In addition, to Computer Weekly’s 2020 shortlist Margaret Ross MBE, an active BCS Women member and Emeritus Professor of Software Quality at Southampton Solent University, has been added to Computer Weekly’s Hall of Fame, which celebrates women who’ve had a lasting career in technology and have made a lifetime contribution to the sector.
The top 50 were chosen from a long list of more than 400 women - here’s the BCS roll call...
No. 6 - Sarah Wilkinson FBCS CEO, NHS Digital
In 2017, Sarah was appointed CEO of NHS Digital. Before that, she was chief technology officer (CTO) at the Home Office, where she led many of the most critical IT systems supporting UK borders and policing. Prior to that Sarah had many jobs in the finance industry, including managing director and head of corporate systems technology at Credit Suisse, as well as various IT roles at HSBC, UBS and Deutsche Bank.
No. 8 - Sarah Burnett, chair of BCS Women, partner at Emergence Partners
Lead on global service delivery automation research and European practice across its global services research areas. Prior to this, she was an executive vice-president and distinguished analyst at Everest Group and before that Sarah was vice-president of research at Nelson Hall, covering areas such as infrastructure IT outsourcing, cloud, and government business process outsourcing. She is chair of BCSWomen and in 2017 launched the BCSWomen AI Accelerator.
No. 12 - Anne Boden FBCS, CEO, Starling Bank
Anne founded Starling Bank in 2014, where she is now CEO and a member of its board of directors, with the aim of creating a bank as focused on customer experience as possible. She has a history in financial services, having previously worked for both Allied Irish Bank and RBS, and has just released a book, titled The Money Revolution, which aims to help people manage their money in a digitally driven world.
No. 24 - Sharon Moore deputy chair of BCS Women, CTO for public sector, IBM UK
Sharon is CTO for public sector at IBM UK and has worn many hats during her 18 years at the firm, including leading on technology for its transport and travel department, and leading on digital engagement for the firm in the UK. Sharon is also a non-executive director for Censis - Innovation Centre, a board member of Scotland Women in Technology, and deputy chair of BCSWomen.
No. 30 - Liz Williams, CEO, FutureDotNow
Liz has been a long-term campaigner on the importance of everyone being able to realise the benefits of digital technology, in particular young people and disadvantaged groups. She is a member of the BCS School Curriculum and Assessment Committee, was appointed a Social Mobility Commissioner by the Secretary of State for Education in 2018 and is a member of the board of trustees for Transport for London and is the chair of the Good Things Foundation. Prior to her current work she spent more than 20 years at BT in a number of different roles, including programme director for sustainable business, director of tech literacy and education programmes, and director of digital society.
No. 31 - Sarah Turner, MBCS, CITP, CEO and co-founder, Angel Academe
Sarah is an entrepreneur and angel investor in women-founded tech businesses through Angel Academe. She's spent her career in digital technology in the UK, Europe, US and Asia. In 2014 she founded Angel Academe to encourage more women to become angel investors in early-stage tech startups. She's grown the network to c400 registered investors (70% women) who have collectively invested over £6m into nearly 30 high growth, women-led tech startups.
No. 44 - Rebecca George OBE FBCS, BCS President, Managing Partner Deloitte
Rebecca leads Deloitte’s Public Sector practice across 13 European countries. She is passionate about improving citizen outcomes and works with clients to drive large-scale, complex transformation programmes. Rebecca joined Deloitte as a Partner in 2006 after spending nearly 20 years at IBM in roles including sales, business process reengineering, and HR, in the UK, EMEA and globally. Rebecca has been in involved in activities to increase the participation of Women in the IT industry since the mid-1990s. She is a non-executive chair for the Department for Education T-Level reform programme. She was honoured with an OBE in 2006 for the work she did for the Government on Sustainable Communities.
No. 48 - Eileen Jennings-Brown MBCS head of technology, Wellcome Trust
Eileen is the head of technology for the research-based charity Wellcome Trust. She leads a team which uses new ways of working across the organisation to thrive in an increasingly digital world. She is also the director and owner of a consultancy firm, Emerge Technical Solutions, which advises on digital and technology transformation. She has held a number of technical roles in the past, including ICT manager at POhWER, head of managed services at Modern Networks, an IT business consultant for BCS and service delivery manager at Thales.
