WeAreTechWomen has revealed this year’s remarkable women in tech and STEM that have won the 2021 TechWomen100 Award.
The winners of these awards, organised by WeAreTheCity.com, showcase leading women within the technology and STEM sector. They include Manisha Ganguly, who is a multi-award-winning independent conflict journalist and filmmaker using open-source techniques to investigate human rights abuses under conditions of war; Alice Hendy, who founded the app, R;pple Suicide Prevention, after the tragic loss of her brother Josh, in 2020; Priyanka Mittal, who led the Cloud-based architecture of two national programmes at NHS Digital, which have been the backbone of the government’s response to COVID-19; and Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, a Senior Flight Systems Engineer, working on a next generation fast jet, the Tempest project.
The winners include individuals from leading firms such as Ford Motor Company, Microsoft, The British Army, NHS Digital, BT, Transport for London, Vodafone, BBC World Service, Google, Mastercard, London Stock Exchange and many more. The awards also recognise champions, networks and companies, who are all actively supporting the progression of women in tech and STEM. Once again, the TechWomen100 Awards are also celebrating women in tech from outside the UK, in the Global Award for Achievement category.
TOP FEMALE TECH TALENT
Since August 2021, WeAreTechWomen has been searching the UK for the best female tech talent in the country. The TechWomen100 awards are the first of their kind to focus solely on the female tech talent pipeline and to also recognise the impact of champions, companies and networks that are leading the way for future generations of tech talent.
This year’s winners join an alumnus of 350 winners from 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Highlighting the achievements of these women is part of WeAreTechWomen’s campaign to shine a spotlight on 1,000 future female leaders in technology by 2025. “At WeAreTechWomen we have made it our personal mission to shine a spotlight on women working in tech. Our strategic aim is to highlight 1,000 female future leaders in technology by 2025,” stated Vanessa Vallely OBE, Founder of WeAreTechWomen. “The response to this year’s awards has been fantastic and the calibre of entries has been outstanding. I am so proud to see so many women in tech recognised for their achievements and look forward to celebrating our winners and their achievements.”
TIME FOR MORE EQUALITY IN TECH
In today’s tech industry only 17% are women. The tech sector needs more women studying, working, and sticking with tech skills to ensure that there is enough talent for the future. In 2017, women made up 24% of those working in core STEM industries in the UK. Within the younger generation only one in 10 females are currently taking A-Level computer studies. WeAreTechWomen is aiming to change this.
The awards were entered by over 1,000 nominations from across the UK and Ireland; and the nominees received over 35,000 votes of support from across the globe. The calibre of entries for these awards was exceptional and all the judges stated how difficult it was to arrive at a final list, due to the amazing achievements of our nominees. Those receiving the Editor’s Choice award are individuals who have been specifically selected by the leadership team at WeAreTechWomen and one independent judge. This award recognises their outstanding contribution and tireless efforts towards women in tech. The 2021 awards were powered by Goldman Sachs and sponsored by Accenture, BAE Systems, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Ipsos Mori, Oliver Wyman and OpenFin.
“Goldman Sachs is delighted to sponsor the TechWomen100 Awards in celebration of women making a huge impact on the technology industry,” stated Orla Dunne, Partner – Head of Core Engineering in EMEA at Goldman Sachs. “As a firm, we are fully committed to developing and supporting talented individuals, advancing gender equality, and increasing diverse representation at every level. As we strive for excellence, a diverse workforce best positions us to serve our clients, as well as the communities in which we operate. Awards such as this are a pivotal instrument for change, recognising our industry’s future leaders, and creating role models to inspire new talent into technology.”
HIGH PROFILE MALE ALLY
WeAreTechWomen also announced the Editor’s Choice winner, Rob McCargow, Technology Impact Leader UK & EMEA at PwC Consulting. McCargow is an evangelist for the responsible and ethical adoption of AI and advises companies, governments and other global stakeholders on harnessing the opportunities of the technology to drive innovation in a way that increases trust. As a regular media commentator, keynote speaker and an active voice on social media, he particularly focuses upon the issues and policies relating to the impact of automation on the workforce; the future skills agenda; and ensuring that the benefits to be delivered by AI are equitably spread across society.
McCargow is also an advisory board member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI, an advisor to The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, and an Honorary Visiting Fellow at Cass Business School. He was voted ‘Tech Community Leader of the Year’ at CogX 2020, and HR Magazine announced him as an ‘HR Most Influential Thinker’. He is a high-profile male ally championing the Women-in-Tech agenda and he mentors and coaches several technologists both within and external to PwC.
2021’S TOP TECH STARS
This year’s top tech stars, by category, include:
- Diversity UK’s Dr Lopa Patel MBE scooped the Champion Award.
- Mitra Innovation’s Nadini Sahabandu won the Global Award for Achievement
- HSBC scooped the Company Award.
- Rise, created by Barclays, won the Network Award.
- PwC’s Rob McCargow was honoured with the Editor’s Choice Award.
The full list of winners, in alphabetical, order include:
- Abbygayle Wiggins, British Army
- Akua Apeagyei, Microsoft
- Akua Opong, London Stock Exchange Group
- Alice Hendy, R;pple Suicide Prevention
- Alice Swallow, Ford Motor Company
- Amrita Kooner, IBM
- Amy Bartlett, In-Space Missions Ltd
- Amy Franz, DirectlyApply
- Andreea-Maria Ionescu, Bank of America
- Angela Conway, PwC
- Angie Maguire, Protocol Labs
- Anna Donovan, UCL
- Anushka Sharma, Naaut
- Bethan Reeves, Vodafone UK
- Carlotta Zorzi, Shopify
- Chandni Palan, Faculty
- Charisma Buxton-Tetteh, Morgan Stanley
- Charmaine Mabika, BCS Consulting
- Christina Yida Hu, ZOE
- Claire Moncaster, RAF
- Claudia Cohen, futureproof
- Cristina Pascalau, Bank of America
- Debajani Mishra, Morgan Stanley
- Dominika Bennani, J.P. Morgan
- Donna Tosney, BJSS Ltd
- Ebony Smallman, EY
- Eleanor Weaver, Luminance
- Elinor Honigstein, UK Israel Tech Hub
- Emily Keith, Cognizant
- Emily Li, Barclays
- Emma Summers, NHS Digital
- Esmee Lobley, Spaulding Ridge
- Fateha Majid, Biye Biye Ltd
- Folakemi Fapohunda, Deutsche Bank
- Fran Haines, UNRVLD
- Georgia Mantzana, London Borough of Havering
- Hannah Gooding, Lyst
- Holly Smith, Databricks
- Ifeoma Uzoegwu, BT
- Iyore Agbede, Credit Suisse
- Jade Carino, IBM
- Jay Trestain, IBM
- Jenita Treacy, Transport for London
- Jo Higgens, BT
- Joanne Rose, Centrica
- Jolanta Peplinska, Goldman Sachs
- Julia Veall, Vodafone
- Kate van Lamoen, EY
- Katie Gamanji, CNCF
- Katie McMillan, Agilisys Ltd
- Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, BAE Systems
- Laura Hanna-White, Apolitical
- Lauren Wright, Lloyds Banking Group
- Lavanya Kaul, Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd
- Linda McLean, RAF
- Lindsey Cox, IBM
- Mandeep Phull, IBM
- Manisha Ganguly, BBC World Service
- Manuela-Lidia Grindei, Mastercard
- Marella Rush, Agilisys
- Maureen Biney, American Express
- Mollie Chard, Capgemini
- Mona Faraji Niri, University of Warwick
- Narelle Height, PwC
- Natalie Pringle, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
- Neha Rajesh, Google
- Nina Lindsay, Barclays
- Pamela Barotti, Microsoft
- Penelope Quah, Capco
- Penny Trayner, Clinical Neuropsychology Services Ltd
- Petya Tencheva, Capgemini
- Preeti Vohra, Activate Learning
- Priyanka Mittal, NHS Digital
- Qun Yang, Biorbyt Ltd
- Rajinder Kaur, Direct Line Group
- Rhiannon Reilly, Atos
- Ria Pandit, Deutsche Bank
- Safina Siddiqui, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co
- Saima Sadiq, Mastercard
- Saira Arif, ORCHA
- Sajni Chandaria, CodeBytes
- Samah Dagash, EY
- Samantha Humphries, Exabeam
- Sara Hidayatullah, Mastercard
- Sarah Armouch, Open Lab – Newcastle University
- Sarah MacNeill, J.P. Morgan
- Sarah McCarthy, Mitie
- Sarah Usher, Snyk
- Sharon Li, Barclays
- Sheetal Dash, Citibank
- Somi Arian, FemPeak
- Sophie Hebdidge, futureproof
- Susan McDonald, Deloitte
- Tamika Kalule, J.P. Morgan Chase
- Tanya Batra, Lloyds Banking Group
- Tanya Thourani, Capco
- Vanessa McIntyre, Deloitte
- Victoria Riess, University of Cambridge
- Zeib Khwaja, JP Morgan Chase
- Zoe Henley, GlaxoSmithKline
Check out last year’s winners here.
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