Most Influential Women in UK Tech: Computer Weekly’s Hall of Fame

Computer Weekly’s list of the Most Influential Women in UK Technology has been running since 2012 to highlight female role models in the UK’s technology sector, making them more visible and accessible.

In 2015, the Hall of Fame was introduced alongside the top 50 to recognize women who have made a lifetime contribution to the technology sector and have encouraged others to join the IT industry, expanding the number of inspiring women people are reading about.

Role models play a crucial role in encouraging individuals from under-represented groups to pursue careers in the technology sector. Seeing others like them in a particular industry or position can help them envision themselves in similar roles in the future and understand the steps needed to get there.

New women are added to the Hall of Fame every year to honor and celebrate those who have made significant contributions to improving diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. Additionally, these women have made meaningful contributions to the technology space in general, ensuring that even more names can be included on the top 50 list of the Most Influential Women in UK Technology.

### Suki Fuller, intelligence advisor and fellow, Miribure
Suki Fuller founded Miribure in 2015, a company that uses data gathering and analytics to drive strategic decision-making in organizations. She is also a fellow at the Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows and a member of the B2B network Group of Humans. Suki serves as an analytical storyteller and strategy human at Group of Humans. She is a founding ambassador of the FiftyFiftyPledge, an advisory board member of Tech London Advocates and Tech Global Advocates, and the TLA Women in Tech co-lead. Fuller co-founded Salaam Ventures, an incubator, and accelerator that focuses on supporting ethical startups until 2019. She volunteers as a career coach for global charity Dress For Success, which aims to help women from disadvantaged backgrounds enter the workforce. In 2023, Suki Fuller was voted the most influential woman in UK technology.

### Lopa Patel, founder, Asians in Tech; chair, Diversity UK
Lopa Patel has a background in diversity and STEM and currently holds positions as a trustee of the Science Museum Group and chair of the National Science and Media Museum. She is also the chair of equality charity Diversity UK, which works to create opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds in the corporate, tech, and public sectors. Patel founded Asians in Tech, an organization that annually showcases the top 100 people from Asian backgrounds working in the technology and digital sectors in the UK. She has held roles such as non-executive director of UK IPO, founder and CEO of NewAsianPost, and STEM ambassador at STEMNET.

### Melissa Di Donato, chair and CEO, Kyriba
Melissa Di Donato stepped back from her role at SUSE in 2023 to focus on her foundation Inner Wings, which she founded in 2020 to empower young girls and work towards global gender equality. She is also a member of the small and medium-sized enterprise digital adoption task force for the Department for Business and Trade and serves as the chair and CEO of financial analytics firm Kyriba. Prior to her current roles, she held positions such as non-executive director at the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology and chief revenue officer for ERP and cloud, as well as chief operating officer for digital core at SAP. Melissa spent six years at Salesforce, initially as the area vice-president of ISV and channel programs for EMEA and Asia-Pacific, where she chaired a European ISV Advisory Innovation Board. She later served as the area vice-president of Wave Analytics Cloud. Di Donato is a board member and advisor to various technology companies in the UK and Silicon Valley. She is a philanthropist focusing on STEM initiatives and mentoring women in business.

### Kerensa Jennings, non-executive director, advisor
Kerensa Jennings is a writer, executive coach, and serves on the boards of several companies and initiatives. She is a board member for Founders for Schools, an advisory board member for Digital Leaders, and a board advisor for the Institute for Coding. Until 2024, Jennings led BT’s data platforms, helping create new business models using data and artificial intelligence (AI). She spearheaded the BT Skills for Tomorrow program, empowering people across the UK to leverage digital tools. Jennings previously served as a director at the Royal Household and was the chief executive responsible for the strategy and delivery of iDEA CIC, the inspiring digital enterprise award. She spent 15 years at the BBC in various roles, including program editor for Breakfast with Frost and executive editor for BBC News. Jennings spent two-and-a-half years as a program executive for the BBC Academy, developing a leadership program for senior creative leaders. She has also held roles at major broadcast organizations ITN and Sky.

### Emma McGuigan, formerly at Accenture
Until April 2024, Emma McGuigan served as the group technology officer responsible for communications, media, and technology at Accenture. Previously, McGuigan oversaw Accenture’s UK and Ireland technology business, encompassing consulting and outsourcing for 70% of Accenture’s UK operations. She joined Accenture in 1994 after earning a Master’s degree in electronics from the University of Edinburgh. McGuigan also led Accenture’s collaboration with Stemettes, a charity dedicated to increasing the number of women in STEM careers. In 2012, she won the technology category of Women in the City’s Woman of Achievement Awards and was appointed a fellow of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in 2013. McGuigan has served as a board member of industry body TechUK and treasurer of the Orchid Project.

### Rioch Edwards-Brown, founder, So You Wanna Be In Tech?
Rioch Edwards-Brown is an entrepreneur and founder of So You Wanna Be on TV?, advocating for diversity with extensive media experience. She launched So You Wanna Be on TV? as a community outreach program to address the lack of diversity and social mobility in TV by providing free employability skills through partnerships between TV, brands, corporations, and the community. Based on this successful model, she established So You Wanna Be In Tech? in 2016.

### Existing members of the Hall of Fame
The article also highlights several existing members of the Hall of Fame, recognizing their significant contributions to the technology sector and their efforts to encourage diversity and inclusion. These women have made a lasting impact on the industry and continue to inspire others to pursue careers in technology.