Everywoman has announced the winners of its 2025 Everywoman in Technology Awards, sponsored by Bupa.
This the 15th year Everywoman has celebrated women in the technology sector through its awards, highlighting female tech role models in an effort to encourage others into technology, having showcased more than 500 women since its beginnings.
The importance of visible and accessible role models is often highlighted in the discussion surrounding increasing the number of women in the UK’s tech sector, with experts stating that young people are more likely to consider these careers for themselves when they can see others like them across the technology sector.
Maxine Benson, co-founder of Everywoman, said: “Role models serve not just as beacons of achievement, but as tangible proof that success is attainable. Authentic role models provide the roadmap and the encouragement to navigate a successful career in an industry that needs diversity in all forms – thought, approach and lived experience.
“That’s why we need every one of these impressive finalists, and this year’s winners, to be seen and celebrated if we want to attract more female talent – now more than ever.”
Despite efforts made to increase the number of women in the technology sector, research from BCS in 2024 found that women only accounted for 17% of IT specialist in the UK, a number that had only increased by 1% in the five years prior.
Everywoman’s own research, in partnership with Bupa, found almost 40% of women in the technology industry claimed that a lack of role models – especially higher up in the sector – has made it difficult for them when pursuing their own careers.
This year, 16 winners were chosen from a list of almost 90 finalists, each at different levels from students and apprentices to women in executive-level roles, to act as these important beacons towards a possible tech career path for others.
The winners of this year’s Bupa Everywoman in Technology Awards were as follows:
AI Champion Award
- Maryleen Amaizu, senior machine learning engineer, Redgate
Apprentice Award
- Grace Thomas, management consulting associate, Accenture
CTO/CIO of the Year Award
- Amanda Barker, CTO and vice-president – IS strategy and architecture, Centrica
Cyber Security Award
- Sarah Rench, global generative AI security director, Avanade
Digital Star Award
- Shahzadi Awan, front-end software engineer II, Booking.com
Digital Transformation Leader
- Rosanne Kincaid-Smith, former group chief operating officer, Northern Data Group
Entrepreneur Award
- Payne MBE, chief marketing officer, Open Bionics
Innovator Award
- Laurence Levy, founder and CEO, MeditSimple
Leader Award
- Sandra Stanley, chief data science officer, dunnhumby
Male Agent of Change Award
- Ashar Khan, chief data officer, SSE
One to Watch Award
- Joey Lin, student at The Maynard School
Rising Star Award
- Jemima Abu, front-end developer, WeMakeWebsites
Software Engineer Award
- Anna Wilde, senior engineer, American Express
Team Leader Award
- Maddie Clingan, principal agile coach and agile people manager, ControlPlane
Tech for Good Award
- Sue Black OBE, professor of computer science, and technology evangelist, Durham University
The Woman of the Year award was given to Carla Brackstone, senior partnerships manager at Kheiron Medical Technologies, who has used AI for breast cancer detection, having already found early-stage cancer in 11 women in Aberdeen. She’s working to help introduce this technology across the NHS, as well as the US.
Admitting technology wasn’t initially part of her “grand plan”, Brackstone said: “Technology has continually opened new doors and provided me with a platform for growth, innovation and impact.”
