What does becoming a BCS Fellow mean to you personally and professionally, and how has the recognition impacted your career or credibility?

To me, Fellowship is more of a way to be acknowledged by a group of professionals who have reviewed how I work, what I do, and how I represent myself. This makes a difference to me. Anyone can say they are experts in their area of practice. However, far fewer allow anyone else to assess or evaluate if they are. With nearly two decades of deep expertise in the technology behind many of today's large-scale data and artificial intelligence systems (much of this work is invisible to those using these services), having my work assessed and validated by peers for both the quality of my work and the professionalism with which I perform it means a lot.

Can you share an example of the positive impact or change you’ve led in your organisation, industry, or community?
The project I'm most proud of grew from a simple frustration: too many talented technologists, especially those early in their careers or far from the major tech hubs, have no real opportunity to be heard. Rather than wait for that space to open up, we made our own room, helping co-found a local ACM chapter from the ground up and turning it into a platform for talks, knowledge-sharing, and connection across borders.

It was the results that really motivated me. People gave their very first public talk to a live audience. Practitioners who'd felt isolated found peers. None of it was glamorous, just emails, scheduling, and some gentle perseverance. But in building something that will carry on beyond my involvement, I learned that the most lasting impact I can have as an engineering leader isn't the systems I build. It's helping other people build their own confidence and careers.

For someone unfamiliar with BCS, why would you recommend getting involved or working towards Fellowship?

With all the rapid change in the AI world, we now frequently confuse activity with direction. BCS is a much steadier alternative: a community founded on the belief that technology exists to support people, not merely to show off how impressive it is. Getting involved gives you access to like-minded professionals who share that conviction, and working toward Fellowship gives you the motivation to evaluate your values, not just your productivity.

You also cease working in solitude. You gain colleagues who will challenge your thinking, a way to shape how the profession develops, and the quiet confidence that comes from belonging to something with an ethical backbone, which is a rare commodity in an industry that tends to be purely transactional.

What advice would you give to professionals considering applying for BCS Fellowship?

Don't wait until you feel "senior enough": that feeling tends to arrive later than the readiness does. Take an honest look at the impact you have beyond your title: the people you've helped grow, the benchmarks you've set, the contribution you've made to your industry rather than just your employer. That's the real story Fellowship is asking for.

Next, just tell it plain. Don't exaggerate, and don't get lost in jargon. Assessors are peers, and they recognise substance. Describe clearly what has been different because you were there. And treat the application itself as a useful exercise: articulating your contribution is something every senior professional should do periodically, whether or not the letters follow.

Why do you think trusted, ethical professionals are more important than ever in today’s tech landscape?

The difference between what technology can do and what it should do has never been greater, and the advent of AI has widened that chasm overnight. We are creating systems that make important decisions about individuals, and we are doing it at a speed and volume far beyond anything we've attempted before. Technical skill alone may help us build these systems quickly, but it will not keep us from causing serious harm. 

In such an environment, what protects people is professional judgment, not simply "is this working?" but "what risk does this present, and have I earned the trust required to deploy it?" Ethics in technology is not a barrier to advancement. It is the key to advancing technology sustainably and innovatively.

What advice or inspiration would you give to someone considering a career in technology today?

The most successful engineers understand that their specific skills will be outdated sooner rather than later. One thing, though, never goes out of style: curiosity. The engineers who thrive are the ones who keep learning throughout their careers, and who are generous with what they learn. Some treat the technical and the human as separate parts of the job, but the best experiences I've had as an engineer all sat at their intersection: helping another person grow, building something that genuinely improved someone's life, or solving a hard problem alongside good people. Technology is ultimately a people business that just happens to wear an engineering suit. So yes, master your trade, but let yourself build something greater than your resume. That's where the meaning is.