Jacqueline was awarded CBE for Services to International Trade in Technology in the Queen's New Year Honours list 2018. Happily married with three children and two dogs. Yoga is how she finds her balance.

After leaving Oxford and completing a master’s degree at Edinburgh University, Nicola joined Shell as a graduate trainee in its IT department. She then worked for SC Johnson, Cadbury and Rolls Royce before joining SSE, where she now looks after the information and technology needs of three businesses across the Wholesale directorate. 

Some of her main challenges include the introduction and embedding of data and analytics in the power generation business and building from the ground up new IT for the commercial energy supply business.  Nicola is also leading the SSE-wide programme to separate the IT systems shared by SSE Retail and the rest of the SSE group in preparation for the demerger of the retail business.