Computer Weekly's 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2025 showcased strong representation from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
This year’s list includes Julia Adamson MBE CITP FBCS, Executive Director of Education and Public Benefit, Tristi Tanaka MBCS, Chair of BCSWomen, and Nicola Louise Martin FBCS FWES, Chair of the BCS Software Testing Specialist Group.
Launched in 2012, the list celebrates the women shaping the UK’s technology sector. Initially featuring just 25 trailblazers, it expanded to 50 in 2015 and today, attracts hundreds of nominations annually.
BCS Fellows featured:
- Deborah O'Neill FBCS, Partner and Head of Technology Innovation UKI and Nordics, Oliver Wyman.
- Charlene Hunter MBE FBCS, CEO and Founder, Coding Black Females
- Danielle George, CBE FBCS, Chief Scientific Adviser for National Securit
- Akua Opong CITP FBCS FRSA, Senior EUC Engineer, Infrastructure and Cloud Engineering, London Stock Exchange; STEM Adviser.
- Sandie Small Duberry MBCS, Deputy Governorship Chief Information Officer for the Prudential Regulatory Authority, Bank of England.
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One of the highlights of the evening was a presentation from Zoe Kleinman, the BBC's Technology Editor. Also on the top 50 list, she talked about her ‘scenic route’ career path and said her success was based on her refusal to take no for an answer.
As well as the celebrations, the challenges faced by women in tech were highlighted, with panellists Debbie Forster MBE, Akua, and Avril Chester discussing many of the barriers and, yes, the burnout that can come with striving to be seen and succeed. Their message was resilience - keep on going.
On social media, Claire Penketh, BCS Policy and Public Affairs Senior Manager acknowledged many of the women on the list who have actively engaged with BCS, including:
- Samantha Niblett MP, Founder, Labour Women in Tech
- Beckie Taylor, Founder, Voices in Tech; Co-founder, WIT North; Co-founder, TechReturners
- Beverly Clarke MBE, Founder and CEO, Technology Books for Children; Member and Advisor, Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group, Department for Education
- Gaia Marcus FRSA, Director, Ada Lovelace Institute
View the full list of Computer Weekly's 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2025
