Priya Mistry | Marketing and Sales Technology Consulting Manager | Ernst & Young
Manager in the EY Experience Platforms Team within Technology Consulting specialising in Marketing and Sales Technologies with a focus on Customer.
Currently working on large scale transformations across the TMT, CPR and Pharma sectors to enable enhanced customer experiences. Key focus areas include the focus on reducing inequality of women in technology resulting in position as the internal user acquisition lead on the roll out of the EY STEM app across the UK, active contributions to the women in tech community and founder of the technology mentoring programme for all of technology consulting within EY.
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.
Kirstin Kadé | Product Manager | ZOE
As a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr), I have dedicated my career to improving human health through nutrition using technology.
My background in this field has been diverse, from working on the world's largest in-depth study of nutrition and the gut microbiome to date (PREDICT), to being involved in the launch of the ZOE COVID Study app, which has become the world's biggest app-based community epidemiological study into COVID-19.
I am currently working as a Product Manager at ZOE, a personalised nutrition company on a mission to improve the health of millions. In this role, I am responsible for the development and launch of ZOE's core nutrition product.
I bring a unique perspective to this role, having worked across many different areas in marketing and communications and a background in nutrition science.
As a member of the team at ZOE, I am excited to be part of an organisation that is making a real difference in people's lives through personalised nutrition. I am passionate about the work we do and am committed to developing innovative and effective products that help people achieve optimal health.
Catherine Heylings | Life sciences Consultant | IBM consulting
Catherine, 26, was raised in Toulouse, France, was born in the UK, and has been fortunate to have lived in various places.
Researching her own condition was one of the main factors that led Catherine to a career in science – she works as a Healthcare and Life Science Consultant at a major tech company. My research background focused on protocol development, problem solving, and data mining – during it the key skill I learned is how to adapt – embracing change and teaching yourself new skills, which encourages self-motivation and empowers you to challenge ideas in environments that are full of experts. Following my graduation from the University of Edinburgh as a research postgraduate, where I have a track record of building and delivering successful projects. I obtained a place working with an educational charity in Toulouse, France. My academic success stems from embracing responsibility during project collaboration and leadership roles, as well as maintaining a determined self-motivation. I have always immersed myself in different environments to build self-awareness and to challenge and improve myself – I have lived in multiple countries, worked with many experts, pursued numerous academic accolades, and became an academic mentor to broaden my understanding of science and how to communicate effectively across levels of expertise.
Victoria Ollerenshaw | Contracts Support and Spares Manager | Carter Synergy Ltd
Working for Carter Synergy Ltd for 15+ years, I am the Contracts Support and Spares Manager for the Contracting Division.
I am a third-generation employee; my father, uncle and grandmother all had long careers with the Group. It's been in my family all my life! I am passionate about STEM, the RACHP Industry and ensuring inclusivity. I excelled at STEM subjects during school; 6 out of the 14 GCSEs I obtained were in STEM subjects. By being a STEM Ambassador, I strive to inspire the engineers, scientists, innovators, and inventors of the future.
As well as my role within Carter Synergy Ltd and being a STEM Ambassador, I am also a STEMazing woman and mom of two. Alongside this, I always find the time to enrich and develop myself; in 2022, I completed 18 months of study to achieve a Level 4 NVQ in Business Administration and Management as well as obtaining a distinction in a HVAC Technician Course. I regularly enrol in industry-related courses to further my knowledge and skills.
My goal has always been to challenge the status quo; helping to rebrand the RACHP industry and bring about meaningful change by promoting and improving diversity and inclusion across the board. My efforts are predominantly focused on being a Visible Role Model, celebrating the successes of women in STEM fields while engaging with the next generation. This has led to me winning STEM Ambassador Awards and the Diversity and Inclusion Award at the RAC Cooling Industry Awards 2022.
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.
Paula Bekinschtein | Founder & Managing Director | WalkBek Consulting Limited
Paula is an Anglo-Argentinean Senior pharmaceutical and biotechnology executive in the field of commercial operations, sales and marketing and general management at local and global level. She is based in Cambridge, UK.
Paula has more than 20 years’ experience in leading and executing strategic projects, including product launches and designing cross-functional solutions in varied markets.
Results-oriented with an excellent ability to tackle complex challenges, Paula creates strategies to overcome the challenges and maximise the opportunities with a track record of delivering commercial growth through effective strategy and building high-performing, empowered teams.
Paula is currently the Founder and Managing director of WalkBek Consulting limited, having also worked in the past for companies such as Amgen and AstraZeneca.
Paula is driven by a genuine passion for people and important causes. She is proud to mentor a wide variety of professionals and young adults, and serves on the Board of Trustees for non-for-profit organisations involved in health, education and social welfare.
In 2022 she founded CONEXEN (Connect - Exchange - Engage) a community of executives working in the biopharma, and life sciences that believe in community building, and giving, not taking.
Since 2021, Paula has served on the Healthcare Businesswomen Association in various roles and is currently a Director at Large of the Global Board of Directors.
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.
Qianyu Chen | Research Fellow | University of Birmingham
Qianyu traveled to the UK at the age of 20, starting her BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Leicester.
In her second year of BEng, she was awarded a College Prize for the best second-year undergraduate. In her final year, she was awarded The IET Prize and The Institute of Measurement & Control East Midlands Section Prize for her distinguished performance in achieving the BEng degree with First Class. After completing the MSc degree from the University of Edinburgh with distinction, Qianyu was offered a funded PhD opportunity at the University of Birmingham for her excellence and intelligence in engineering. During her 4-year research studies, Qianyu has successfully published widely the results of her work in the field of railway asset management.
Currently, Qianyu works as a Research Fellow in the School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham, where she leads mind-blowing research with an amazing world-class team. Qianyu has collaborated with teams from HS2 Ltd on developing simulation models for the improvement of understanding of the performance of expansion joints applied to high-speed rails.
Qianyu volunteers as an e-mentor for the University of Leicester and produces video content to showcase the laboratory equipment in the engineering building to encourage others to get involved. She has also been a motivational STEM ambassador and a member of The Code First Girls Community and The Women’s Engineering Society, thriving to inspire a variety of participants, particularly from underrepresented ethnicities, to pursue careers in sectors of engineering and science.
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.