What sparked your interest in IT early on?
I remember at primary school in the 80s, there was a single computer at the back of the class and only two students were allowed to use it (no idea why!). I think that sparked my curiosity
What was the first role or project that made you realise IT could be a fulfilling career path despite the male-dominated landscape?
At university, while doing my computer science degree, we had to recreate the Soundex algorithm in Java. It was the first time I realised how satisfying it was to make something work from scratch — and it made IT feel like the right path for me.
Who were your mentors or role models who influenced your growth/development?
I don’t have one single mentor, I’ve learned a lot from many people along the way — anyone who shared their knowledge, supported me, or showed me a better way of doing things.
What specific skills/areas of expertise have you developed?
I’m keen on making sure our QA gets done well. I’m very process‑driven and detail‑oriented, with a background in SQL, data quality and migration, and web development.
What are your favourite types of project?
I enjoy data‑focused projects where I can solve problems and make things run more smoothly — especially anything involving data migration, data reconciliation or improving processes.
Looking back, what advice would you give to a young girl dreaming of an IT executive role?
You don’t need to know everything from day one — the IT world has room for all kinds of thinkers. Start with curiosity and keep learning, and don’t let being in a male‑dominated room make you question whether you belong there, because you absolutely do.
What’s one exciting trend in tech that makes it an even better field for the next generation?
AI and smarter automation can reduce repetitive work and support better decision‑making. Used ethically and as support tools – not replacements – they create capacity for more meaningful work. And with data analytics tools now more accessible, people don’t need deep technical knowledge to explore data and create solutions.
