Most influential women in UK tech: The 2017 longlist

Each year, Computer Weekly asks the technology sector who we should consider for our list of the 50 most influential women in UK tech, and each year the list of women nominated grows longer and longer.

In 2017, the nominations list featured over 160 women who have contributed to the technology industry and have helped to increase the number of women working across the tech community.

Computer Weekly launched its list of UK tech’s most influential women in 2012 to recognise the brilliant women who are contributing to the technology industry.

Since its launch six years ago, the list has expanded from the top 25 women in UK tech to the top 50, with more and more nominees put forward each year. This year, for the first time, we decided to publish the full list of everyone nominated, to recognise the increasing breadth and depth of important roles carried out by women in IT.

Next week, we will publish our expert judges' decision of which 50 names will go forward to a reader vote to decide the most influential women in UK technology, but for now here are the nominees - congratulations to all.

Here is the 2017 most influential women in UK tech longlist (in alphabetical order):

• Alex Depledge, chair, Coadec; founder and co-CEO, Buildpath.com
• Alexa Marenghi, global diversity programme manager, Microsoft; founder of Codess
• Alexandra Deschamps Sonsino, director of Designswarm; founder of The Good Night Lamp
• Alice Bentinck, co-founder, Entrepreneur First
• Alison Vincent, chief technology officer, UK & Ireland, Cisco
• Amali de Alwis, CEO, Code First: Girls
• Angela Morrison, IT & supply chain director, Debenhams
• Angela Yu, NHS doctor; founder, London App Brewery
• Anna Barsby, chief technology director, Morrisons
• Anne Marie Neatham, COO, Ocado Technology 
• Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO, Stemettes
• Annika Small, Founder and director, CAST (Centre for Acceleration of Social Technology)
• Bea Karol Burks, director of innovation and design, Good Things Foundation
• Beatrice Butsana-Sita, managing director, Capita Networking Solutions
• Belinda Parmar, CEO, The Empathy Business
• Bethany Koby, CEO and co-founder, Technology Will Save Us
• Bindi Karia, adviser and entrepreneur
• Cait O'Riordan, chief product and information officer, The Financial Times
• Carmina Lees, vice-president, IBM’s Security Business in the UK & Ireland
• Caroline Carruthers, chief data officer, Network Rail
• Caroline Graham, director of change management, Barclays; head of WeAreTheCity India
• Caroline Hargrove, technical director, McLaren Applied Technologies
• Carrie Anne Philbin, director of education, Raspberry Pi Foundation
• Catherine Knivett, principal policy officer for digital skills, Greater London Authority
• Charlotte Finn, VP, programs-EMEA, Salesforce.org
• Charlotte Holloway, head of public innovation, Public Group
• Charlotte Murray, COO and director of social inclusion, Good Things Foundation
• Charlotte Robertson, co-founder, Digital Awareness UK
• Chi Onwurah, shadow minister for industrial strategy, science and innovation; Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central
• Christina Scott, chief technology officer, News UK and deputy CTO, News Corp
• Christine Ashton, global CXO digital strategy executive, SAP
• Christine Hodgson, chairman, Capgemini UK
• Claire Cockerton, founder & CEO, Plexal
• Claire Edmunds, CEO, Clarify
• Claire Vyvyan, senior vice-president UK & Ireland commercial business, Dell EMC
• Clare Sutcliffe, co-founder, Code Club; executive director communities and outreach, Raspberry Pi Foundation
• Daryn Edgar, director, PwC UK
• Debbie Forster, Tech Talent Charter management group lead; tech leader and entrepreneur, Novel Design;
• Debbie Wosskow, co-founder and CEO, Love Home Swap; government adviser on sharing economy
• Diana Kennedy, vice-president of strategy, architecture and planning, BP
• Edel Creely, group managing director, Trilogy Technologies
• Edel McGrath, UK CIO, KPMG
• Eileen Burbidge, chair, Tech City; partner, Passion Capital; government special envoy for fintech
• Elizabeth Denham, information commissioner for the UK
• Elizabeth Eastaugh, senior director, product - eCP, enterprise data platform services, Expedia
• Elizabeth Varley, co-founder and CEO, TechHub
• Elizabeth Vega, global CEO, Informed Solutions
• Emily Forbes, founder, Seenit
• Emma Cerrone, co-founder and partner, Freeformers
• Emma McGuigan, group technology officer, communications, media & technology, Accenture
• Emma Mulqueeny, consultant & adviser
• Emma Robertson, co-founder, Digital Awareness UK
• Estelle Johannes, director of member communities UK, CompTIA
• Fiona Hudson Kelly, CEO, Smart Assessor and Smart Apprentices
• Fumbi Chima, board member of Diplomatic Courier; ex-CIO, Burberry
• Gabi Wagenhofer, CIO, Castrol BP
• Gayna Hart, founder and MD, Quicksilva
• Gemma Milne, co-founder of Science: Disrupt; tech and science journalist
• Gillian Arnold, founder, Tectre and former chair, BCS Women
• Hannah Dee, senior lecturer, Aberystwyth University and founder, BCS Women Lovelace Colloquium
• Harriet Green, global leader, IBM Watson internet of things, customer engagement and education
• Heather Savory, director general for data capability, Office for National Statistics
• Helen Kelisky, vice-president, cloud, UK and Ireland, IBM
• Helen Lamb, vice-president, strategic pursuits unit, global delivery group, Fujitsu
• Helen Meek, agile coach and consultant, RippleRock
• Helen Milner, chief executive, Good Things Foundation
• Helen Picov, UK managing director, Apps for Good
• Helen Toogood, owner, Hot Chilli Consulting
• Holly Brockwell, founder and editor, Gadgette
• Ines Teles, co-founder, DWYL; director, Founders & Coders
• Jacquelyn Guderley, founder, Salome Literature
• Jacqui Taylor, CEO, Flying Binary
• Janet Coyle, MD, Silicon Valley Comes to the UK
• Jeni Mundy, group enterprise product director, Vodafone
• Jeni Tennison, CEO, Open Data Institute 
• Jennifer Arcuri, founder, InnoTech Network and Hacker House
• Jennifer Rigby, CIO, Lloyd’s of London
• Jenny Griffiths, CEO, Snap Tech
• Josefine Hedlund, co-founder, GeekGirl Meetup UK; project director, AnalogFolk
• Josie Cox, business editor, The Independent
• Julie Bretland, director, Our Mobile Health
• June Angelides, founder, Mums in Technology
• Karen Price, CEO, The Tech Partnership
• Karen Young, managing director, MDS Technologies
• Kate Russell, tech journalist, gamer, author and BBC Click presenter
• Kathryn Parsons, founder and co-CEO, Decoded
• Kayleigh Bateman, head of digital content and business development, WeAreTheCity
• Kerensa Jennings, director, Office of HRH The Duke of York
• Kirstin Duffield, CEO and managing director, Morning Data
• Lara Sampson, product owner, Universal Credit and head of product, DWP
• Leeann Monk-Ozgul, co-founder and co-CEO, Elemental – The Social Prescribing Company
• Lisa Hammond, CEO and co-founder, Centrix Software
• Louise McCarthy, director of global digital transformation, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development
• Lucy Dimes, CEO, Fujitsu UK
• Lyn Grobler, group CIO, Hyperion Insurance Group
• Lynn Collier, COO, Hitachi Data Systems UK
• Magdalena Kron, ‎head of Rise London and vice-president open innovation, Barclays; co-founder, Geek Girl Meetup UK
• Maggie Van’T Hoff, vice-president of IT transformation and value, Shell
• Mandy Chessell, distinguished engineer, master inventor, analytics, open metadata and governance, IBM Hybrid Cloud
• Margaret Ross, professor of software quality and a principal lecturer, Southampton Solent University
• Maria McKavenagh, COO, Green Running
• Marija Butkovic, co-founder, Women of Wearables
• Marta Krupinska, co-founder, Azimo
• Melinda Roylett, senior director, head of small and medium business, EMEA, PayPal
• Melissa Di Donato, chief revenue officer, S/4 Hana Cloud, SAP
• Michelle Senecal de Fonseca, area vice president, Northern Europe, Citrix
• Monique Shivanandan, group CIO, Aviva
• Nadira Hussain, head of ICT, London Borough of Enfield
• Naomi Climer, ex-president, IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology)
• Naomi Timperley, chair, Capital Pilot; director, Tech North Advocates
• Natalie Gammon, CIO, Finastra
• Neeta Patel, CEO, New Entrepreneur Foundation
• Nicola Barnes (Walsh), senior development manager, Companies House
• Nicola Mendelsohn, managing director, Facebook Europe
• Pamela Maynard, president of Europe, Avanade
• Payal Jain, managing director, strategic analytics, Barclaycard
• Polly Barnfield, founder and CEO, Maybe
• Pravina Ladva, chief technology and operations officer at Swiss Re Life Capital
• Priya Guha, ecosystem general manager UK, RocketSpace
• Priya Lakhani, founder and CEO, Century Tech
• Rachel Murphy, digital delivery director, NHS Digital
• Rachel Neaman, CEO, Corsham Institute
• Rav Bumbra, founder, Structur3dpeople
• Rebecca George, lead public sector partner, Deloitte UK
• Regina Moran, vice-president and head of industries, EMAI, Fujitsu
• Reshma Sohoni, partner and co-founder, Seedcamp
• Rioch Edwards-Brown, founder, So You Wanna Be on TV?
• Romilly Dennys, executive director, Coadec
• Roselynn Cason Mason, global partner recruiting, McKinsey and Company
• Rosie Sherry, founder, Ministry of Testing
• Sarah Atkinson, vice-president of EMEA communications, CA Technologies
• Sarah Burnett, vice-president of research (service optimisation technologies), Everest Group and chair, BCS Women
• Sarah Flannigan, CIO, EDF Energy
• Sarah Luxford, director, Nexec Leaders and co-founder, TLA Women in Tech
• Sarah Shields, vice-president and GM, Dell UK Channel
• Sarah Turner, founder, Angel Academe
• Sarah Wilkinson, CEO, NHS Digital; ex-chief digital, data and technology officer, Home Office
• Sarah Winmill, CTO, British Transport Police
• Sarah Wood, co-founder and CEO, Unruly
• Shalini Khemka, founder and CEO, E2Exchange
• Sharon Moore, industry technical leader for travel and transportation, IBM UK
• Sharon White, CEO, Ofcom
• Sheeza Shah, founder and CEO, UpEffect
• Sheila Flavell, COO, FDM Group
• Sheree Atcheson, UK expansion director, Women Who Code
• Sheridan Ash, technology and investments director, women in technology leader, PwC
• Sherry Coutu, angel investor; founder, Founders4Schools; Silicon Valley Comes to the UK; Scaleup Institute
• Shirley Creed, global corporate secretary, Dell
• Sophie Deen, CEO, Bright Little Labs
• Sophie Newton, COO, Brainlabs
• Susan Bowen, general manager and vice-president EMEA, Cogeco Peer 1; chair, TechUK Women In Tech Council
• Susanne Chishti, CEO, Fintech Circle
• Tamara Lohan, founder and CTO, Mr & Mrs Smith
• Trudy Norris-Grey, global business development, public sector, Microsoft; chair, WISE
• Ursula Morgenstern, global head of business and platform solutions, Atos
• Vicky Brock, founder and CEO, Clear Returns
• Wendy Tan White, general partner, Entrepreneur First; board trustee, Alan Turing Institute
• Yasmin Bey, student, Everywoman One to Watch award winner 2016
• Zoe Cunningham, managing director, Softwire

A panel of expert judges has used the following criteria to decide which of these women will be selected for the top 50:

• Influence: What authority or ability does the person have – either through their personal position or the role they hold – to personally influence the development of UK IT, or to influence others in positions of authority?
• Achievements: What has the person achieved in the past 12 months to help the development of UK IT?
• Profile: Is the person recognised as a role model for aspiring leaders? How widely is she acknowledged by her peers as an authority and influence on UK IT?
• Leadership: Does the person demonstrate the skills and experience necessary to be seen as a leader in the development of IT in the UK? Does she have a leadership role and does that help her to develop the role of IT in the UK?
• Potential: How likely is it that the person will have a significant impact on UK IT in the next 12 months? Will her authority and responsibility grow?
• Community: Has the person contributed to the women in technology community? To what extent has she used her influence to help other women progress in IT?

Next week, Computer Weekly will announce the 50 women in this year’s list and allow readers to vote on who they think should receive the accolade of most influential woman in UK tech 2017.

Previous winners, along with leaders considered to have made a lifetime contribution to helping women in technology, have been added to our Hall of Fame, and as such don't appear on the annual nominations list.

The winner will be announced at Computer Weekly’s annual diversity in tech event, run in partnership with Mortimer Spinks and sponsored by Salesforce.com and Skills Matter, on 4 October.