Celebrating the Women Shaping UK Tech: Reflections on Computer Weekly’s 2025 Influential Women in Tech List
Last week, I had the privilege of attending Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2025, an annual moment that reminds me why representation, recognition, and resilience still matter so deeply in our industry.
Now in its 14th year, this event continues to shine a light on the women transforming innovation in the UK and beyond. It was a day filled with insightful panels, inspiring stories and a vibrant community of brilliant women proving that innovation thrives on diversity.
It was also a moment to cheer on Computer Weekly itself - and particularly Clare MacDonald, its tireless Business Editor - for keeping this important list alive for fourteen years.
Clare’s commitment to recognising women’s contributions in tech is extraordinary. We’ve worked together over the years to help talent receive the recognition it deserves and, well, what else can I say - she’s done an exceptional job keeping diversity front and centre in the tech conversation, where it truly belongs.
This year’s Most Influential Woman in UK Tech, Naomi Timperley, co-founder of Tech North Advocates, shared a moving and deeply human account of her own journey to the top of the list - one marked by perseverance, generosity and openness about the challenges that come with a high-profile career.
Her words were a reminder that success in tech isn’t just about innovation; it’s also about empathy, mentorship and resilience. Naomi’s message - that helping others rise and creating a community of amazing women that look after one another is the most important part of the work and what makes this personal achievement so special. It perfectly captured the spirit of the day. It actually made me cry.
Sometimes, I do worry that we’re losing the battle of the sexes when it comes to the sectors shaping our future - areas like finance, AI and Web3, where women in senior, game-changing roles remain underrepresented. But then I see this list grow longer and more diverse every year (and yes, this year’s longlist was encouragingly long!), and I feel hopeful again. Hopeful that fighting the good fight is leading to positive, sustainable change.
As I continue my own career in tech and finance PR, I’m reminded that it’s rarely easy for women to “have it all,” or at least, all at once! Too young, too old, too bossy, too quiet (lean in why don’t you!), too ready to have children (she’s hitting the baby making years - let’s not promote her!) - these perceptions of our limitations are as difficult to shatter as the glass ceiling so many of us still find ourselves trapped beneath. Yet, the event was not about barriers. It was about breaking them. And there were many women there who were doing just that.
Computer Weekly’s celebration of female leadership filled me with excitement and happiness. There’s a community here - loud, proud and unapologetically ambitious - and it’s growing stronger every year.
One of the most powerful moments of the day came from keynote speaker Zoe Kleinman, BBC’s Technology Editor. Sharing a story about a scientist who defied the “laws of physics” to make the impossible possible, Zoe reminded us of the importance of resilience and visibility.
“He kept going until he made it work,” she said. “That resilience - that refusal to give up - is something I see in everyone who succeeds. And that’s what we need more of in this industry.”
She went on to offer her own advice, drawn from years of experience at the frontlines of tech journalism:
“Be annoying. Be persistent. Don’t take no for an answer. And be visible doing what you do because you might not realise it, but someone is watching and being inspired by you.”
Those words packed a punch and were met with enthusiastic applause. Because she’s right. Representation matters. Visibility matters. Every time a woman speaks on stage, codes an app, leads a company, or tells a story, she’s paving a new path for another to follow.
We’ve got to see it to be it. If you’re in a position of power - be the “it”!
Madeleine Albright famously said, “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”
I’ve always taken that to heart, not as a warning, but as a call to action. Let’s keep lifting one another up, and let’s keep these lists going until the day we no longer need separate ones - just one shared list that celebrates men and women standing as equals in the careers they choose.
Let’s make room at the table, because there’s enough space for everyone.
