Caroline Rees Williams | Trustee | The Valesco Foundation
Caroline is Operations Manager and EA to the CEO at The Valesco Group, responsible for operations and infrastructure.
She also sits on the Board of Trustees of The Valesco Foundation, responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity. Prior to joining Valesco, she worked at an award-winning international hospitality company within the Executive Team, where she managed the global headquarters across operations, finance and HR. Prior to this, she worked for a boutique executive search company, where she project-managed senior searches within the private equity and venture capital industries. Caroline holds a BSc. (Hons) Economics from the University of Birmingham.
Anna Rawcliffe | Head of Content Marketing and Innovation | National Trust
I am a marketing professional with 12 years’ experience in the charity sector, leading for creativity, innovation, and integrated digital communications.
I started my career as a digital marketing officer for a small charity in Stratford, before joining the National Trust’s Social Media team.
I learnt a huge amount as part of and leading the National Trust’s Social Media team. Together we grew a culture of innovation, bravery, and creativity. I am proud of the resilient and supportive team I built in face of an often-challenging climate on social media.
In recent years I took on a short secondment within the National Trust to lead for organisations’ digital investment plan, shaping future digital focus for enhancements and innovations. During the secondment I also worked with the Trust’s Customer Journeys team to understand and map our members’ year-one experience with the Trust.
In 2022 I took on a new role as Senior Innovation Manager and set up the National Trust’s first Innovation Hub. I lead a team responsible for testing digital technologies new the organisation. Since the hub’s creation, we have delivered over 12 pilots to inform the organisation’s long-term digital investment and approach.
I am excited to have started a new interim role in March 2024 as Head of Content Marketing and Innovation at the National Trust. Alongside leading the Trust’s Innovation Hub, I will be leading the organisations Content Marketing team through a period of growth and change.
Marzia Bolpagni | Associate Director | Mace
Marzia is Civil Engineer specialised in digital technologies. She is a champion in service excellence and innovation where she supports clients on digital strategy and applications.
She does not just deliver excellence in her company: her work has an impact at international level. Lead author of the EU standard BSEN17412-1:2020 on the use of digital engineering to define digital requirements: the only EU standard in this field lead by a woman. Thanks to the popularity of the work, the standard is now under adoption at international level under her guidance. She is the youngest leader of a 30+experts from 16 countries at CENTC442 and ISO.
She coordinates 150+international volunteers in translating complex STEM concepts. She is the youngest ambassador of Nima, promoting the adoption of technologies in the UK Construction. She is Honorary Associate Professor at UCL, Visiting Professor at Northumbria University. She co-authored a relevant UK BIM Framework national guidance. Marzia is Founder of Italians in Digital Transformations UK, a community of 700+ Italian professionals working in the UK.
She gave lectures to 27 international universities so far, supervises dissertations and she mentors 20+ a year students to inspire the new generation on STEM career. She is keynote speaker in 200+events in 27countries, author of 25+scientific articles, a book, included in magazines/journals, podcasts and videos.
Gwyneth Sotuminu | Delivery Manager | BAE Systems
Gwyneth joined the delivery management graduate scheme in September 2022 and is currently a Scrum Master on a project delivering Critical UK National Technical Infrastructure.
Gwyneth graduated with a first-class honours in BSc Business Management from King’s College London and started her career early, tutoring in Psychology, English literature and Economics throughout university. Previous roles also include junior project manager, business analyst and finance manager across sectors such as Lifesciences, FMCG, Management consulting and now Defence and Technology. She also founded a Digital Marketing Consultancy in 2021 which aims to help start-ups and small businesses reach their customers.
Although she was born in the UK, she has had the privilege of growing up in a few different countries, spending most of her teens in France, Ghana and Sierra Leone. These diverse cultural exposures instilled in her a profound passion for understanding and connecting with people and fostering adaptability amidst constant change. She speaks English, French, and Korean, and maintains a genuine interest in bridging communication gaps and cultivate meaningful relationships.
An interest she has carried throughout her career, currently serving as a Diversity Equity and Inclusion representative on her account and initially chairing the Future Talent Council upon joining her graduate scheme. A council she grew to act as a safety net for the early careers community.
Gwyneth is most passionate about making sure people have equal opportunities and a safe space for to operate in. She enjoys dancing, karaoke and watching Korean dramas in her free time.
Ruth Guest | GP | Royal Navy
I joined the Royal Navy in 2010 at the end of my time at UEA medical school which saw me heading down to Plymouth for my initial junior doctor years before attending Britannia Royal Naval College for initial officer training.
As she ships doctor on HMS RICHMOND for 6 months I travelled as far south as South Georgia which was an amazing experience, spending time in the Falkland Islands and central America.
During my GP training I developed an interest - both personal and professional with the birth of my second child - in how the military look after our servicewomen during maternity and the post-natal period. I initiated and led project REBALANCE which contributed to national changes in practice across Defence establishing self referral into mental health services for any women in the Perinatal period along with education and awareness and continue to run sessions with military ante/postnatal groups.
Once qualified as a GP my passion for women`s health continued and have recently taken on the lead role in the Defence GP Special Interest Group for Women`s Health. I`m passionate about education around women`s health for all - running sessions for servicewomen both UK based and in deployable units, for chain of command and for medical professionals of all types.
My current job in Academic General Practice has given me the opportunity to conduct research around women`s health in the UK Armed forces leading to publication and policy change to improve the lived experience of women who serve.
Millih-Aurelle Coloma | Business Analyst | BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
I am a dynamic Business Analyst with expertise in IT and technology delivery within Public Sector and Central Government organisations.
I have practical experience in user research, agile delivery and Business Analysis fundamentals. Despite being in the early stages of my career I have been successful in my delivery, earning the recognition from both external clients and internal teams. I am renowned for my work ethic, proactive mindset, and adaptability.
Despite working in the IT industry, I have a non-traditional background having studied Geography with Economics at LSE. This degree sparked my curiosity in research methods and geopolitics, which overall requires a big-picture vision. Consulting within public sector organisations has further fuelled this interest and has allowed me to adopt this holistic thinking approach in the work I have completed. This includes implementing cyber transformation and threat analysis programmes to government organisations. My experience has taught me that the decisions made, and the delivery implemented through the work I do has a wider macro impact.
Julia Barr | Commercial Manager | Mott MacDonald
Following a degree in Law, I spent 4.5 years in legal publishing as an editor before moving to London and taking a job as a PA at Westminster Abbey.
Family circumstances necessitated a move to Scotland and a new role as an EA at a private school, working with the senior leadership team. Seeking fresh opportunities, I joined Mott MacDonald as a programme office coordinator on a busy, £1.6Bn+ defence infrastructure programme and worked my way up to assistant project manager via a project coordination role.
A mentoring opportunity with one of our commercial directors saw me offered a new role in commercial management which was a fantastic match for my skills and experience, and I promoted within half a year of starting the role. I now lead a small team of commercial managers, working principally on defence nuclear contracts as well as civil nuclear work.
As a working mother with three children (aged 8, 5 and 1), and a husband in the military who works away from home, I am incredibly passionate about promoting the possibilities of maintaining a healthy work-life balance with fellow military family members, among whom there is a very high rate of under-utilisation and under-employment. I offer mentoring, CV and interview workshops to those looking to gain confidence and find meaningful roles.
I was delighted recently to be awarded the Military Values in Business Award at the Scottish ex-Forces in Business Awards for my success in my role and work advocating for military family members.
Grace Beckham | Business Consultant | BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Whether bundling up last-minute bouquets for an online florist start-up in Singapore, designing steel superstructure for Grade II* listed London prime real estate, or providing IT consulting for UK central government clients, I have enjoyed the consistent thread of tackling problems through creative teamwork in my career so far.
My background in Structural Engineering gave me a solid foundation (pun intended) to grow analytical skills and embed the importance of best practice and industry standards, as well as the dual need for `doing maths` and the ability to communicate and coordinate across a myriad of teams.
I joined BAE Systems Digital Intelligence as a Business Consultant in 2019 and have since enjoyed unpicking processes and identifying problems, learning to ask better questions to determine needs and propose solution options. I have been grateful for opportunities to progress my personal development through achieving the BCS Business Analysis Diploma, obtaining TOGAF Certified and building product experience through the Prod MBA bootcamp.
Appreciative of those who have supported me thus far, I am inspired to support colleagues in my role as a Career Manager as well as previously running our Management Consulting Buddy Scheme, to help new joiners find their feet.
Looking to the future, I am excited to continue as a `woman in technology` and see where it takes me. If it doesn`t involve more flowers... perhaps it can involve chocolate!
Daisy Robinson | Graduate Security Consultant | BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
I joined BAE Systems Digital Intelligence in January 2023, immediately following my graduation from the University of Buckingham the previous December, with a first class BA in Security, Intelligence and Cyber.
I am currently working as a Graduate Security Consultant in the Central Government business unit.
I have always been fascinated by security studies, with a specific interest in cyber-security and I am incredibly lucky to be working for an organisation that specialises in that area.
My role at BAE Systems has allowed me to work with government clients to facilitate their growth in the cyber-security environment whilst keeping a holistic view on the essential operational capabilities of the organisation.
Cara Swain | Medical Officer | Royal Navy
I studied medicine at the University of Bristol, joining the Royal Navy as a medical officer cadet in 2009.
After graduating in 2012, I worked as a Foundation Doctor for two years at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, before deploying as a ship’s doctor (General Duties Medical Officer) on four different ships to locations including the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the South Atlantic from 2014-2017. During this time, I used my experiences to complete a postgraduate diploma in Global & Remote Healthcare, and discovered my passion for education and training through the provision of medical training to military personnel.
In 2017, I commenced surgical training in Southwest England, with the aim to qualify as a Trauma & Emergency general surgeon. During the last three years, I have been undertaking a PhD in the field of medical education at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. My research explores the use of live animal simulation in relation to learning to manage complex surgical trauma, and has involved a novel international multi-sited study of surgical simulation training with military and civilian medical professionals.
I established the Royaumont Forum in 2022, an organisation designed to foster collegiality and provide networking and informal mentoring opportunities to Royal Navy Medical Officers, particularly those who are in training.
I advocate for using education as a catalyst for change in areas including harm reduction in trauma medicine, professional sociocultural improvement and gender equality.