The finalists in the eighth annual FDM everywoman in Technology Awards – celebrating the brightest individuals changing the face of technology in the UK and beyond – are announced today. This year’s theme “Inspiring Tomorrow’s World” highlights the importance of encouraging women to study STEM subjects from a young age and motivating them to pursue fulfilling, long-term careers in tech.
The 39 finalists were handpicked from a record breaking number of entries by a panel of the UK’s most senior technology leaders and include highly skilled software engineers breaking glass ceilings at large global companies, innovative tech entrepreneurs reshaping the future and female students dedicated to increasing STEM engagement at their schools.
Three brand new categories were introduced for 2018, the International Inspiration Award, awarded to an individual based outside the UK; the Apprentice Award, awarded to a young game-changer excelling in her early career; and the Male Agent of Change Award, awarded to a man for his active commitment to advancing the progress of women working in technology, meaning this year’s finalists represent a broader range of talent than ever before from across the globe.
The number of women working in the technology sector currently remains low at just 16%*. A recent study conducted by everywoman found that the two main barriers preventing women entering the industry were a shortfall in support for female progression in the workplace and a lack of female role models.** This is why everywoman is dedicated to attracting, engaging, retaining and advancing women by spotlighting strong female role models and offering companies globally access to invaluable development resources to ensure a gender-balanced pipeline of talent.
The 2018 winners will be announced on 8 February 2018 at The London Hilton on Park Lane. The ceremony will be preceded by the everywoman in Tech Forum: Energising Tomorrow’s World, a one-day event that will welcome over 600 international delegates and an impressive line-up of speakers including Inma Martinez, Venture Partner at Deep Science Ventures, Suki Fuller, Founder of Miribure and Elena Corchero, Founder and Director of Lost Values. Tickets can be purchased here.
The finalists for 2018 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards are:
Academic Award – sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group – awarded to a woman in academia who has made an outstanding contribution to technology and science and whose work has made or has the potential to make a significant long-term impact in STEM.
- Jeni Brown, IT Training Manager, London School of Economics and Political Science, from London
- Geraldine Murphy, Head of Teaching and Learning, London School of Business and Management, from Leicester
- Steph Scott, Physics Teacher, Newcastle High School for Girls, from Newcastle Upon Tyne
The One to Watch Award – sponsored by Computacenter – awarded to a girl aged 11-18 who is actively encouraging girls to study STEM subjects at school-level.
- Katie Griffiths, King Edward VI School, from Stratford-upon-Avon
- Anna Ionescu, Anglo European School, from Brentwood, Essex
- Jess Scott, Newcastle High School for Girls, from Newcastle Upon Tyne
The Apprentice Award *New for 2018* – sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch – awarded to a young woman apprentice who is a game-changer and is excelling in her early career.
- Sophie Caffrey, Technical Apprentice, Leonardo, from Luton
- Marie Foster, Junior ALM Tools Engineer, BP Plc, from London
- Shannon Lynch, Chassis Engineering Degree Apprentice, Jaguar Land Rover, from Coventry
Rising Star Award – sponsored by T-Systems – awarded to a woman aged under 26 who is excelling in her technology career, making a valuable contribution to her organisation.
- Katharine Burton, Assistant Vice President; Analyst Programmer, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, from London
- Kimberley Norris, Senior Systems Engineer/Pilot Officer, Lockheed Martin/RAF Air Cadets, from Portsmouth
- Harley Reiss Slaven, Test Engineering Manager – Global Test Support, Rolls-Royce, from Glasgow
Digital Star Award – sponsored by CGI – awarded to a woman who is excelling in a digital role. This could include innovative digital content, social media, web development or developing online solutions.
- Saija Mahon, Founder CEO, Mahon Digital Marketing, from London
- Carrie Anne Philbin, Director of Education, Raspberry Pi Foundation, from Cambridge
- Emily Walters, Head of Digital Experience, Sopra Steria, from Edinburgh
Software Engineer Award – sponsored by RBS – awarded to a woman who has made a significant difference to the art of software engineering and has built something new, shifted the art of the possible and is moving the profession forward.
- Shilpa Arora, Senior Engineer, American Express, from West Sussex
- Rosie Lickorish, Software Engineer, IBM UK Ltd, from Southampton
- Kirsty Tidmarsh, Senior Software Engineer, Department for Work and Pensions, from Widnes
Team Leader Award – sponsored by American Express – awarded to a woman whose team leadership has greatly contributed to the organisation’s success and is leading a team of up to 100 employees.
- Tanja Lichtensteiger, Business Systems Development Manager, Leeds Beckett University, from Leeds
- Mandy Loadman, Change & IT Programme Manager, Aviva, from Norwich
- Nicola Ryan, Director, Global Virtual Sales and Customer Success, Cisco, from London
Start-up Founder Award – awarded to the most inspirational female founder of a start-up business (under 24 months old).
- Kiran Bhagotra, CEO & Founder, ProtectBox, from Belfast
- Louise Doherty, CEO, PlanSnap, from London
- Gemma Milne, Co-Founder, Science: Disrupt, from London
Entrepreneur Award – awarded to an owner/operator of a technology business whose vision and talent will inspire others to start their own technology related venture (over 24 months old)
- Jill Hodges, CEO & Founder, Fire Tech Camp, from London
- Georgina Nelson, CEO & Founder, TruRating, from London
- Mary O’ Brien, CEO & Co-Founder, VideoDoc, from London
Innovator Award – sponsored by Equiniti – awarded to a woman designing, developing, researching, implementing or being exceptionally creative with technology in an unconventional and innovative way.
- Amanda Adams, Cryptography Architect, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, from Chester
- Julie Bretland, CEO & Founder, Our Mobile Health, from London
- Pip Wilson, CEO, Amicable, from London
Leader Award – sponsored by BP – awarded to the woman operating in a senior technology role within her organisation, leading over 100 employees and making a contribution to the strategic direction of the business.
- Rachel Murphy, in her role as Digital Delivery Director, NHS Digital, London
- Shobana Rajamani, Director, Quality Engineering and Assurance Practise, Cognizant Technology Solutions, from London
- Debbie Vavangas, iX Executive Partner, IBM iX, from London
Male Agent of Change Award *New for 2018* – sponsored by VMware – awarded to a male agent of change for their active commitment to encouraging, advancing, sponsoring or championing the progress of women working in technology.
- Freddie Norton, Acting Head of Fellowship and Experts, Apps for Good, from London
- Russ Shaw, Founder, Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates, from London
- Dr. Will Whittow, Senior Lecturer, Loughborough University, from Loughborough
International Inspiration Award *New for 2018* – sponsored by Aviva – awarded to an individual based outside of the UK, male or female, for their active commitment to encouraging, advancing, sponsoring or championing the progress of women working in technology.
- Thierry Delaporte, Chief Operating Officer & SE Executive Corporate Officer, Capgemini, from Paris, France
- Gayathri Mohan, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility – India, Sopra Steria, from Chennai, India
- Dr. Marily Nika, Engineering Program Manager, Google, from San Francisco, USA
“This year’s finalists are, without a doubt, some of the brightest role models working within the technology industry and an inspiration to its future leaders. From the UK and beyond, they are reshaping the tech landscape, while simultaneously encouraging others to do the same. At everywoman, we recognise the role that men also play in ensuring a strong pipeline of female talent, which is why this year we have introduced the Male Agent of Change Award. The companies represented within the finalist lineup are proving their dedication to ensuring a gender-balanced workforce and, ultimately, a much more sustainable and successful business. We look forward to celebrating all winners and finalists in February 2018.”
Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman
“The FDM everywoman in Technology Awards are a great way to celebrate female success and create role models to inspire others. At FDM Group, we are committed to driving diversity in the workplace and encouraging more women to pursue rewarding careers in technology and STEM. Creating diversity in the workplace is not only the right thing to do, it also makes businesses more successful. We are proud to continue supporting these awards and look forward to celebrating more female tech talent throughout years to come.”
Sheila Flavell, Chief Operating Officer of FDM Group
“techUK is proud to support the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards again this year. It is no secret that the tech sector has a gender parity issue, and we are working hard with our members to address this problem. The Awards are a great opportunity to champion role models all across the sector, and celebrate women who are pioneering a path for others in the industry. We look forward to celebrating leading tech talent.”
Julian David, CEO of techUK
For further information about the awards and forum visit www.everywoman.com/techawards
@everywomanUK
#techawards
#WomenDoTech
*Where are all the women in UK technology? – Glick, B. (2016).
**Examining the pipeline: What has the biggest impact on gender parity in tech? – everywoman (2017)
