Zoe Henley | Team Leader | GlaxoSmithKline
I have a passion for the discovery of new medicines and joined GSK as an Associate Scientist in 2006, after gaining a first-class MSci Chemistry Degree from the University of Bristol.
I was promoted to a Scientific Investigator in 2013 and achieved my PhD in 2014, through a collaborative programme between GSK and the University of Strathclyde. In September 2021, I was promoted to Team Leader and now have three direct reports who I support in their professional and scientific development at GSK.
As a scientist, I have utilised my synthetic and medicinal chemistry skills to enable the identification of potential drug candidates, one of which reached Phase 2 clinical trials in patients. I have a keen interest in the application of new technologies to the drug discovery process and have led a technical network on inhaled drug design within GSK. In addition, I have developed my IT skills to become a lead user for software which assists our scientists in drug compound design and data analysis.
In 2019, I took on another role in becoming mum to my son Sam and I have since progressed my career whilst working part-time. As a chemist, I have the opportunity to make the molecule that becomes a medicine to help patients and I feel like there is no greater mission than what we do at GSK.
Nina Still | Service Improvement Lead, Markets Pre-Trade | Barclays
Nina joined Barclays as a Technology apprentice in 2019 after obtaining a degree in Fashion Promotion at university, going into fashion and beauty PR and realising it was not for her.
Being placed on the trading floor of the bank was daunting at first, and she was the only woman on the team for 2 years – a contrast to coming from the fashion industry. By the time she completed her apprenticeship, she took on as lead of the Credit projects for the trading floor support team, part of Group Technology Service Management (GTSM) department.
Starting 2022, she began transitioning from projects to application support, training and mentoring a new team member to take over the projects. She has created a presence within the Barclays Women in Tech network and organised her first successful Women in Tech event at their Glasgow campus in January 2023. She is currently transitioning into a new role to launch a people and colleague relations part of GTSM Markets, hoping to promote the incredible work the Markets service management teams do. She will be involved with the on-boarding of new colleagues, including the sizeable expansion in India, by supporting new joiners and creating an exciting and motivating onboarding experience. She hopes to help promote the apprenticeship and graduate schemes as well as encourage more women in Markets to join Women in Tech, more women to join GTSM and help existing colleagues to succeed, transforming experience for colleagues on the trading floors and technology centres in Europe.
Asia Sharif | Software Engineer | NatWest and ChainVerse
Asia Sharif is an multi-award winning software engineer working within the FinTech industry at a leading bank in the U.K, the founder of ChainVerse and TechNewbies, an engineering mentor, public speaker, blogger, role model, and tech enthusiast.
Asia came from a non-technical background and transitioned into technology in January 2021 with the sole purpose of becoming an inspiration, seeking change, and advocating for women in technology.
Asia’s mission is to build a technology school, provide scholarships for foster children and women in tech through communities and ChainVerse, and keep mentoring hundreds of women and people from underrepresented backgrounds. Asia has now inspired 1000s of people worldwide.
Coming from an underprivileged background, Asia takes pride in the importance of helping others and is an advocate for self-development. Asia strongly believes in mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional elevation and allocates time to host workshops and tech talks to encourage women to develop a growth mindset.
Asia has worked with and is a member of many vital communities who also share her goal to promote and elevate more women and people from underrepresented backgrounds into tech, Asia’s communities include Black Girls In Tech, Coding Black Females, Black Valley, Cajigo, Women Tech Network, Ignite, Code First Girls, Baddies In Tech, TechNewbies and more!
Preeti Singh | Team Lead | Bloomberg
I come from a very small village in India. I did most of my schooling in boarding school as there were no good schools for females.
Since childhood I was focused on my studies as looking at other girls/women in my village, I knew education is my only way out if I want to change my future and be a role model for other female in my village.
I started my career in July 2008. This was not the best time to start the work and the company (Agilent Technology) I was in, closed it's R&D division just 10 months after I joined them. About 150 people lost the job. It wasn't the best year to start the career in IT with the market meltdown at it's peak.
My second company was Manhattan Associates, a product based on the Warehouse Management. Here I got an opportunity to visit Atlanta in USA to work for a client Walmart. The work was more client facing and I missed the hands-on. After about 22 months of being in this company I decided to change my job.
Year 2011 was the turning point when I applied for the Goldman Sachs. GS gave me the exposure to the business world and this is where I got opportunity to shine. However, this was a bit of struggle as this industry was male dominated and it was hard sometime to make your voice heard. In 2016, I joined Bloomberg and I love working here.
Theresa Yurkewich Hoffmann | Policy & sustainability lead specialist | Microsoft
I am a global advisor in technology, working at Microsoft to help businesses envision innovation and navigate regulation – everything from cloud technologies to carbon tracking.
I have a JD and a BA, and completed innovation programmes through Cambridge and Oxford. I have lived in Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK.
I started my career path as a lawyer working in civil litigation , where I wrote several articles on the intersection of technology and regulation. After several years, I pivoted careers and began working as an account director in public affairs, specialising in fintech and other tech start-ups. It was here that I gained global exposure to clients across EMEA including Germany, the UK, Nigeria, and South Africa. I also started advising the OECD’s public governance unit on court modernisation and digitalisation projects, combining my legal background with my technology experience to support people-centred justice. Over the last few years, I’ve spent my career working at the centre of policy and innovation – both for the City of London Corporation (in delivering the first Digital Sandbox as well as our lawtech programs), and now, at Microsoft as a regulatory and sustainability specialist. I am passionate about current events and thinking about how we can solve global challenges in a practical way.
Outside of my career, I enjoy being active in my communities. I've been a Global Shaper, a board member of Jus Gentium, a Young Diplomats of Canada delegate, and a mentor for those looking to enter the technology space.
Ahlam Qattan | Engineering Manager | Astor Bannerman
I started my career in the automotive sector, after having a passion for motor racing throughout my childhood.
I enjoyed the fast-paced work and exciting projects, but I felt like I wanted to do something that could impact more people. I moved to a design consultancy where I got the chance to experience a wide range of industries and expand my skills. During this time, a project in the medical sector appealed to me most, so after a short career break I started my next challenge.
I began working at a prosthetics company, designing upper limb bionic prosthetics. I really loved getting to work closely with users while designing the equipment and getting a real sense of how my work could make a difference. I also got the opportunity to work with a range of large Pharmaceutical companies on wide reaching projects, but it only reminded me of how rewarding it was to work more closely with those the devices are impacting.
I am now working on the design and build of washing, bathing and handling equipment for disabled children and adults in care. It provides a great balance of rewarding work that’s also challenging, whilst allowing me to work closely with user’s to design something that fits their needs in the best way possible. It gives me a great sense of purpose knowing a product I designed can improve an individual’s quality of life.
Anne Okafor | Planner | Cruden Building (Scotland)
With a hospitality, retail and construction background, I have long been passionate about maximising the opportunities open to the next generation, particularly within the STEM industries and recognise through personal experience, that maths anxiety is real.
It is my mission to channel this passion and help to bridge the fear and anxiety gap that often exists between education and the everyday use of maths, and to ignite the passion for a world beyond the classroom.
Despite not achieving grades in maths from school, I took up higher education and graduated in 2019 with a First-Class Honours Degree in Construction Management, achieving Chartered Status in 2022, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Quality Management in 2022.
I collaborate widely with education and industry and have been a STEM ambassador since 2021, helping to bring STEM subjects to life and demonstrate the value of them in life and careers.
Currently working as a Construction Planner with the Cruden Group (Scotland), there were so many transferable skills from my earlier career path that made this transition relatively easy once I had qualified. I want to share these.
In my free time, this is spent in STEM activities inspiring the next generation of construction professionals, along with trying to alleviate maths anxiety in children. I aim to transform construction career thinking to guide and encourage people to take steps to gain an edge over the competition, passing on essential tips, motivation and the right kind of support to stay at the top of their game.
Samantha Hunt | Engineering Infrastructure Manager | In-Space Missions Ltd
For the first 10 years of my career, I worked for two electronic manufacturing sub-contractors, responsibilities included management of 20 employees working 3 split shifts, 4 pick and place machines, production planning, chasing materials, procedure implementation, commissioning new equipment, extending production areas, 1 off prototypes to high volume assemblies.
During the mid-90’s headhunted by McLaren Electronics, led to promotion within 6 months to Electronics Production Manager, oversight of assemblies; engine and gearbox control units, sensors, data monitoring systems, for the McLaren racing team, F1 road cars and racing teams throughout the motor sports industry, I successfully completed the planning, floor layouts and budgeting for the electronics manufacturing production line at the McLaren headquarters “Paragon”.
The next 14 years I committed to Lumi, the role was varied and ultimately led to Head of Global Business Services, responsibilities including running the Head Office with 2 office moves, supported CRM and financial system implementation, procedure implementation and continual management, assets management, and H&S regulations, managing a team supplying parts, repairs, and services to 11 operating companies worldwide, managing the manufacture of 30K bespoke interactive handsets, design to product delivery, sourcing sub-assemblies and procurement of parts from around the world.
In January 2022 I joined In-Space Missions as Quality Manager, this was a new challenge understanding the Aerospace industry, with promotion in September my responsibilities increased to include Quality, IT and Cyber Security, alongside managing and supporting the Avionics Team, implementing tools, procedures, and processes across the Engineering Department, for a more efficient environment.
Alalea Kia | Research Fellow | Imperial College London
I am a materials scientist and engineer with a passion for resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
Following my undergraduate MEng (Hons) degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at University College London (UCL), I undertook a PhD at Imperial College London to pursue a career in research. Permeable pavements absorb stormwater to prevent surface flooding, however conventional approaches are prone to clogging and have a very limited operational service-life. I have been inspired to question the status quo from an early age and therefore I developed a unique solution to this problem during my PhD, rather than trying to improve the existing pavement systems that has been unsuccessfully attempted by others. Through laboratory testing and multiple iterations, I have produced a next-generation permeable pavement (called Kiacrete) that never clogs and has a long, maintenance free 40-year service-life. This pavement has been delivered at a trial site at White City in London, exposed to real-world conditions for over two and half years and has shown excellent performance. More recently I have secured two research Fellowships (Royal Academy of Engineering, RAEng, and UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, FLF) to further develop Kiacrete for use in critical infrastructure (e.g. highways, airports). This ongoing work is supported by local government, transport infrastructure and utility operators, engineering consultancies and contractors, who see the benefit from this technology in increasing the resilience of these critical assets to current and future climate change, along with the need to increase the sustainability of the built environment towards a net-zero future.
Kate Mackie | Operations Support Manager | Rolls-Royce Plc
Following on from a Pharmacology Honours BSc, where I was awarded the Biomedical Schools’ Extracurricular Prize for my contribution to the external community, I took a slight change in direction from science to engineering and joined Rolls-Royce Plc in 2017 through becoming a Top 10 Finalist for the Female Undergraduate of the Year Award.
I have had a great opportunity over my time with the company, to work across three business sectors: Defence Aerospace, Submarines and Civil Aerospace, and to work across multiple UK and European cities. Within these roles I have had experience effectively leading a team of >40 operators across five discreet sub-cells within a unionised, manufacturing environment through Covid-19 (and the redundancy crisis (& furlough)) to recruitment and ramp-up) and as part of a globally mobile, risk management team in response to supply chain impacts. Alongside this I was awarded a LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt accreditation in 2020 and have successfully coached colleagues in their Green and Yellow Belt qualifications. Utilising lean methodologies I have project managed business continuity projects from design to implementation, with an example reducing risk from a single point of failure and in support of sustainability saving 1100litres/hr of water. And coaching external supply chain vendors to drive a 60% lead time reduction through targeted operational improvements to mitigate customer impact. Outside of work, I have just completed an MSc in International Business in recognition of the global footprint of her industry, achieving a Distinction.