techUK President's Award

Sheila Flavell CBE

techUK President, Chief Operating Officer, FDM Group

Sheila is the President of techUK and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Board Director of FDM Group. She has over 30 years’ experience in both the public and private IT sectors. Sheila played an integral role in the Group’s flotation on AIM in 2005 and was a key instigator of the management buy-out of the Group in 2010 and its subsequent listing onto the main FTSE Market in June 2014 and more recent entry into the FTSE 250.

Sheila’s experience and knowledge of the sector has been crucial in driving the Group’s global expansion programme. She is fully committed to promoting all forms of diversity, especially women in Tech and spearheads FDM’s Women in IT campaign and FDM’s ‘Getting Back to Business‘ programme, aimed at providing opportunities for women looking to return to the workplace. She is frequently called to advise government committees on various issues. Most recently she gave evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on bridging the digital skills gap.

She has won numerous awards over many years for her services to the Tech industry, including a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by ‘Scottish Women In Tech’ and was most recently recognised in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List, by being awarded ‘Commander of the Order of The British Empire’ for services to ‘Gender Equality in IT and Graduate and Returners Employment.’ She is regularly listed as one of the Most Influential Woman in Tech in the UK, by Computer Weekly and has also been regularly named as one of the Most Influential Women in the North American Mid Market’ by CEO Connection.

Sheila is a keen helicopter pilot who also likes to plant trees, play golf/ski and cycle.

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

020 7331 2176

Dr Nicola Hodson

techUK Deputy President, Chief Executive in the UK and Ireland, IBM

Nicola Hodson is a seasoned senior executive with expertise in delivering results and driving the strategic, commercial, and digital transformation of large, international complex technology and engineering companies. Her focus is on purpose-led, profitable growth, sustainability, and shareholder value.

Currently, Nicola is the Chief Executive of IBM in the UK and Ireland, responsible for business operations, driving revenue growth, client satisfaction and employee engagement in the UK and Ireland. Previously, Nicola was the Vice President of Change Management and Transformation for the Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) organization, directing innovative transformation and change management to empower Microsoft customers, partners, and employees. She was central in building new strategies and go-to-market methodologies as well as providing oversight to the change management landing and adoption of these priorities, and transformational initiatives. She played a key leadership role within the MCAPS organization and held several senior roles in Microsoft including UK COO.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Nicola held positions at Siemens, CSC, and Ernst & Young Management Consulting selling and delivering multiple transformation projects in the energy and utilities sector.

Nicola lends her extensive technology, digital transformation, sales, IT and ESG experience by participating on boards, both in the private and public sectors. She is currently a board member of techUK; a non-executive director at Drax Group Plc and at Beazley Plc.

She holds an MBA with a focus on management and operations, a PhD in Materials Engineering, and a BSc in Chemistry and Materials Science.

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

020 7331 2176

Jacqueline de Rojas CBE

techUK Former President

techUK Board Member and Former President | Co-Chair, Institute of Coding | Portfolio Non-Executive Director

Non-Executive Director, Business Mentor and Advocate for Inclusion.

"If we are to thrive in a digital future, we must ensure that all our voices heard when it comes to designing technology. If we do not, we will create a world that does not work for everybody."

And as we build this digital world, the need to stay safe is heightened as our dependency to live and work online increases. Competitive advantage will come from teams that look outwards not inwards and therefore businesses that build a culture of inclusion and maximise their security posture"

Voted the Most Influential Woman in IT 2015 and Included in World’s 100 most influential people in digital government 2019: Woman of the Year awarded by Women in IT Excellence 2019, 2020 Asian Tech Pioneer, named in 2021 Connected Britain’s Top 100 Influencers and Stroeous Award Winner: Global Positive Impact Leader of the Year 2021. Listen to her life and music choices on Desert Island Discs podcast March 2019.

Jacqueline was awarded CBE for Services to International Trade in Technology in the Queen's New Year Honours list 2018.

Email:

[email protected]

Zahra Bahrololoumi

CEO - United Kingdom and Ireland, Salesforce

Zahra is a member of the Technology Leadership Group (TLG) for the Prince's Trust working with leaders from across the Technology Industry in the UK to engage the Technology Industry in raising money and helping the Prince's Trust to support disadvantaged Young People in the UK to get into employment. In 2016, Zahra was named a “Women in IT”: “Woman of the year” finalist and was previously named by Management Today to their “35 Women Under 35” list. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in management science from Brunel University.

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

020 7331 2176

Siobhan Costello

Global General Counsel, Fidel API

Company HQ location: London

Global headcount: 121 employees, £6m turnover

About the company: FidelAPI (ranked no. 15 of the fastest growing technology companies in the UK) is a global financial infrastructure platform enabling developers to create programmable experiences that enhance the value of using and accepting payment cards.

Current responsibilities: I sit on the Senior Leadership team and am responsible for Legal and Policy at Fidel API, building a global team across UK, Europe, US and APAC.

Current involvement with techUK: techUK’s Financial Services Council for 3 years, formerly as Head of Regulatory Law and Policy at Visa and latterly since moving roles as General Counsel at Fidel API

What are your reasons for wanting to be a techUK Director and what could you bring to the techUK Main Board? There should be more home-grown global technology champions. The UK could do more to ensure that it remains not just a good place for start-ups to get off the ground but also a place where entrepreneurs can scale, attract UK investment and ultimately IPO. techUK is uniquely positioned to proactively shape policy in this space. I would bring my rounded experience as a policy creator at the regulator, to big brand plc and now high-growth fintech, to tackle these challenges.

Kulwinder Johal

Head of Information Security, ElectraLink

Company HQ location: London

Global headcount and turnover: 85 employees, £18m

About the company: Data and technology company set up by Energy DNOs to deliver services to manage energy market data.

Roles and responsibilities: Develop, implement and manage the security vision, strategy and programme for data sets in the energy market of c. 32m customers.

Current involvement with techUK: New member - since March 2022. Already attended my first seminar and excited for future events

What are your reasons for wanting to be a techUK Director and what could you bring to the techUK Main Board? As a privacy and data specialist, and a previous Group DPO for a FTSE100 company I bring experience and practical insights as well as enthusiasm and passion for the subject areas. I have just completed a 2 year appointment as a Board member for IAPP which I thoroughly enjoyed and added value to.

Michael Keegan

techUK Vice President of Operations, Businessman and Investor, Centerprise International

Michael Keegan is a Non Executive Director of Centerprise International and an investor in technology companies via Sussex Ventures and Fisher Investments.  Michael is Chairman of the techUK Membership, Finance & Performance Board.

Prior to his current portfolio roles Michael has worked in both the Technology and Financial Services sectors at Fujitsu, MasterCard International, and Welcome Real Time over a 34 year executive management career. A strong supporter of the need for more gender diversity in the technology sector, Michael is also an ambassador for Everywoman.

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

020 7331 2176

Sue Preston

Vice President & General Manager, UKIMESA, HPE Pointnext Services

Sue Preston is the worldwide Vice President & General Manager for Advisory & Professional Services. Together with her team, she is a strategic partner to customers and provides advisory-led engagements and outcomes-driven digital transformation journeys.

She has dedicated her entire career to technology leadership and transformation.

Before joining HPE, Sue spent two years at Microsoft running the Azure & Data AI Specialist teams in the UK across Enterprise Commercial and Public Sector.  Prior to Microsoft she spent eight years at Hitachi driving Global Financial Services and Managed Services teams along with driving transformation and focus on IoT. She also held leadership roles in the Partner Ecosystem and started her career in the Unix arena and ERP transformation.

Sue is passionate about people and has a solid track record of building high performing teams.  Sue actively participates and drives sustainability initiatives across technology, environmental and social and governance (ESG) strategies. She was shortlisted for CRN Exec Mentor of the Year and takes on various judging roles for Women in Business. Sue sits on the techUK Board and was recently recognised in the top 100 DataIQ most influential leaders in Data.

Outside of work Sue is engaged in raising funds for various charities, enjoys Golf & DIY.

Kulveer Ranger

Senior Vice-President, Head of Strategy, Marketing, Communications & Public Affairs, Atos

Kulveer Ranger is Senior Vice-President, Head of Strategy, Marketing, Communications & Public Affairs for Northern Europe, APAC & India. He is responsible for alignment between the UK&I business strategy and corporate communications, and sits on the UK Executive Leadership Team. He is a Digital Leader and sits on the SmarterUK, Cities and Communities Board. His previous positions included leading the Mayor of London’s Transport, Environment, and Digital Strategy Policy divisions between 2008-12.

He was also a member of the London 2012 Olympic Transport Board, the C40 International Steering Committee, and the Bristol 2015 Green Capital Board. He was also chairman of the Digital City Exchange Advisory Board at Imperial College Business School from 2012-17.

He has extensive knowledge of developing and delivering major infrastructure and technology led programmes. Kulveer is an international public speaker and is also a regular broadcaster for TV and radio.

He is co-founder of the Modern Britain Policy Group, a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and is a passionate supporter of Tottenham Hotspur football club.

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

020 7331 2176