The finalists for the ninth annual FDM Everywoman in Technology Awards have been announced.
In association with the Tech She Can Charter, the awards aim to call attention to the achievements of women in STEM roles, and the men championing women in the sector.
Carrying the motto ‘achieve, elevate and inspire’, the awards will take place on 6 March to celebrate International Women’s Day, and will highlight 50 individuals from the UK and internationally who have shown extraordinary talent in the tech industry.
Finalists range from the ‘ones to watch’ (under-16s who are inspiring other children to study STEM subjects), to tech apprentices, women in academia, tech entrepreneurs and men who are ‘championing women working in tech’.
The awards are a reaction to the fact that only 15% of people working in STEM roles in the UK are female, and that only 5% of leadership positions in the tech industry are held by women.
Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, said: “The judges were united in their admiration and respect for the achievement of this year’s finalists. Without question, each of them has the ability to inspire more women and girls into a career in technology. Research by PWC shows that there could be a £180billion boost to UK GDP just by increasing female employment rates. This shows just how valuable female talent is and why this awards programme is so important in ensuring that more women enter the industry.”
The judges were united in their admiration and respect for the achievement of this year’s finalists.
– Maxine Benson, everywoman
The 2019 finalists are as follows:
One to Watch Award
Awarded to a girl aged 11–16 who is actively encouraging girls to study STEM subjects. Finalists include school students from Clacton County High School in Essex, Mt St Michael Secondary School in Ireland, Bishop Gilpin in Wimbledon, and Harris Academy in Bermondsey.
Apprentice Award
Finalists include young talent from Northumbrian Water, Deloitte and CGI.
Rising Star Award
Awarded to a woman under 26. This year’s finalists are employees of PwC, Whitbread and the founder of Code Camp.
Digital Star Award
This year’s finalists are employees of Sainsbury’s Argos, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, formerly Lloyds Banking Group, Accenture, Float Digital and the Department for Digital Culture, Media & Sport.
Software Engineer Award
Finalists include the founder of Trik and software engineers from American Express, PwC and Lloyds Banking Group.
Academic Award
Awarded to a woman in academia who has made an outstanding contribution to technology and science. Finalists include two readers from the University of Bath, and the head of design and technology at Ashlawn School.
Team Leader Award
This year’s finalists are from CGI, Barclays, Leeds Beckett University, Experian, Tata Consultancy Services and Deloitte.
Entrepreneur Award
The finalists are the founders of Pivigo, Techsixtyfour, Recordsure and Blukudu.
Innovator Award
Finalists include women from Experian, American Express, and the founders of Earthmiles and Akoni.
Leader Award
Finalists this year are from Vodafone Group Services UK, Oliver Wyman, Oracle, Accenture, Experian and IBM.
International Inspiration Award
Awarded to an individual based outside the UK, male or female. Finalists include the head of research and development at AbleGamers in West Virginia, the founder of KizCode in Turkey, and the Biofuels CIO and ethics and compliance leader at BP in São Paulo.
Male Agent of Change Award
Awarded to a male agent of change for his commitment to championing women working in tech. Finalists are from Imperial College London, PwC, BP and Accenture.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 6 March. For further information and to book your place, please contact
