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Everywoman announces 2023 tech awards finalists

Clare McDonald
Clare McDonald
Business Editor

The finalists for the 2023 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards have been announced prior to the awards ceremony in March.

Each year the professional women’s network, in partnership with FDM, highlights the achievements of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) through its Everywoman in Technology Awards and Forum.

The number of women in the UK’s technology sector, while improved recently, has stayed relatively low and unchanged over the last five years, and women are avoiding or leaving the technology sector for a number of reasons, including a lack of support, a lack of role models, and toxic work culture.

With the aim of celebrating women and allies at all stages of their career, Everywoman’s judges have selected more than 80 finalists who have made a difference to their fields in the hope that showcasing these role models will inspire others to pursue their own careers in technology.

Maxine Benson, co-founder of Everywoman, said: “Addressing this gender gap is why these awards were originally established in 2010. The ongoing requirement to both attract and advance more women in this industry has never been more urgent.

“The past 14 years has produced so many stories that demonstrate the impact of this programme in achieving that goal. These awards showcase the diverse, fulfilling, and exemplary careers that women can have in technology and how they really can make a difference to people’s lives.”

The finalists for the 2023 Everywoman in Tech Awards are as follows:

Apprentice Award – sponsored by SSE

  • Joanna Crane, undergraduate engineer, Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology
  • Ziana Butt BEM, business and technology delivery new associate, Accenture
  • Amy Porter, technology degree apprentice, PwC
  • Asha Bachetta, technology apprentice, cybersecurity and technology controls, JP Morgan Chase
  • Amy Groves, software engineer, Lloyds Banking Group
  • Bec Sun, software engineer, American Express

 

CTO/CIO of the Year Award – sponsored by Accenture

  • Paula Carey, CTO, Carbon8 Systems Ltd
  • Nicki Clegg, former CTO and interim head of engineering and DevOps, Irwin Mitchell
  • Josie Dressendofer, president / CIO, Slice Wireless Solution
  • Nadine Thomson, CTO, GroupM – MediaCom

 

Cyber Security Award – sponsored by BAE Systems

  • Kerry Craven, sales capture, Accenture
  • Katy Hinchcliffe, head of security operations, M&G plc
  • Stephanie McKeown, senior security policy specialist, Lloyds Banking Group
  • Saba Mohammed, vice president – global cybersecurity education program manager, JP Morgan Chase
  • Elaine Shepherd, cloud compliance lead, Willis Towers Watson
  • Eleanor Sim, director cyber security strategy and architecture, Bupa

 

Digital Star Award – sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group

  • Heather Campbell, principal architect, Kainos
  • Cherry Ko, digital experience lead, NatWest Group
  • Shelina McAlees, cloud engagement consultant, Willis Towers Watson
  • Vibhusha Raval, scrum master, Haleon
  • Karolina Szafranek, software engineer, American Express
  • Alina Timofeeva, associate partner, Oliver Wyman

 

Digital Transformation Leader Award – sponsored by Bupa

  • Irene Acedo-Rico Gonzalez, emea lenovo channel sales executive director, Lenovo
  • Nikki Briant, management consultant, Oaklin
  • Caroline McDowall, head of delivery, M&G plc
  • Joanna Peller, health lead, Palantir
  • Rachel Rubenstein, director, PwC
  • Li Qun Taylor, head of digital channels technology, retail digitech, NatWest Bank

 

Entrepreneur Award – sponsored by Howden Group Holdings

  • Liz Ashall-Payne, founding CEO, ORCHA
  • Alison Ettridge, CEO and chief believer, Stratigens (from Talent Intuition Ltd)
  • Janthana Kaenprakhamroy, CEO, Taploy Ltd
  • Vinita Rathi, CEO, Systango
  • Fiona Roach Canning, CEO, Pollinate

 

Innovator Award – sponsored by American Express

  • Francesca Rosella, co-founder and chief creative officer, Cute Circuit
  • Issy Yeung, software engineer, Lloyds Banking Group
  • Jasmine Dhiman, managing director, Accenture
  • Shabnam Wazed, founder and CEO, AGAM International
  • Rajvant Nijjhar, CEO, BankEnergi

 

Leader Award – sponsored by Twilio

  • Kaj Bansal, Manager, agile delivery lead, Capital One
  • Lindsey Bateman, chief information security officer, M&G plc
  • Pamela Maynard, CEO, Avanade
  • Nikki McCall, Director, finance automation and change, Centrica plc
  • Michelle McDaid, senior director of engineering, Workhuman
  • Mridula Ranjan, head of international and complex payments technology, NatWest Group
  • Jane Ashworth, global retail programs director, Lenovo

 

Male Agent of Change Award – sponsored by Centrica PLC

  • Russell Sloan, digital services director, Kainos
  • Declan O’Gorman, head of engineering, NatWest Group
  • Rob McCargow, technology impact leader, PwC
  • Paul Forster, community manager, SETsquared Bristol
  • Mick Burn, partner – EMEA head Infosys consulting talent and organisation practice, Infosys Consulting
  • Ewen McPherson, senior director, Discover Financial Services
  • Tom Ilube CBE, CEO, Crossword Cybersecurity Plc

 

One to Watch Award – sponsored by Computacenter

  • Alexandra Gentry, student at Bedford Girls School
  • Olivia Gibson, student at Manchester High School for Girls
  • Catherine James, student at Lady Eleanor Holles School
  • Alice Smith, student at Samuel Ryder Academy
  • Anna Wake, co-founder, Mission Encodeable

 

Rising Star Award – sponsored by SUSE

  • Shannon Burgess, project manager, Shared Services Connected Ltd
  • Bethany Clarke, former advanced consultant engineer, Capgemini Engineering
  • Emily Cross, customer success associate, JP Morgan Chase
  • Chloe Donaldson, information service engineer, ModUK – British Army
  • Joanna Kelly, senior software engineer, Leonardo
  • Harshitha Shivakumar, senior technical consultant, IBM

 

Software Engineer Award – sponsored by Discover

  • Duygu Cakmak, R&D director, Creative Assembly
  • Janine Luk, developer evangelist, R3
  • Andreea Monu, lead engineer, NatWest Group
  • Zeinab Sarmadi, senior software engineer, American Express
  • Monisha Waghmare, senior principal engineer, REPL Group
  • Sandra Koetter, senior test engineer, Booking.com
  • Sim Suri-Maun, head of digital technology, Bupa

 

Team Leader Award – sponsored by Fujitsu

  • Noreen Buckley, director of product delivery and integration, global consumer services technology, American Express
  • Natalie Donohue, senior producer, Sports Interactive
  • Charlie Dacke, head of geospatial technology and standards, Office for National Statistics
  • Bamidele Farinre, pathology quality lead, HALO
  • Becky Ferraro, inclusive design lead, Deloitte Digital
  • Priyanka Naik, principal product owner, Discover Financial Services

 

Tech For Good Award – sponsored by RS Group

  • Konstatina Bethani, founder and CEO, Tenebra Studios
  • Christiane Demgenski, chief product officer, Awina
  • Bonnie Molins, inclusive design principal, Kainos
  • Helen Roland, global forensic accountant, Accenture
  • Emma Smith, director of talent and social impact, Creative Assembly
  • Jane Govindsamy, executive assistant and corporate social investment champion, Lenovo SA

 

Academic Award

  • Pippa Bostock, director of development, engagement and marketing, The Mary Rose Trust and PhD candidate at CCIXR, University of Portsmouth
  • Jackie Carter, professor in statistical literacy, University of Manchester
  • Beverley Gibbs, chief academic officer, New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE)
  • Cathryn Mitchell, professor and royal society research fellow, University of Bath
  • Nicole Melzack, PhD candidate, University of Southampton/The Faraday Institution

Winners of the FDM everywoman in Technology Award will be announced at a ceremony in London on 9 March 2023.