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 2024 and beyond!
Bianca Avram, Product Manager, at Vista
SheCanCode spoke with Bianca Avram, Product Manager at Vista about her career and life at the company.
Bianca moved to Barcelona in December 2017, for a design strategy job at Vistaprint. In two weeks, she left her London marketing life, without even having visited Barcelona before. Five years later, this was one of the best decisions of Bianca’s life.
Lavinia D. Osbourne, Founder and CEO of Women in Blockchain Talks
Lavinia D. Osbourne is an established agent for change in blockchain, and an entrepreneur at the vanguard of NFT development, as well as a futurist for the emergent web3 space.
She is the first person in the world to be granted a proprietary injunction by the courts of England and Wales for her two stolen Boss Beauties NFTs (Osbourne v. Persons Unknown), establishing case law and setting a legal precedent that now has a direct impact on the way NFTS are viewed legally, as well as in regards to tax and insurance purposes.
Through her work at WiBT, she has won and been nominated for accolades such as the Cogx Gender Equality Leader Award, National Diversity Award for Community Organisation and Best Diversity Resource/Initiative Award; whilst as an individual, she is one of Wirex’s Rising Women in Crypto 2021, a TechWomen100 winner and a 2021 LinkedIn Top Voice in Tech & Innovation.
Combining her passionate belief in blockchain’s egalitarian ideals with a commitment to utilising her knowledge, connections, and entrepreneurial spirit to bring opportunity for all, Lavinia works tirelessly to break down barriers by raising underrepresented voices.
Catherine Amran, Director of Business, Virgin Media O2 Business
Catherine Amran leads Virgin Media O2’s business division, supporting customers of all sizes with a range of broadband and mobile solutions to meet their connectivity needs and support their digital transformation goals.
She has over 15 years of experience across commercial, strategic delivery, M&A and consultancy, and is passionate about helping customers in all sectors embrace the digital tech they need to support their customers and enable their employees.
Sheree Atcheson, Group VP of Diversity & Inclusion, Valtech
Listed as one of the UK’s top most influential women in tech, and an international multi-award winner for her services to diversity & inclusion in the industry, Sheree Atcheson is a global diversity, equity and inclusion senior executive; advisory board member, women who code; contributor, Forbes.
She is the Author of “Demanding More” – a book which aims to teach readers about how deliberate exclusion has been in systems and society, so we can be purposefully and deliberately inclusive moving forward.
Having worked in many regions developing tailored, data-driven DE&I strategies, with clear goals and lines of accountability to embed success and inclusion that scales, Sheree now works at Valtech as the Global Director of Diversity & Inclusion. As a passionate advocate for gaining/retaining women in the industry, in 2013, she launched & led the award-winning U.K. expansion of Women Who Code the world’s largest non-profit globally dedicated to women in tech, where she now sits as an Advisory Board Member.
As an industry leader, Sheree Atcheson has spoken at many global events, conferences and leadership sessions and is regularly profiled for her work, having been featured in many publications, such as Forbes, Business Insider, BBC, FastCompany, Evening Standard, HuffPost, Business Post, Marie Claire, Wired, ComputerWeekly, The Guardian, Sunday Telegraph, Newsletter & many more. The aim of her career is to ensure that people are aware of the fantastic opportunities the industry has to offer and make certain that all humans are able to benefit from these and reach their full career potential.
Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer, FDM Group
Sheila Flavell CBE is the COO for FDM Group and is passionate about digital skills and diversity.
Sheila has over 31 years experience in the global tech sector. She played an integral role in FDM’s flotation on AIM in 2005 and was a key instigator of the management buy-out of the Group in 2010 and the subsequent listing onto the main FTSE Market in 2014. Sheila’s knowledge of the sector has been crucial in driving FDM’s global expansion programme, taking them into the FTSE250.
She spearheads the ‘Global Women in Tech’ campaign and created FDM’s hugely successful Returners Programme. Sheila is President of TechUK and member of the Government’s Digital Skills Council.
Aima Owen, Chapter Lead, Consumer CIO at Digital, BT Group
Aima joins us to tell us about her route into tech, what an average day looks like and how she overcame challenges and insecurities.
Aima’s transition from British Ex-Forces to the consumer Chief Information Officer (CIO) office at Digital at BT Group is nothing short of remarkable. She was recently recognised as a finalist in the Champion of Women Awards at the 2023 British Ex-Forces in Business Awards.
Aima’s responsibility lies in successfully delivering end-to-end strategic technology projects, showcasing her exceptional skills and determination.
Theresa Palmer, Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Theresa Palmer serves as the global head of diversity & inclusion at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, where she has been a driving force since 2010 (as part of the wider BAE Systems business).
Her career has been dedicated to identifying and executing proactive customer satisfaction programmes, which has lent to her success with the ultimate customer: employees.
Theresa’s career has spanned over 20 years in the technology industry, having held various posts in finance, account and relationship management, customer success and diversity & inclusion, among others. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, USA, as well as an MBA with a focus in Finance and Organisational Behaviour and Change from the University of Massachusetts, USA.
