We all know that there is a lack of women in the tech sector – with current figures showing that just 26% of the tech workforce in the UK is female.
One reason for so few women in the industry is due to a lack of role models. But we’re on a mission to change this! Through our Spotlight Series, we hope to highlight the amazing women in tech and STEM that are already out there, and showcase some incredible female role models for those looking to get into tech.
We will continue to shine a spotlight on even more women in tech in 2025 and beyond!
Julie May, VP and GM, Scores, FICO
Julie May is vice president and general manager of B2B Scores at FICO.
In this role, she is responsible for global product and business development, delivery, and support for the FICO Score, the standard measure for consumer credit risk in the US, and a leading credit score in some 40 countries. Over the course of her career, she has held senior roles in customer relationship management, business consulting, and strategic product management, development, and delivery. Her expertise spans enterprise software, advanced analytics, fraud management, cybersecurity, go-to-market strategy and strategic partnership development.
Sonal Shah, Vice President, Banking
Sonal Shah is a speaker, coach, tech advocate and vice president in banking with over 20 years of corporate experience.
Having often found herself a minority in industries such as tech, she is a passionate advocate for gender parity and diversity. She is committed to helping women fulfil their potential in tech careers and has received several prestigious awards for her success.
Sonal’s new book, She Chose Tech: The essential guide to empower and inspire women in tech, is an essential read for anyone curious about tech, from the student at the beginning of their career or the seasoned professional looking for a change of career, to those wanting to expand their knowledge of the dynamic sector.
Gill Mahon, Chief People & Places Officer, Totalmobile
Gill Mahon, proudly serves as Chief People and Places Officer at Totalmobile Ltd, making history as the first woman to join the Board in 2021.
With a career steeped in leadership roles within recruitment and HR, Gill passionately champions authentic leadership and diverse workforces. Her mission is simple: she’s dedicated to making HR more approachable by ditching traditional jargon and helping people achieve success through authenticity. Gill’s expertise in the field of HR and recruitment has helped her to successfully navigate the challenges faced by both employees and employers alike. Her approachable and collaborative leadership style has been instrumental in fostering a culture of inclusivity and diversity at Totalmobile, where she is committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive. In addition to her work at Totalmobile, Gill is also a strong advocate for women in leadership and is dedicated to creating more opportunities for women to advance in their careers. Her passion for authentic and approachable leadership has inspired many, and she continues to be a role model for aspiring leaders around the world.
Linh Lanm, CIO, Jamf
Linh is responsible for leading Jamf’s information technology and information security teams and solutions.
Linh is an information technology executive recognized for leading digital business transformation by delivering value through technology and process changes to enable companies to scale and grow. She was recognised as a 2020 and 2022 Bay Area CIO of the Year Finalist. Prior to Jamf, Lam served as the SVP & Chief Information Officer at ICE Mortgage Technology where her teams developed strategic roadmaps and delivered large-scale, complex digital solutions for the enterprise. Prior to ICE Mortgage Technology, Linh was an information technology leader at Hitachi Data Systems where she led large-scale, global customer relationship management and digital experience transformations that supported the company’s transition from a hardware to cloud software and solutions company.
Sivalayani Sivakumaran, Technical Analyst Intern, Verisk
Sivalayani Sivakumaran, is a Technical Analyst Intern, at Verisk and will be joining as a full-time employee in 2025 in a Business Analyst role, as part of the Early Careers Foundation Program.
Jayashree Raja, Senior Business Intelligence Engineer, Amazon
Jayashree is a seasoned data scientist with close to 10 years of industry experience currently working as a Sr Business Intelligence Engineer for Amazon.
Over the course of her professional journey, she has cultivated a deep expertise in data analytics, blending data-driven insights with strategic acumen to drive business growth. Her experience began with a robust foundation in data analysis, where she honed skills in statistical modelling and predictive analytics. She works on solving multiple ambiguous business problems by leveraging advanced analytics tools to dissect consumer behaviour, optimize inventory management, and enhance customer segmentation. In her current role, she is involved in translating complex data sets into actionable strategies that improve sales performance and thereby democratizing data to the broader organization.
In addition to her professional endeavours, Jayashree is actively involved in exploring diverse topics ranging from general equality to social justice, finding inspiration for her work in unexpected places. As an advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, she is also an Ambassador at Women in Data Science (WiDS) for 2024, key member of Women in Big Data organisation’s Online chapter and published her articles on the need for diversity in data science in Society of Women Engineers (SWE) – All Together blog. She is consistently striving to push the boundaries of data science and contributing to meaningful projects that have a positive impact on businesses and society as a whole.
Dr Brooke Grindlinger, Chief Scientific Officer, The New York Academy of Sciences
Dr. Brooke Grindlinger is a microbiologist and Chief Scientific Officer at The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)—among the oldest scientific organizations in the United States.
Dedicated to amplifying the positive impact of science on people and our planet, she leads the development, growth, and excellence of scientific aspects of the Academy’s portfolio of programs, products, and initiatives—spanning scientific and educational convenings and courses, fellowship and prize programs, and public-private partnerships across the life and physical sciences, the social sciences, nutrition, artificial intelligence, computer science, and sustainability. Brooke previously oversaw editorial management and scientific content creation at The Journal of Clinical Investigation. She has appeared as an expert speaker at the United Nations, South by Southwest, National Institutes of Health, and Georgetown University, as well as various podcasts and webinars. Her writing has been featured in outlets such as The Washington Post, International Business Times, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Authority Magazine.
Sarah Chapman, Senior Technical Manager, 3M & Women in STEM Ambassador
Sarah Chapman is a technical leader at global science company 3M.
Having always taken active responsibility in encouraging young people into STEM careers, Sarah is a passionate and longstanding advocate for diverse representation in the sector. Alongside her day job, she volunteers as Board Vice Chair at Farnborough College of Technology and is on the steering committee of 3M’s EMEA Technical Women’s Leadership Forum and STEM Champion for 3M North Europe.
Lisa Ventura MBE, Founder of Cyber Security Unity
Lisa Ventura MBE is an award-winning cyber security specialist, published writer/author, and keynote speaker.She is the Founder of Cyber Security Unity, a global community organisation that is dedicated to bringing individuals and organisations together who actively work in cyber security to help combat the growing cyber threat. As a consultant Lisa also works with cyber security leadership teams to help them work together more effectively and provides cyber security awareness and culture training, and training on the benefits of hiring those who are neurodiverse. She has specialist knowledge in the human factors of cyber security, cyberpsychology, neurodiversity and AI in cyber, and is also a Co-Founder of International Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day.
