SWITAWARDS2024 SPEAKERS
SilkaPatel,FounderandChair&KettyLawrence,ViceChair,SWiT
LauraBoyd,AwardsCompere
KaukabStewart,MinisterforEqualities
GordonStein,MorganStanley
LizKrause,MorganStanley
HEADLINESPONSOR
“Asapassionateadvocateofdiversityandinclusionwithintechnology,MorganStanleyis proudtobetheHeadlineSponsorfortheScotlandWomeninTechnologyAwards.Morgan Stanley’sTechnologydivisionbenefitsfromhavinganumberofwomeninseniorleadership roles,aswellasagrowingWomeninTechcommunity,andweareexcitedtohelpcelebrate andrecognisetheachievementsofwomenintechacrossScotland.“
JPMorganareonceagainproudtosponsortheScotlandWomeninTechnologyAwards.We arelookingforwardtocomingtogethertohonourandcelebratetheincredibletechtalent wehaveinScotland.Thisisextremelyimportanttotheongoingsuccessofourorganisation andgrowthwithinthesector.Wealsocan'twaittohosttheWinnersEventatourbrandnew stateoftheartTechnologyCentreonArgyleStreet.
SWiTAWARDS2024 CATEGORIES
RisingStar
CareerChangeroftheYear
InclusiveRecruiteroftheYear
GenderDiversityAllyoftheYear
MentoroftheYear
UnsungHero
DiversityInitiativeoftheYear
EverydayLeader
InspirationalWomanoftheYear
LinziPenman DLAPiper
JackieShields ShieldsTalent
KimMoran-Hogg Salesforce
RayBugg DIGIT
EnochAdeyemi BlackProfessional Scotland
FrehaArshad Accenture
LauraCasci BJSS&ScotlandIS
KarenMeechan ScotlandIS
RobinHuggins DIGIT
NicolaGallen AWS
SWiTAWARDS2024SPONSORS
SWiT AWARDS 2024
6PM DrinksReception
7PM EventStart
7.40PM DinnerService
9.10PM AwardsCermony
10.30PM DJAngieandDancing
11.15pm Coach toEdinburgh
12midnight Carriages
Headlinesponsor:
Rising Star
Ayela Gilani, JP Morgan
Ainhoa Smithers Bernaras, Morgan Stanley
Ufonabasi Uduak Umo, JP Morgan
Melina Garcia Ayala, Cyber in Schools/HubWorld
“2i is proud to sponsor Rising Star of the Year award at SWiT 2024. As an organisation we have always believed in encouraging & developing early in career talent and we have seen some fantastic examples in engineers like Carla Chiodi, who was commended for the same award category last year.
As a company who believe very strongly in promoting gender diversity, 2i is delighted to be apart of such a vibrant Scottish community that supports and celebrates female talent. Wecongratulate all the nominees and look forward to continuing to support and develop the nextgeneration of women in tech.”
Rising Star
Ayela Gilani
Ayela has quickly emerged as an individual of exceptional skill and motivation, with a commitment to continuous learning and ambition in the tech industry. Her prominent achievement is mastering Android development from scratch. With no prior knowledge, she dedicated herself to selfstudy and successfully launched an app for 5000 top executives. She expanded her skills to include Swift for iOS enhancements. Ayela has also honed her web front-end development capabilities, optimising apps and implementing contemporary frameworks.
Ainhoa Smithers Bernaras
Ainhoa is described as a role model for the impact she’s visibly having within the organisation and to the apprentice’s (that she is mentoring) own growth at the firm. Additionally, shehas been aggressively influential in setting a tone for the standard and expectation of code quality whilst championing her firm’sbusiness unit to adopt testing strategies they can automate, leading to real value savings in reduced time commitment in testing phases from line members.
Ufonabasi Uduak Umo
Ufonabasi Umo has been instrumental in advancing the company ' s technological frontiers in Lending business, which consists of 25+ applications and a team of 30+ developers, impacting 5000+ bankers. She developed a user interface that boosted client interaction by 30%, significantly enhancing client satisfaction and facilitating loan processes for the underwriting product team. Additionally, Ufon has expanded her expertise in AI/ML and AWS, applying machine learning techniques to automate and optimise complex business processes within the lending space.
Melina Garcia Ayala
Having just graduated from Abertay University with a BSc (Hons) in Computer Games Technology, Mel is already making waves both in her career and the wider community. Her mix of technical skills, creativity, and dedication to helping others truly sets her apart as someone who’s going places. Throughout her time at university, Mel didn’t just focus on her studies—she made a real impact beyond the classroom. As a Student Ambassador for the Cyber in Schools Outreach Programme (CISO), her commitment to get more girls interested in STEM.
Career Changer of the Year
Pamela Corsar, Epipole
Shalu Madan, Lloyds Banking Group
Emma Antonelli, Nucleus Financial
“Barclays is committed to support the strength, courage and perseverance of womenchanging their career path into technology. There is not set path to a career in technology.Having different experiences is an advantage, as they bring fresh perspectives, creativity and problem solving which are key in technology. You can achieve anything you set your mind to, and we are here to help you embrace it.”
Headlinesponsor:
Career Changer of the Year Award
Pamela Corsar
Pam's remarkable journey is a shining example of a successful, and bold, career transformation. From leading the UK veterinary product sales at epipole, utilising her vast veterinary experience and connections to promote and sell the retScope (a retinal imaging device for animals), she has now taken the helm of the entire production and manufacturing operation at the company.Pam joined her team with an impressive background in the UK veterinary market, where her knack for driving growth and building strong relationships made her an immediate asset to the team. When the need arose for someone to take over and run the production and manufacturing department for the company, Pam drew from her management and business process experience and stepped up - embracing the challenge with enthusiasm and determination.
Shalu Madan
Shalu Madan is a very hardworking and self-motivated person who has recently changed her career from architecture to cybersecurity. During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, she faced job redundancy in her architectural career and made the bold decision to pivot to the technology sector, fulfilling a childhood dream. Shalu enrolled in a degree program in Cybersecurity and Forensics at Edinburgh Napier University, embarking on a challenging transition from architecture to computing.
It wasn’t an easy journey in her mid-forties to balance full-time education, part-time job and caring responsibilities of two youngchildren, being a single mother.
Emma Antonelli
Emma has returned from 7 years outside Financial Services running a wedding planning business. She has gone from strength to strength, initially being handpicked to successfully deliver the IT workstream of the CB integration programme to then delivering LTA phase 1 for the organisation. More recently, Emma has been promoted to the role of Programme Manager, mentoring junior members of the team and has continued to deliver successfully making her a favourite amongst the senior stakeholders. Outside of this, she has taken on the role of 'firestarter' driving wider CTO functional enhancements through. She does all this whilst also being mum to 2 young children who have a stacked calendar of sports and dance activities.
Inclusive Recruiter of the Year
i-confidential
Hymans Robertson Harvey Nash
“Inclusivity in an organisation encourages innovation and collaboration. It can create apositive workplace culture which helps to attract and retain skilled professionals from a range of backgrounds. A diverse workforce can inform and strengthen decision-making, resulting in outcomes which reflect broader values and viewpoints. The CyberScotland Partnership is proud to sponsor the Inclusive Recruiter of the Year award, and hope that the nominees continue to promote diversity in technology, as well as inspire other organisations to reflect on their own recruitment policies and make them more inclusive.”
Inclusive Recruiter of the Year
i-confidential
i-confidential work with clients, candidates and education providers to drive forward inclusion and diversity. This includes a number of initiatives, including: adverts focusing on skills first not qualifications; Clients educated on cyber skills gaps, advised on changes needed to attract a wider pool of candidates with transferable skills; Talent team ISC2 certified. These allow credible conversations with clients, understanding what hard and soft skills are needed (behaviour / culture lens and technical).
Hymans Robertson
Hymans are continually improving their recruitment process, examples include: CVs/coding challenge marked blindly; Job descriptions peer reviewed, gender decoder removes bias; Application process has DEI questionnaire to enable interview adjustments; Diverse panel interviewers include female representation where possible; All interviewers undergo recruitmenttraining, all staff complete annual DEI learning module; Supporters of ‘Happy to talk flexible’ and Disability Confident; Use upReach’s REALrating tool in student recruitment to account for unrealised academic potential Partner with a range oforganisations; Black Professionals UK: for hiring and wider activities e.g. steps to success event where they offered CV reviews,and ‘IAmBlack' conference.
Harvey Nash
Harvey Nash (HN) has championed ED&I for over 30 years. This year, they are proud that women make up 30% of their ExCo, 41% of promotions in the last year (50% the year previous) and 62% of senior hires. They also established an Empower & Elevate female leadership development programme. HN’s ERG programmes help foster an inclusive workplace. Wo+men@NASH encourages women and allies, NASHability celebrates their unique abilities, NASHpride represents LGBTQ+ needs and education, and their Wellbeing Hub provides employees and candidates with health resources.
Gender Diversity Ally of the Year
Krit Singhania, Barclays Adam Pettman, 2i Testing
“At Hymans Robertson, we ' re dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment where all can thrive. We're proud to celebrate organisations that prioritise equal opportunities and success for all.”
Gender Diversity Ally of the Year
Krit Singhania
Krit joined the Barclays graduate program in Aug-23, with a degree in Computer Animation and VFX, and internships at P&G and Barclays, bringing a strong technical foundation and a passion for technology to his role as a Tech Analyst. From the outset, Krit demonstrated a commitment to DEI by actively engaging in the Scotland-region of Win – the Gender Employee Resource Group – and the Women in Tech (“WiT”) committees. His involvement has been nothing short of exemplaryhe has worked tirelessly to support the initiatives, consistently volunteering his time and expertise.
Adam Pettman
Adam is the head of AI and Innovation, while undertaking the huge task of pioneering the company into great new places with artificial intelligence, has had great history and impact for inclusivity and diversity within the workplace. Joining 2i as the Headof Engineering, his initiatives and actions have had a lasting effect on the culture at 2i. Adam's dedication to gender diversity has transformed the company ' s hiring practices and workplace culture, setting a new standard in the industry and creating an environment where all employees can thrive regardless of gender.
Mentor of the Year
Jenny Björkman, Interaktiv Studio
Omowumi Akintokun, Student
Ruth McDonald, AND Digital
Zhou Zhou, Barclays Private Bank
“Harvey Nash is delighted to sponsor Mentor of the Year for SWIT’s 2024 Awards. SMEs are a vital part of Scotland’s business and technology landscape, blazing the way for innovation and adapting rapidly to facilitate growth. We’ve had the pleasure of partnering with SMEs across Financial, Legal and Health Technology, and placing the best talent to expand their teams, augment their capabilities and achieve their ambitions”
Mentor of the Year
Jenny Björkman
Jenny has an unwavering commitment to helping others both in the tech and wider (women in banking and finance - WIBF) communities. Jenny mentors multiple individuals at the same time via the WIBF mentoring programme and has won mentor of the month. She was also nominated as mentor of the year for WIBF. Jenny is a shining example of an individual who wants to see others grow, achieve and overcome any fears or anxieties they may have.
Omowumi Akintokun
Omowumi has an exceptional dedication and leadership in cybersecurity and has profoundly impacted the Black & Scot community. Despite her busy schedule, she volunteers to empower people who are transitioning or starting a career in cybersecurity by leading a comprehensive training session on ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) to achieve a crucial certification which places them in right trajectory in their career journey.
Ruth McDonald
Ruth’s impact on colleagues, clients, and charity partners is nothing short of transformative. With over 13 years of experience in product management across diverse industries, Ruth leverages her expertise to coach and mentor many, creating a ripple effect of growth and empowerment. Recently, Ruth completed her ‘I Am Remarkable’ training and took the initiative to lead workshops for both colleagues and clients.
Zhou Zhou
Zhou is an exceptional mentor and a driving force for positive change in the tech community. As the cofounder and co-chair of Barclays Women in Technology Scotland (WiT) network, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to empowering women in technology. Her passion for addressing gender imbalance in the tech industry is evident in her tireless efforts to support females at all stages of their tech careers. Under Zhou's leadership, the WiT Scotland network has flourished, tripling its committee membership since 2019 and quadrupling its initiatives.
Unsung Hero
Kirstie Steele, Digital Skills Education
Gemma McDonald, Barclays
Reshmi McIntosh, Lloyds Banking Group
“FanDuel are proud to sponsor SWiT’s brand new “Unsung Hero” category which recognises women who are driving gender diversity initiatives forward. By celebrating the achievements of women in the industry and empowering them to lead the charge, together with SWiT, we can continue to champion female trailblazers across the technology sector. As an organisation led by a female CEO, and strong female representation within our executive team, FanDuel recognises the importance and impact that women can make to the performance of the company.”
Headlinesponsor:
Unsung Hero
Kirstie Steele
Kirstie Steele is a phenomenal woman dedicated to empowering others through digital skills. Recently, Kirstie has focused onsupporting older women in Scotland, helping with their confidence in using technology and staying safe online. Recognising thatolder women are often overlooked in technology education, she launched a lifestyle magazine tailored to their needs which provides important information to protect against scams and help improve their digital wellbeing. This magazine has alreadyreached 10,000 women across Scotland, and has now been launched across the UK where it is on course to be read by 27,000older women.
Gemma McDonald
Gemma tirelessly promotes gender diversity, not only through her exemplary work with WiT (Women in Tech) but also in hereveryday role. Her dedication to fostering an inclusive environment is evident as she actively encourages her colleagues toparticipate in WiT activities, helping to build a culture of diversity and accessibility. Gemma advocates for allyship amongst herpeers bringing out a pro-active spirit in male colleagues, which is how I got involved myself. This is vital as change begins with usall! Gemma’s has a consistent commitment to creating a safe environment for her team.
Reshmi McIntosh
Reshmi not only founded Women ConnecTech (LBG’s women in tech network) but has been the driving force in it’s success eversince. Her dedication has allowed this network to grow from a few women in Scotland to nearly 2000 people all over the UK. Thishas helped hundreds if not thousands of women in their career, and yet she is the most humble person, always describingherself as a ‘silent partner’, which is why she is so deserving of this award. An example of her initiatives include Coach to Code –which has taught over 500 women and non-binary colleagues to code, many of which who have gone on to make career moves or gain promotions
Diversity Initiative
Women in Tech Aberdeen
Morgan Stanley - Glasgow Women in Technology Network (WiT)
Amazon Women In Engineering (AWE)
“Wearedelightedtosponsorthediversityinitiativeaward.Itrecognisesinitiativesthat havethathavedeliveredtangibleresultsandameaningfulimpact,criticalinensuring thattheyaresustainable.Theywillalsoinspirethenextgenerationofinitiativeswhich cancontinuetocontributetoencouragingmorediversityaswellasretainingthehuge amountoftalentthatalreadyexists.”
Headlinesponsor:
Diversity Initiative
Women in Tech Aberdeen
Women in Tech Aberdeen is a dynamic community dedicated to empowering women across the tech industry in the North East of Scotland. The initiative addresses the isolation often felt by women in tech by creating a supportive network that spans various sectors and career stages. Five impactful events have been held this year, including: Launch celebration and networking event.
Morgan Stanley Glasgow Women in Technology Network (WiT)
The Morgan Stanley Glasgow Women in Technology (WIT) Network is passionately committed to building an inclusive community to promote gender diversity in technology, both internally and externally. The Network now consists of 265 members and in the last 12 months has maximised its impact across three pillars: Internal Presence, External Engagement and Community Outreach. Internally, in the last year, 24 events have been delivered, providing facilitation and speaker opportunities to 80+ women.
Amazon Women In Engineering (AWE)
Amazon Women in Engineering (AWE) within Amazon Development Center Scotland (ADCS) is part of a global network whichfosters a community and provide professional development opportunities for women working as engineers, software developers, data scientists, and in other technical positions at Amazon. AWE@ ACDS is run by a committee of 13 Amazonians supporting apopulation of 70+ women.
The committee has organised multiple events, personal development initiatives, and networking opportunities in 2023/2024
Everyday Leader of the Year
Kristy Moir, Leidos
Zanna Olestsik, Accenture
Hilary Prather, Amazon
Heather McCollum, Barclays
“At i-confidential, we are committed to championing women in cyber security and the wider technology sector. We are therefore proud to sponsor the SWiT Award for ‘Leader of the Year’. Producing confident, successful female leaders is essential to encouraging more women to enter the industry. Our own workplace culture ensures there are genuine opportunities to nurture emerging female leaders and showcase their talent. We look forward to recognising the outstanding efforts other companies are making in this area.”
Everyday Leader of the Year
Kristy Moir
As a Business Systems Analyst for the Leidos UK Office of Technology, Kristy does not hold a formal managerial position, but leads teams and initiatives with great business impact. Taking advantage of the growth in Leidos global collaboration during lockdown, Kristy has leveraged opportunities to expand influence, focus on development and bring others on the journey with her. Kristy motivates and empowers others through mentoring and coaching engagements business-wide. Through delivery of the Leidos Data Engineering training pathway, she has become a regular point of contact for career conversations with colleagues.
Zanna Olestsik
Zanna leads and inspires by championing the role of design in product development. When design was initially undervalued—viewed merely as superficial changes to button colours and shapes—Zanna took action to change these perceptions. Sheadvocated for the strategic importance of design, demonstrating its integral role in creating successful products. Her efforts have elevated the role of design, ensuring it is now recognised as a vital component of the development process. Beyond advocacy, Zanna actively shares her knowledge and insights, motivating and empowering her colleagues.
Everyday Leader of the Year
Hilary Prather
Hillary is a personal role model of confidence and growth in her career. She balances her day-to-day work with volunteering for employee resource groups (Affinity Groups), presenting at conferences, and supporting others in the tech community. Hillary not only makes individual impact with her work and volunteer efforts in the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) space, she also always makes sure to bring other women into opportunities and help them grow into leadership. Hillary is a leader in the DEI andengineering space, inspiring women in engineering to grow and excel. Hillary has strong passion and grit in achieving what shebelieves in.
Heather McCollum
Heather is the senior VP UX Design Lead for Barclays’ Chief Technology Office, working on multiple flagship initiatives. Heather’simpact on the people around her is huge. Even when knowledge of UX or accessibility may be low, Heather is willing to start fromscratch and build the required understanding to elevate the team and the product to another level. It is a hugely impressive leadership quality to be able to meet a person at the level where they can engage on a topic. That is what makes Heather so successful in her role and in UX. She has endless patience and is willing to listen to really understand the other person.
Inspirational Woman of the Year
Patty O'Callaghan, Charles River Laboratories
Chelsea Jarvie, MDU
Yemi Scott, XRology
Hannah Fennah, Barclays
Caroline Roberts-Haritonov, Astrimar
.
We’re delighted to sponsor SWiT’s Inspirational Woman of the Year award, givingrecognition to trailblazing women in the technology field who are setting the standard forinnovation and gender diversity in Scotland. At Zühlke, we’re passionate supporters of women in technology and leadership roles who drive change in business. Our own Women Who Impact initiative reflects our commitment,as we champion women who are making significant contributions to the technology industry. We’re proud to be part of the SWiT Awards 2024, and to have the opportunity to shine a light on women who are inspiring others to make real change in the world.
Inspirational Woman of the Year
Patty O'Callaghan
Patty is one of those upbeat people whose enthusiasm is totally contagious. She moved from Venezuela to Scotland seven years ago and has been doing amazing things since then. She’s not only a highly skilled Computer Scientist but also a fantastic leader.What really makes Patty stand out is how she leads by example. She dedicates a lot of her free time to supporting community initiatives, sharing her knowledge and experience to help the Scottish tech community thrive. Her influence even reaches beyond Scotland and the UK. She’s especially awesome with the younger generation. Patty loves mentoring young people, giving them the support and encouragement they need to succeed.
Chelsea Jarvie
Chelsea worked hard to achieve her goal of being a CISO by the time she was 30 and alongside achieving that has also started her own cyber security business, started a PhD, grown as a professional speaker and had two children in the middle of it all. Sheis a regular conference and event speaker, sharing her knowledge and experience of cyber security and cyber strategy. She is regularly interviewed by the BBC as a cyber expert, chaired the Public Sector Cyber Security Conference in Scotland for the past 5 years, chaired the Data Summit in Edinburgh and will be delivering keynotes talks in Brazil and Malta later this year. Chelsea has worked tirelessly to promote women working in STEM industries andchange the stereotype.
Yemi Scott
Yemi’s entrepreneurial spirit mindset have put her in the forefront of Digital/phygital fashion—a pioneering approach that seamlessly blends physical and digital experiences. One of her notable achievements is the creation of several virtual places where she combined AI-driven design with XR technologies to produce fashion assets that can be worn both in virtual environments and as physical garments. Additionally, she has been supporting numerous events, taking part at the exhibitions and being part on podcast series to educate, share her innovative approach, show the possibilities of Web3, NFT and inspiring next generations.
Inspirational Woman of the Year
Hannah Fennah
Hannah is a true trailblazer in the technology field, embodying the spirit of innovation and inclusivity that defines the modern tech landscape. Her journey from a Barclays graduate developer to co-chair of Barclays Women in Tech (WiT) Scotland exemplifies her dedication to both technological advancement and gender diversity in the industry. As a leader, Hannah has been instrumental in the growth of WiT Scotland since 2020, inspiring countless women to pursue careers in technology. Her passion for addressing gender imbalance in tech is evident in her tireless efforts to build networks and partnerships with other WiT communities, maximising the impact on women in the field.
Caroline Roberts-Haritonov
Caroline is Astrimar’s managing director and co-founder, a chartered engineer and Fellow of IMechE, specialising for over 25 years’ in technical risk management and technology assurance. Astrimar, founded in 2010, is an independent engineering consultancy, established as a leader in reliability and technology qualification in the oil, gas, and energy industries. Having led Astrimar through 14 years of economic cycles, Caroline learnt what’s important for business success and is passionate about helping others ontheir journey. Mentoring each year for NZTC’s technology start-up accelerator (TechX), Caroline loves helping innovators through technology development to achieve product deployment and market success.
Headlinesponsor:
MEET THEBOARD
Board Chair
Iona Grant
Margaret Totten Administrator Treasurer
Silka Patel
Caroline McDowall Lianne McGrory Trustee Trustee
Ola Clark Trustee
Kayleigh Kavanagh Trustee
Vice Chair
Ketty Lawrence Lea Savage Trustee
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MorganStanley
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