Louise Byrne | IBM
Louise is the Technical Leader for one of IBM’s largest global clients, defining and owning technical strategy and relationships.
This pinnacle technical role is the highest level below a Technical Executive role and is recognition of the trail Louise has blazed just 6 years into her career at IBM to present a fresh, dynamic approach at one of the world’s largest and most established IT companies. From a UK perspective Louise is:
- The only woman of colour in this high-profile IBM technical leadership role
- The only female technical leader in a top tier IBM account
- The first millennial IBMer to be entrusted with this level of technical leadership.
Previously, Louise spent 5 years as a Technical Sales Specialist, solving client business problems and challenges across multiple industries using IBM Security and Analytics technologies.
Louise is passionate about progressing women’s careers and uses her platform to encourage and pave the way for those who follow her, especially women in technical careers. She teaches an IBM masterclass on “Becoming a Technical Leader” at IBM and mentors multiple female graduates and interns, supporting them on their career path and possible next steps.
Louise drives promotion of technical careers for women internally through blogs, interviews and videos for IBM’s EMEA Women in Technology group. She also speaks externally at career events for students and young people. Louise leads the Women in Technology network between IBM and her client company, using this as a platform for women globally across the two companies to learn from each other, find new mentors, coaches and peers, and grow together in New York and London hubs.
Elisabeth Fritzsch | Amazon
A passion for learning about language made Elisabeth move from Germany to the UK in 2014 to pursue a BA in Linguistics & Mathematics at the University of York, where she won the G. K. Pullum Prize for the highest final mark in her degree.
Afterwards, she did an MSc in Computer Science with Speech and Language Processing at the University of Sheffield, winning prizes for achieving the highest final mark in her cohort and the best dissertation. For the past three years, Elisabeth has been working as a Knowledge Engineer at Amazon Alexa in Cambridge; using her background in Linguistics to help Alexa understand and answer all the questions customers ask her.
Akua Opong | London Stock Exchange Group
Akua is an experienced IT and Service Management professional having worked in the financial service for over 6 years, currently at London Stock Exchange Group.
Her project work and key deliverables include overseeing and maintaining the company hardware and software systems, resolving technical issues acting as an escalation point for the first line support team through the ITIL framework. This involves onboarding staff, providing IT inductions, audio/video support, account migrations, laptop deployments and supporting hybrid working as part of the return to office project.
Outside of her main role, Akua is a keen diversity and inclusion advocate, a mental health champion Community Lead for the UK Charity Committee and LSEG’s Women’s Inspired Network. She is passionate about raising the profile of women in STEM, as a Cajigo Mentor and STEM Ambassador.
Akua is a neurodiversity advocate (self identifies as Dyslexic and has ADD), a fundraiser, Board Advisory Member for Neurodiversity in Business plus a charity volunteer and a keen sports volunteer for Netball England and British Athletics. She is an aspiring humanitarian and working towards becoming a Trustee.
She has featured in Investment Week, Forbes, provided STEM career talk for various educational institutions and been a panellist for One Tech World conference 2021 discussing Harnessing Neurodiversity in Tech. In 2021, Akua also featured in the Tech London Advocates the Voices in the shadows book, Awarded Highly Commended for Role Model of the Year: Financial Services at Women in Tech Excellence 2021 and is a TechWomen100 2021 winner through WeAreTheCity.
Akua is an experienced IT and Service Management professional having worked in the financial service for over 6 years, currently at London Stock Exchange Group. She has featured in Investment Week, Forbes, provided STEM career talk at for various educational institutions and been a panellist for One Tech World conference 2021 discussing Harnessing Neurodiversity in Tech.
Ria Johal | Amazon
Ria is a Program Manager for Amazon, joining the company in 2019 after starting her career in Investment Banking.
In her role she has worked on several high profile partnerships across the platform, including supporting The Royal British Legion fulfilling their 2021 Poppy Appeal through Amazon.co.uk, earning her a reputation as a trusted high-performer and a safe pair of hands. She also leverages her expertise to drive positive action across the wider business and manages multiple programs; including mechanisms for inclusive meetings and Amazon’s Reverse Mentoring Program, which Ria designed to give junior employees a path to share their unique lived experiences with senior leaders and facilitate authentic conversation outside of employees perspective circles. She has now scaled the program to 6 other countries and runs across all sectors within Amazon.
She is also currently the UK Chair of Amazon’s People With Disabilities Affinity Group. In this role, Ria leads to influence business goals across EMEA and works to drive change internally through awareness and education, improving internal resources for employees and devising strategies to increase inclusivity for Amazon products. She frequently partners with student programs and other affinity groups to participate in panels and share a host of knowledge; ranging from advising students with disabilities how to transition from an educational into a professional setting, accessing workplace adjustments, advocating for Carers rights and balancing chronic health conditions with career progression.
Ria is passionate about giving back to the external community too. Having studied Electronic Engineering at University, she draws on her expertise and experiences to advocate for marginalised groups studying and working within STEM. She volunteers at her local library to run coding clubs for children, founded her own mentor circles to support 50+ young people as they forge their own career paths within Tech and she is an Ambassador and Mentor for Stemettes, a social enterprise encouraging girls and non-binary to understand and consider STEAM. She also sits on the Mentoring Steering Committee for the charity GroceryAid and is a partner for Psalt, a NFPO with Inclusion at its heart, offering opportunities and training to young Black people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
A true trailblazer and rising star, Ria works tirelessly to be a force for good and ensure everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves.
Bamidele Farinre | UKHSA
Bamidele Farinre, HCPC registered Chartered Scientist (CSci), BSc, MSc, Fellow IBMS; with IBMS Virology Higher Specialist diploma.
She is a Scientific Advisor (Technical Validation and Quality Assurance) for UKHSA.
She was the Chief Biomedical Scientist (Scientific Lead) for the DHSE (UKHSA) Mobile Processing Unit Vans project, Training and Development Lead (Covid-19 Mobile Processing Units (MPUs) at the London Medical Lab (LML). Responsible the delivery of 14 validated MPU-Vs for rapid COVID-19 response and for the training and development of biomedical scientists, associate practitioners and medical lab assistants to perform and manage the analysis of COVID-19 swab samples using LAMP technology.
She has worked across different organisations in the healthcare sector; Hammersmith Hospital, Clinical Biochemistry dept, St .Georges Hosp Tooting, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), Public Health England (PHE) now known as UK Health Security Agency, and Viapath Analytics LLP in the position of Operations Lead as part of the National Testing Programme requirements to implement local COVID-19 laboratories. She has been instrumental in leading, designing and implementing the June Almeida Lab based in the Franklin Wilkins Building, Waterloo London. This was a collaborative project between Kings College London and Viapath Analytics LLP. Using her knowledge and skills in molecular virology she has ensured that good laboratory processes and training were implemented throughout this project.
Bamidele is a member of the IBMS Virology Specialist Advisory Panel group. This panel plays an important role in the work of the IBMS including the setting of the Congress Scientific programmes and updating the IBMS qualifications including the HSD. Bamidele is a WISE campaign role model for ‘My Skills My Life’, inspiring the Future STEM ambassador, Mentor, Freedom to Speak Up ambassador, British Science Association (BSA) Crest award assessor, IBMS CPD officer and a Freedom to Speak-Up Ambassador.
She’s featured on many platforms and her commitment to her profession has been acknowledged. Some of her accomplishments included been shortlisted for Biomedical Scientist of the Year award, sponsored by the Institute of Biomedical Science award in the UK Advancing Healthcare Awards 2022! Nominated for unsung COVID heroes in the categories WISE Responsive Hero Award and WISE New Educator Award.
Winner, Champion of Biomedical Science Award 2019 for the IBMS London Region. Finalist in The Pathologist’s 2019 “Trailblazers” Power List, Finalist Women in IT Excellence Awards category: Role Model of the year 2019, Finalist for The Academy for Healthcare Science award for Inspiring the healthcare science workforce of the future 2019. Nominated for a STEM Inspiration Award in the category; Outstanding New STEM Ambassador 2018. She’s authored several articles for the IBMS, the Pathologist Magazine and InspiringtheFuture. She has also featured on interactive and educative podcasts to raise the profile of her profession. Some of her work was featured in the Tara Binns case studies project with The WISE Campaign.
Diviya Devani | Q-CTRL
Diviya is a Space Systems Engineer specialising in the next generation of space technologies.
She has experience designing, building, and testing systems for space, including the Sentinel-5, FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) and Cold Atom SPace PAyload (CASPA) missions. The results of her work across space imaging, quantum technologies and satellite communications have been utilised on a global scale by clients including the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), Inmarsat and OneWeb.
As a Product Engineer at Teledyne e2v she provided technical leadership on the ESA Sentinel 5 mission which monitors air quality, climate and solar radiation and the FLEX mission which will map vegetation fluorescence.
Diviya also oversaw a two year, world-first project, CASPA, managing a six strong consortium from both industry and academia, to deliver a shoe box sized satellite that will demonstrate a Quantum experiment in space. As well as her role as the systems engineer she was also the marketing manager in the team and took a lead on all PR related activities. With a particular focus on promoting engineering to young people to encourage a more diverse workforce.
She is currently working for Q-CTRL as a Quantum Sensing Consultant. Where she is responsible for enabling the next generation of quantum sensing in harsh environments, such as the Lunar/Martian surface, as the first and only female systems engineer in her team. Quantum sensors have numerous applications including climate monitoring and supporting the development of a human settlement in space.
In parallel to her role at Q-CTRL, she is also a satellite Communications Consultant at e2E. In this role she works for global satellite communication companies, as Lead Systems Engineer and Project Manager on major projects to provide fully integrated communications services to clients (ground stations and spacecraft).
Diviya was awarded a scholarship of €17,500 from ESA and the UKSA to study at the International Space University where she worked with a team of 20 to develop a nutritional and agricultural settlement for humans in space.
She is passionate about about promoting diversity in STEM fields and has started a women's network at Q-CTRL. She is also a mentor for the Space Generations Advisory Council and has also held various voluntary positions at the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Caitlin McCall | The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC)
Caitlin is an Advanced Research Engineer at the Manufacturing Technology Centre where she focuses on technical research in the electronics and robotics industry.
She is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is a Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Previously, she was a Materials and Manufacturing Engineer at Swansea University where she worked towards her Engineering Doctorate in printed electronics for flexible packaging. Key areas of research included printing methods, deposition analysis, ink manufacture, rheology and electronic testing of antennas.
She graduated in 2016 with a First-Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering. She has over 7 years' experience in Manufacturing Engineering as well as experience of working in numerous engineering fields including printed electronics, mass manufacturing, medical engineering and defence. Through her experiences with the Army Reserves, she has achieved an additional qualification in Leadership and Management with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
Caitlin is passionate about developing others and supporting her community. In 2021, she was awarded the Top 50 Women in Engineering: Engineering Heroes 2021 for her contribution during the pandemic. She regularly promotes engineering as a STEM ambassador, is a member of the Women’s Engineering Society Event Directors Committee and is Vice-Chair for WES Early Careers Board.
Lisa-Jayne Cook | GEA Heating and Refrigeration Technologies
My engineering career started in the drawing office at Heating and Cooling Coils, but I quickly moved into their Sales and Applications Department.
Here I found a love for all things Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Keen to progress within the industry, after two years with Heating and Cooling Coils I moved to Kelvion Searle where I was put through an apprenticeship program. I studied for a Level 3 BTEC in Building Services Engineering on day release. Using my working days to learn more about the fundamentals of refrigeration and to gain some hands-on experience in the factory, brazing and assembling commercial coolers.
I completed my apprenticeship with a Double Distinction, finishing top of the class and showing my male peers that’s girls can do just as well as boys (and often better). I received a Governor’s Award from College and made the final top 10 for RAC/IOR Student of the Year awards 2004, the only female in the shortlist.
I am grateful to the strong role model l had in my mother (also an engineer). She taught me to have confidence in my knowledge and to never give up on what I love. Her influence has propelled me through a career I am passionate about. Some days are more challenging than others, but with every challenge, I grow stronger and more confident in my abilities.
Fast forward 22 years from the start and I am still here, enjoying the career I’ve built. I’ve moved from airside product design to complete system design, and still love every bit of the job as much as I did all those years ago. Extremely proud to have been elected onto the Board of Trustees at the Institute of Refrigeration during 2019. Even prouder to have made history last year, being one of two females elected onto the Board of Directors at ACRIB (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board) as the first females to sit on the board.
Aside from my day job, and my Non-Executive Directorships, I am also an advocate for Diversity and Inclusion, being an active STEM Ambassador and STEMazing Women.
Lynette Kebirungi | Rolls-Royce
Lynette is an ambitious aerospace engineer that is devoted to empowering others and changing the world one act at a time.
She was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda where she held several leadership roles throughout her formative years around driving change in her community and co-founded the first digital lifestyle magazine at the age of 18. This game changing brand transformed the communications industry and saw many print magazines build an online presence. Many years after it was dissolved, KGlam remains a household brand in Uganda. Despite many great challenges, Lynette pursued a degree in Aerospace engineering at the University of Liverpool because she wanted to transform her country's engineering sector and inspire the youth to build their nation using the various fields of engineering. She became Uganda's first Aerospace engineer with an MSc when she graduated from Imperial College London. Following her passion for aerospace, Lynette joined Rolls-Royce Plc where she has worked across three business sectors; Control Systems, Civil and Defence aerospace. Within these sectors she has designed and tested various engine components across the fuel, combustor, turbine and cabin bleed systems. She is currently working on the Tempest team that is designing the future combat aircraft systems that will keep our airspace safe. Alongside her career in aerospace, Lynette has helped shape and improve Rolls-Royce company culture and policies with her efforts in Diversity and Inclusion for both gender and black and ethnic minorities. She was awarded as the UK Top 20 women in data in 2019 and highly recommended in the Commonwealth category of the Women of the Future in 2020.
Habiba Lais | Tribosonics
I am a Technologist at Tribosonics, a transformational technology business taking its unique sensing technologies into uncharted and valuable territories, to deliver scale and impact.
Previously from a non-STEM background, I enrolled at Brunel University London in 2011 to pursue Engineering with an Integrated Foundation year and progressed onto Aerospace Engineering. I completed an industrial placement year 2014/15 at Brunel Innovation Centre (BIC) as a Project Technical Assistant. During this time, I worked on InnovateUK funded fouling removal projects using high power ultrasonic transducers.
In 2016, I received a First Class Honours in Aerospace Engineering B.Eng. with Professional Development. Upon graduation, I continued my journey in ultrasonics by undertaking an industrial-led PhD at the National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC) and Brunel Innovation Centre, developing a non-invasive ultrasonic technique for removing fouling on subsea O&G pipelines. I continued as a Research Fellow at Brunel Innovation Centre to extend high power ultrasonic applications into the nuclear and renewable energy sectors, before joining Tribosonics in early 2021 to develop ultrasonic sensing applications within the nuclear, transport and renewable energy sectors.
I have authored in several peer-reviewed journals and conferences: Most notably in Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, a leading international journal in the field of acoustics and ultrasonics. I am passionate about contributing to the world’s sustainability goals through sensor innovation whilst raising the awareness of how ultrasound can be designed to achieve this; particularly through embedded/smart components to drive production optimisation.