Give IT a Go Panel Debate - Women in Computing: Her Story 10th October 2018

Description :

Give IT a Go: is it as easy as it sounds? is our 2018 panel debate on women and computing, chaired by Suw Charman-Anderson, founder of Ada Lovelace Day.

Can women get in, stay in and get back in to careers in tech?

Bring your stories on careers in tech (broadly defined, not just computing!) and join us in this lively debate to help us work out how women can survive and succeed in this field.

On the panel for this exciting debate are:

Suw Charman-Anderson (Chair)

Suw is the founder of Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. Each year, ALD hosts a flagship science cabaret event in London, whilst around the world independent groups put on their own events. The organisation also works year round to raise the profile of and support women in STEM, producing a podcast, resources database, free education pack for teachers, posters and women in STEM crochet patterns.

Prior to working full-time on Ada Lovelace Day, Suw was a social technologist and, as one of the UK’s social media pioneers, worked with clients worldwide. A freelance journalist, she has written about social media, technology and publishing for The Guardian, CIO Magazine and Forbes.

In 2005, Suw co-founded the Open Rights Group, a digital rights campaigning group. As its first Executive Director, she prepared the organisation’s response to the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, and gave evidence on digital rights management to the All Party Parliamentary Internet Group.

Anne Clarke

Anne grew up near Oxford then studied natural Sciences at Newnham College. Deciding steel and pressure vessels were not for her, she took a graduate role with Hoskyns, a software consultancy where she worked as a programmer on insurance and banking. She remembers using the DEC terminals and orange covered manuals to be found in this museum, not to mention the green-lined print out paper.

She then moved to New York with her husband, and on her return to the UK Anne spent some time contracting before working for Reuters on stock exchange systems. After working part-time for several years after the birth of her two children, she took a career break during which she studied for a postgraduate diploma in Software development. A move back to Cambridge followed but Anne found it challenging to find part-time work in IT. Taking the OU Return to Work in STEM course led Anne to a Return to IT course run by Thoughtworks.

Anne now works for Cambridge Assessment English, starting as a Business Analyst and now as a Scrum Product Owner in their Digital and New Products Development Group. She enjoys being the bridge between business and IT development and being able to shape new product ideas.

Anne is a former Chair of Cambridge AWISE (Association for Women in Science and Engineering). The group offer networking and career development events to women working in STEM areas around Cambridge.

She is passionate about helping others who have had a career break or want to change career direction.

Hermione Crease

After nearly 20 years of working with M2M and IoT solutions, Purrmetrix founder Hermione Crease has picked up a deep understanding of the market for B2B IoT solutions. Her interest in energy efficiency in commercial property is even more longstanding, dating back to her early career as a Chartered Surveyor and Property Manager.

Hermione started working in the technology sector with Sentec, an innovation business operating in the smart metering and smart grid sector. The Sentec team commercialised technology in more than 10million meters worldwide, including water, gas and electricity meters, as well as related infrastructure such as sub stations.

She is a child of the eighties, mother to three children and randomly enthusiastic about architecture, running, writing and Peregrine Falcons.

Berenice Mann

Berenice is a scientist turned to the dark side and has spent over 15 years as a marketing manager in Cambridge's high-tech cluster, specialising in B2B, technology marketing and start-ups. She is currently embedded in the Architecture and Technology Group at ARM, managing marketing and content.

Previous roles include Head of Marketing for Amiho Technology, Marketing Manager at Sentec and Eurotec, as well as running her own marketing consultancy business and prior to that Technology Transfer at Anglia ruskin University.

She has sector knowledge in the fields of IoT, wireless comms, smart grid, smart metering, smart cities/homes/buildings (basically anything with smart in front!).

Hermione says: "With a background in physics, I love all things techie (except anything that doesn't just work) and in my spare time i enjoy Pilates, Yoga and gym, and write stage and restaurant reviews. I enjoy theatre and musical theatre, which I sometimes also perform in, largely to embarrass my daughters and upstage their acting ambitions. I'm married with three children, the older two at uni and the youngest starting 'A' levels."

Ticket price includes entry to the museum, including the interactive Women in Computing: Her Story exhibition.

Time: 6.30 (Doors will open at 6pm)

Please note that this event is being filmed.

*This event is part of our October 2018 festival 'Computing History: Her Story.

View a full line-up of events here.

Festival supported by: