Meet our leaders, our team and our Trustees. Our small team draws on expert skills and expertise to have a big impact.

Our Team

To help address the nationwide problem of too few women in technology roles, I founded Tech She Can and am now its co-CEO. My vision is for women to play an equal role in creating and developing the technology businesses, products, and services that will ultimately shape our world, and make sure that technology works for all.&nbsp; I also led Technology Innovation at PwC UK where I set up the Women in Technology initiative. It’s been fantastic to see the percentage of women in technology roles at PwC more than double in five years, going from 14% to 34%.&nbsp; &nbsp; My work is recognised in the technology industry, where I have been awarded <a href="https://www.forwardladies.com/">Forward Ladies Business Women of the Year</a> and Social Impact Leader of the Year in 2022 and the UK Tech awards for contribution to society 2023. I have also been named in Computer Weekly’s list of the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252507482/Computer-Weekly-announces-the-2021-Most-Influential-Women-in-UK-Tech">most influential women in UK Tech</a> . In 2020, I was honoured to be awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to young girls and women through technology.

Sheridan Ash, MBE

There’s a real, pressing need and economic case for investing in tech skills in the UK. At the same time, one half of our talent pool - women and girls - don’t think technology is for them, excluding them from co-designing our future. I’m passionate about innovation, parity and equality in the workplace, and STEM education and research. I jointly lead Tech She Can with Sheridan.&nbsp; I have been named in Computer Weekly’s list of the most influential women in UK Tech. As a woman in tech, a returner and a mum, I see first-hand the urgent need to inspire our next generation when they ask ‘what can I be when I grow up?’, to equip their schools and parents with the technology literacy they need to be able to make those routes a reality, and to value and retain our female talent, against the odds.&nbsp; My background is in innovation in research-intensive environments, with a PhD in Physics. As well as working to increase the number of women in technology roles, I also support the creation of deep-tech science ventures at Deep Science Ventures.

Dr Claire Thorne

Meet the core team at Tech She Can and discover what they all do.

Tech She Can - core team

Our team

Katie Barbour

Fran Bartlett

Sarah Flanagan

Zoe Hobman

Robyn Howard

Katie King

Rachael Lilley

Becky Patel

Poppy Patel

Ajesh Patel

Louise Rotherforth

Scarlett Rushby-Smith

Tess White

Georgie Wilson

Throughout my career, I have always cared passionately about the importance of inclusion. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the only way we’ll design the products, make good decisions and flourish as a society in a way that benefits us all. Resolving this for the long-term requires having more women involved in technology and more girls recognising technology is a career for them. It will take many players to overcome the societal barriers to get there but I believe Tech She Can can play a key role in achieving this goal and I’m honoured to support them as a Trustee. I'm a Venture Partner at Merian Ventures, investing in women-led innovation, an Advisor to Kheiron Medical Technologies (a UK start up using deep learning to transform cancer diagnostics), a NED at UK Research &amp; Innovation, the Digital Catapult &amp; GB Badminton and Adjunct Faculty at the Ashridge Hult Business School. I was previously GM for RocketSpace, launching their UK operations. I used to be a career diplomat, most recently as British Consul General to San Francisco and previously in India and Spain.&nbsp; I sit on the Royal Academy of Engineering International Committee, Althea Foundation Board, Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates Advisory Boards. I also am an Advisor to The Youth Group. I was awarded an MBE in 2021 for services to international trade and women in innovation.

Priya Guha MBE

I look after teams of software engineers, quality engineers, and agile delivery managers who collectively maintain and deliver all of Zoopla's software and technology solutions. Partnering with Product, Design and Data teams, I help create industry-leading products which delight a broad range of customers, including estate agents, landlords, home seekers, home owners and renters. Formally, you might call me a ‘technologist’, but truthfully I’m simply a proud geek who loves fiddling and tinkering with anything vaguely technical. From programming languages, to new tools and applications, new and innovative ideas and products, to lifehacking products and gadgets - I’m always happy when exploring the world of possibilities that zeroes and ones can create. As a technology leader, I’ve observed first-hand some of the challenges in creating and supporting a truly diverse technology workforce. I know I have a lot more to learn about how I can help. My hope for Tech She Can is that we find ways to inspire people to join our industry, help lower the barriers to entry, encourage allyship and advocacy in others, and provide learning and growth opportunities for those who need them.

Paul Hammond

<blockquote>My interest in technology is primarily driven by inclusion. Tech for many is a barrier - whether as a consumer or a colleague, you’ll often hear “I’m not”, “I can’t”,&nbsp; or a number of other phrases that exclude groups out of technology.&nbsp; In my previous role as Head of Engineering at Centrica, I led a team of 10,000 engineers, providing heating, plumbing, electrical and SMART metering services to domestic and commercial customers throughout the UK. Prior to Centrica, I worked at Barclays and championed the ‘Digital Eagles’ movement through which I saw colleagues demystify technology and build confidence with their customers and beyond. The accessibility of technology, both for those creating and those consuming, is my real motivation when it comes to tech.</blockquote>There’s been an historic construct around who tech is created by and who it’s created for. Technology is omnipresent in modern life, so it’s time these constructs were replaced with our reality. Tech is for all of us and needs to be created by all of us. The creators of technology have to reflect the consumers of technology.

Rob Harris

I’m responsible for Technology &amp; Investments at PwC UK, leading our teams of technologists and working with clients as part of our ‘New world. New skills.’ initiative. I also work closely with colleagues across the international PwC network to develop client technology solutions for a wide range of industries and market sectors.&nbsp; Successful business relies on technology, but most importantly technologists, to drive change and realise the potential of the tools we have available to us. I’m passionate about finding the best people to build the best solutions. In my role on the Executive Board at PwC, I have a unique opportunity to use my platform to promote diversity and to support causes and initiatives that I believe can make a significant difference to the way young people view technology careers. Tech She Can has already made significant progress against this agenda and it’s a privilege to be a trustee as we begin the next phase of the journey.

Ben Higgin

I’m passionate about driving diversity in tech and believe that different backgrounds and perspectives can fuel innovation and create products with broader appeal. I understand that equal access to educational opportunity fuels STEM interests and, as such, I sit on the Board of Teach For All.&nbsp;I am the Group Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Group Executive Committee at Societe Generale, having been appointed in May 2023. Previously, I was the Chief Information Officer at Credit Suisse, where I worked for almost 30 years.&nbsp; During this time, I also held a number of senior leadership roles in Information Technology.&nbsp;As a trustee for Tech She Can, I hope to ultimately increase the number of women working in technology through serving as a role model and advocate of female tech talent – helping to shape a future where women have greater gender equity in the technology workforce.

Laura Mather

Alongside my experience in setting up global delivery models and executing large programmes across multiple domains, I’ve also been instrumental in designing talent development programmes, including establishing the UST Digital Development centre. I believe that, for future talent models to be scalable and successful, they need to enable team members from diverse backgrounds to collaborate without any fear or discrimination. Technology has played a significant role in removing barriers so that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to learn, adopt and build propositions which create a compelling competitive edge in the emerging marketplace. Tech She Can is uniquely positioned to sponsor programmes for girls, helping to demystify what a career in technology could look like and supporting the development of our future women leaders. As I progressed in my technology career, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by leaders from diverse backgrounds. Mentoring plays an important role in developing talent potential and I’m looking forward to being part of a programme that can scale the support needed to nurture future women leaders.

Praveen Prabhakaran

As Deputy Director for the Tech Sector at DCMS, I’m responsible for relationships with big tech companies, championing and growing the broader UK tech ecosystem, and digital skills and inclusion. Prior to this, I worked as a diplomat, including as Private Secretary to Boris Johnson and Philip Hammond in the Foreign Office. Posted to Cairo during the Arab Spring, I subsequently led the UK's UN Human Rights team in negotiations in New York and Geneva. I was also part of the senior leadership team which founded the Diplomatic Academy under William Hague, creating a uniform (virtual) system of learning for the UK's global network of embassies.&nbsp; Following a stint as Head of Cyber Policy in the Foreign Office, I transferred to DCMS to continue working in Tech Policy, before being surged to NHSX in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a remit to harness the power of the sector to tackle it. I’m passionate about gender equality and, in particular, upskilling and inspiring more women and girls to consider careers in digital technology.

Rebecca Stephens

My current role is to create a seamless employee experience, in the office or remotely, by bringing together collaboration environments and devices for around 90,000 Kyndryl employees worldwide. I’m also NED on the Royal Navy Board; a member of the SPRITE+ Advisory board and two all party Parliamentary groups; and Chair of the Advisory Board for the Institute for Security Science &amp; Technology at Imperial College.&nbsp; Technology can do almost anything - the difficulty is in defining what you want! That’s where my interest lies – I’ve always been focused on delivering the best outcome, and how we can apply the right technology to achieve that. I’m delighted to be Chair of the Board of Trustees for Tech She Can as I’m passionate about supporting business growth through building a diverse workforce, and equitable and inclusive work environments. As technology continues to play a key role in our working lives, it’s critical that we inspire as many children as possible to think broadly about technology, and get excited about how it can play a part in their future. That’s where I believe the true power of Tech She Can can be harnessed.

Auriol Stevens (Chair)

A seasoned business leader, board-level consultant and behavioural scientist, Kate is one of the founding leaders at Business Four Zero - a consultancy recently acquired by Heidrick &amp; Struggles to get teams on a mission to actually do business better.&nbsp;With deep expertise in purpose, strategy, culture, innovation and tech, she brings a unique combination of behavioural science, design thinking and entrepreneurial commerciality to her work with senior leaders across the private and public sectors. She is an accredited executive coach, an LSE funded academic researcher specialising in the science of meaning, a restless advocate for gender equality, and a trustee and board advisor for a range of mission driven organisations.

Our Leaders