16 Mar Cambridge female tech stars win at 2024 Bupa everywoman in Technology Awards
The winners of the 2024 Bupa everywoman in Technology Awards have been announced, celebrating the most inspirational women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Now in their 14th year, the awards shine a spotlight on the industry’s most exceptional talent from all stages of the career journey, from apprentices to C-suite, from the UK and beyond.
While the technology industry is pioneering, innovative and exciting in many ways, women only make up 26% of its workforce[1]. The absence of visible female leaders and role models remains a critical issue in the drive to attract, develop, retain, and advance the industry’s female talent.
A study of the everywoman in Tech community, in collaboration with Bupa, found that for 39% of women working in technology, the imposter phenomenon and the female role model deficit remained as their top challenges in achieving their career ambition.[2] The survey revealed that this scarcity of role models is prevalent across the board, with entry-level women recognising this in equal measure to women who have made it to the C-suite. The breadth and diversity of talent that the everywoman award programme uncovers every year continues to address a vital industry wide need.
Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman comments:
“As everywoman celebrates its 25th anniversary we are reminded that the impact role models have remains as powerful today as when we started. Role models serve not just as beacons of achievement, but also as tangible proof that success is attainable, providing a roadmap that others can use to navigate their career progression. We congratulate this year’s winners, who are a powerful group of role models that embody what women in tech want to see more of and our male allies who have a critical role to play in changing the landscape of technology.”
The CTO/CIO OF THE YEAR AWARD – sponsored by Accenture – was awarded to Sarah Cunningham, CIO at ARM, from Cambridge.
Starting her career on a help-desk and working her way up to one of Arm’s top female executives, Sarah is dedicated to empowering women to advance in the tech. Throughout her tenure at Arm, she has spearheaded the formation of a significantly more diverse IT leadership team, achieving a 60/40 gender ratio (female to male). While 19.3% of Arm’s workforce identifies as female, a figure Sarah views as progress, albeit insufficient – she is committed to fostering greater gender diversity within the company. She has experience in international assignments and supporting journalists in war zones, natural disasters, and events such as the Olympics and Oscars. Sarah is also dyslexic which she believes has positively contributed to her success.
The ENTREPRENEUR AWARD – sponsored by Howden – was awarded to Victoria Johnson, CEO at VetCT, from Cambridge.
Victoria is a successful tech entrepreneur behind VetCT, offering vet-to-specialist teleconsulting, teleradiology services, and innovative educational approaches for veterinary medicine. With a team of more than 280 people in 23 countries, they are striving to enhance the veterinary world by providing trusted knowledge, support, and reassurance at the point of need. Her commitment to patient care, and supporting her team and fellow women in the field stands out, especially in a predominantly male-led industry.
