Since June, WeAreTechWomen has been on a quest to unearth the UK’s finest female tech talents. The TechWomen100 Awards, pioneering since 2017 as the first to exclusively celebrate women in tech below director level, have now amassed an alumni of over 550 remarkable women working in tech across a multitude of industries. These awards also shine a spotlight on the influence of senior champions, global advocates, forward-thinking companies, and networks that champion women in tech, implementing initiatives that propel women’s careers.
This year’s Awards drew an impressive 1,300 entries, meticulously evaluated by a panel of 15 independent industry experts, resulting in a shortlist of 216 exceptional women. The public then joined the journey, casting their votes in support of these outstanding individuals. A final round of judging by the panel reveals 100 exceptional women, alongside the overall winner of the public vote.
The 2023 awards are kindly powered by Barclays and sponsored and supported by Accenture, BAE Systems, Bank of America, Funding Circle, Morgan Stanley, Northern Trust, Oliver Wyman, and PwC. In addition, Durham University are the education partner for this year’s awards, honouring the female talent pipeline in technology.
Barclays has been working with WeAreTechWomen since 2015 because they do an exceptional job of shining a light on female tech talent, and recognising those who support and empower these incredible individuals. We know diverse and inclusive teams are more effective and innovative. We know representation leads to better products that serve the needs of our community. This is why we’re committed to investing in and building a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture in Barclays Tech – where it truly is happening here – an environment where our colleagues can achieve their career aspirations and be inspirational role models for future female talent.
Our winners will come together to celebrate at a red-carpet event on November 16 at the InterContinental London Park Lane. Find out more and book a ticket or table here.
This year’s winners showcase remarkable women within the technology sector who are leading incredible initiatives to attract girls to pursue STEM careers. For example, Emily Godson, of Hitachi Vantara, achieved a significant milestone by leading a three-year healthcare transformation program for a major NHS hospital. Under her leadership, data models were developed that brought about a profound change in patient flow, experience, and outcomes. These models not only accurately predicted daily admissions but also substantially reduced delays, cancellations, and re-admissions while enhancing decision-making capabilities. Thanks to her work, the hospital gained the ability to forecast demand and capacity up to three days in advance, marking a remarkable achievement in healthcare optimisation. Sophie Powell, the driving force behind CyberWomen@Warwick, has been a trailblazer in advancing diversity and inclusion. Her initiatives, three national events, include a widely attended conference with over 220 participants and have put Warwick on the map for its commitment to diversity. Notably, in the 2023 open days, nearly half of attendees were women, a testament to the initiatives success in creating opportunities and outreach for female students.
The winners also feature Dee Hutchinson, of Merative who played a pivotal role in a ground-breaking collaboration with the Scottish Government to establish their Social Security Platform and launch Low Income Benefits (LIB). Her leadership was also instrumental in spearheading the Best Start Grant (BSG).
Our winners are not just recognised at our celebration ceremony, WeAreTechWomen work with several partners to support our winners long after the awards conclude. This year’s winners will also benefit from a learning and networking day with our education partners Durham University. This includes the opportunity to learn from Computer Science professors whilst networking with fellow winners.
Outside of our 100 winners, we also recognise the achievements of several individuals through a series of individual and company awards.
WeAreTechWomen’s Network of the Year award has been awarded to Cajigo for their incredible mentoring programme to support women in tech and their work within schools. The Champion of the Year has been awarded to Shazia Hussain, Director, Enterprise Developer Group for her passion in driving the gender agenda for women in technology both internally and externally. The Men for Gender Balance award goes to Darren Griffin, Senior Manager, PwC who demonstrates unwavering dedication to the long-term growth of his coachees. His active support for inclusion events and Women in Tech initiatives underscores his commitment to diversity and equity, as both a mentor and an advocate for inclusion. The Global Achievement award has been awarded to a 17 year old student, Malaika Naseer, Co-Founder, Hirf-al-Nisa. Naseer has set up street schools in Pakistan to provide education to children in villages, empowering them with the belief that they too can become scholars. The company of the year award goes to DWP Digital for its efforts in promoting women in technology and its inclusive internal policies that provide support for women in both their personal lives and careers.
WeAreTechWomen also awarded their Editor’s Choice award to Vanessa Sanyauke, Founder & CEO, Girls Talk Corporation. Vanessa has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of black women in technology and female founders through her events and support programmes all over Europe. Vanessa has also just launched the Hill App which aims to support individuals with their career journeys.
The Lifetime achievement award which recognises outstanding support for women in tech has been awarded to Professor Sue Black OBE, Professor of Computer Science and Technology evangelist. Sue didn’t have a traditional start to her career. She left home and school at 16, married at 20 and had 3 children by the age of 23. A single parent at 25 she went to university, gained a degree in computing then a PhD in software engineering. Sue has spent the last two decades supporting women in tech through a number of campaigns and not for profit organisations. In 1998 she set up the UK’s first online network for women in computing BCSWomen and in 2012 she founded a social enterprise called #techmums to help disadvantaged mums learn tech skills in a fun and supportive environment. She also co-authored a book Saving Bletchley Park which documentented her successful campaign to save Bletchley Park, home of the World War II female coders. Sue is now a Professor at Durham University, and leads the pioneering TechUPWomen programme which retrains women from underserved communities into technology careers.
The winner of this year’s public vote is Bukola Popoola, Technical Business Analyst, PwC with just over 600 global votes.
I am thrilled to see this year’s TechWomen100 winners announced and would like to offer my sincere congratulations to them all. These award winners illuminate the path to a future where diversity and excellence converge, setting the standard for a tech industry that thrives on inclusion and ingenuity. Each winner is a shining testament to the remarkable achievements, unwavering determination, and boundless potential that women bring to the world of technology. Their ground-breaking contributions inspire us all to embrace diversity and champion innovation in this ever-evolving digital landscape. I cannot wait to meet our winners and continue to support them in their careers through our partnerships.
Don’t miss out on the winner’s celebration! Secure your tickets for the grand event at the InterContinental London Park Lane on 16 November by clicking here.
