Finalists announced for the 2017 FDM Everywoman in Technology Awards

The finalists for the seventh annual FDM everywoman in Technology Awards, which celebrates women that are changing the face of technology in the UK, have been announced this week. From entrepreneurs and engineers driving the business agenda to students and academics raising the profile of science and technology subjects, the 33 finalists were handpicked from hundreds of entries by a panel of some of the UK’s most senior technology leaders. They were singled out for their career achievements to date and potential for growth as well as for their commitment to actively support others in the sector, both inside and outside of their organisation. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 9 February at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

Since the awards launched in 2011 there have been major strides made by the technology sector in female engagement. In the past two years alone we have seen a 25% increase in the number of women holding management roles in STEM industries. This is great news for tech but the challenge doesn’t stop there. Digital employment requirements are anticipated to increase by 5.4% by 2020, thereby providing numerous career opportunities across multiple fields. A recent study published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that younger girls still lack confidence to pursue careers in technology after studying STEM subjects at school, which is considered one of the key reasons for the ongoing gender gap in STEM industries. The FDM everywoman in Technology Awards plays an important role inspiring girls and young women to excel in STEM subjects continuing beyond their studies and into long-term careers choices across the technology sector.

The Finalists for 2017:

Rising Star Award - sponsored by T-Systems. This is awarded to a woman aged under 26 who is excelling in her technology career, making a valuable contribution to her organisation.

• Jade Carlotta-Jones, Software Engineer, BP, from London

• Gabrielle Corria, Resource and Recruitment Lead, CGI, from Bridgend

• Charlotte Hutchinson, Technical Consultant IBM Cloud, IBM, from Surrey

Team Leader Award – sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch: This is awarded to a woman whose team leadership has greatly contributed to the organisation’s success. She is leading a team of up to 100 employees.

• Silke Eggert, Global Head of Opportunity Programme Management & Demand Management, Vodafone Group Services Limited, from Newbury, West Berkshire

• Lisa Reed, Development Team Manager, Sage, from Newcastle Upon Tyne

• Catriona Simmonds, Director of Business Architecture, American Express, from Brighton, East Sussex

Software Engineer Award -sponsored by American Express. This is awarded to a woman who has made a significant difference to the art of software engineering. She has built something new, shifted the art of the possible and is moving the profession forward.

• Maxine Glennerster, Senior Developer, Deloitte Digital, from Belfast

• Elizabeth Irwin, Insight Analyst, QueryClick, from Edinburgh

• Lisa Kelly, Principal Technical Lead, BP International, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey

The One to Watch Award - sponsored by CA Technologies. This is awarded to an individual aged under 20 who is actively encouraging girls to study STEM subjects at school-level. This award seeks to identify young game-changers and is open to inspirational students or apprentices.

• Kodi Gledhill, Engineering Apprentice, Coca-Cola European Partners, from Leeds

• Ellora James, Student, Wick High School, from Caithness, Wick

• Amy Naden, Student, The Royal Masonic School for Girls, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire

Leader Award - sponsored by BP. This is awarded to the woman operating in a senior technology role within her organisation. She will be making a contribution to the strategic direction of the business. She is leading a team of over 100 employees.

• Dana Berceanu, Head of Connectivity and Security Practice, Vodafone Group Services Limited, from London

• Alice Cooper, Global Head of Credit & Interest Rates Derivatives IT, BNP Paribas, from London

• Vicky Higgin, Head of Corporate Information Services, National Grid, from Warwick

Academic Award - sponsored by Dell. This is 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. This could include using technology to enhance and support research and teaching, achieving technological breakthroughs or leveraging one’s position to significantly encourage more talent into stem subjects.

• Muffy Calder, Vice-Principal and Head of College of Science and Engineering, University of Glasgow, from Glasgow

• Semali Perera, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, from Bath

• Sarah Spurgeon OBE, Professor of Control Engineering and Head of Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, from Dover

Start-up Founder of the Year Award - sponsored by Barclays. This is awarded to the most inspirational female founder of a start-up business (under 18 months old).

• Nell Bennett, Co-Founder and Design Director, doppel, from London

• Sophie Deen, Founder and CEO, Bright Little Labs, from London

• Sarah Hesz and Katie Massie–Taylor, Founders, Mush, from London

Innovator Award - sponsored by Equiniti. This is awarded to a woman designing, developing, researching, implementing or being exceptionally creative with technology in an unconventional and innovative way.

• Kim Antoniou, Founder, Kafoodle, from London

• Kate Newhouse, CEO, Doctor Care Anywhere, from London

• Megan Lucero, Data Journalism Editor, The Times and Sunday Times, from London

Entrepreneur Award - sponsored by Arm Holdings. This is awarded to an owner/operator of a technology business whose vision and talent will inspire others to start their own technology related venture.

• Emily Brooke, Founder and CEO, Blaze, from London

• Sarah McVittie and Donna North, Co-Founders, Dressipi, from London

• Joanne Smith, Group CEO, RecordSure, from London

Digital Star Award - sponsored by CGI. This is 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.

• Ljiljana Holden, Lead Software Engineer, Aviva, from Norwich

• Chi Igboaka, Global Head of Performance Marketing, Travelex, from London

• Amanda Mulquiney, Digital Marketing Manager, Maginus, from Manchester

Inspiration Award - sponsored by VMware. This is awarded to an individual, male or female, for their active commitment to encouraging, advancing, sponsoring or championing the progress of women working in technology.

• Beverley Dean, Founder and CEO, Special iApps C.I.C., from Durham

• Mivy James, Head of Consulting - National Security, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, from Guildford, Surrey

• Sophie Newton, COO, Brainlabs, from London

The 2016 FDM everywoman in Technology Award Winners

Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, said: “Seven years ago we began to showcase the exceptional women working in technology in response to the industry’s concern over a lack of female talent and role models. Today we are delighted to see the gender divide closing, but despite this our Awards continue to play an important part in celebrating role models at every stage of the journey from students up to senior leaders. The calibre and quality of this year’s nominations was impressive with all those nominated demonstrating a commitment to making a difference not only within their organisations but within local communities, schools and the future of the technology sector.”

Sheila Flavell, Chief Operating Officer of title sponsor FDM Group, said: “FDM is delighted to be sponsoring the everywoman in Technology Awards 2017 for the fifth consecutive year. FDM takes pride in being an award-winning company that champions diversity in the workplace and leads by example with circa 50% of the senior management team being women. We are committed to driving gender diversity in the workplace and encouraging more women to pursue rewarding careers in technology and STEM. The FDM everywoman in Technology Awards provide tangible examples of successful women in IT to encourage the next generation, which supports our core purpose to create and inspire exciting careers that shape our digital future. We are proud to continue supporting these awards and look forward to celebrating more female tech talent throughout years to come”

Julian David, CEO of techUK, added: “techUK is proud to support the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards for the third year running. The digital skills gap is one of the most urgent policy challenges facing the UK - without enough talented workers, the UK will fall short of its potential in supercharging its already successful digital industry. In particular, we need to encourage women to enter and thrive in the tech industry at all levels. That way we become more robust, more competitive and more innovative. Through targeted action, techUK is committed to facilitate the attraction and retention of talent from as broad a demographic as possible to increase diversity within the tech sector.”

The 2017 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards ceremony and dinner will take place on 9 February 2017 at the London Hilton on Park Lane preceded by the everywoman Advancing Women in Technology Forum supported by Dell and Worldpay - the largest UK forum for men and women in technology - a day of inspiration, learning and development, bringing together over 600 women who are aspiring to advance their careers or become future leaders. A growing body of research demonstrates that gender-balanced teams produce better outcomes and create a more sustainable future for an organisation’s entire workforce, with a direct and positive impact on the bottom line. The forum is attended by both men and women and is an ideal fit for female and male managers who are looking to develop teams of gender balance and productivity. From communicating in a virtual world and the value of mindful leadership, to the importance of risk-taking in innovation and how to future-proof your career, the forum provides a much-needed opportunity for women at every level to give their career the attention it deserves.

Keynote Speakers Include:

• Nick Jenkins – Founder of Moonpig.com

• Nick Telford-Reed - Director of Technology Innovation, Worldpay

• Karen Quintos – Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at Dell

• Ariane Gorin – Senior Vice President and General Manager at Expedia

• Fatima Zada – Director of Technology and Innovation at Harvey Nichols

• Niki Dow – Senior Director, Technical Communications at ARM

• Annemie Ress – Founder of PurpleBeach

• Chi Onwurah – Shadow Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy

• Stephanie Davies – Director and Founder of Laughology

• Richard Davies – Director at I Like Mondays

• Shivvy Jervis – Tech and Digital Futurist

• Kate Jack – Head of UK, innogy Innovation Hub

• Elspeth Briscoe, Founder and CEO, MyOnlineSchool