Celebrating Women in Technology.
A Tribute on International Women’s Day
If there’s one thing I love about technology, it’s that it doesn’t care much for pedigree. It rewards ingenuity, curiosity, and. most dangerously of all an ability to question the status quo. In that spirit, it’s only fitting that on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the extraordinary women who have shaped, transformed, and quite literally debugged the world of technology
We tend to talk about the history of technology as if it were written exclusively in beards and patent filings. But that’s a complete misunderstanding of where real breakthroughs come from. Some of my biggest technology heroes are women who didn’t just contribute to the field they helped define it.
Ada Lovelace – the world’s first programmer. Forget what anyone tells you about Charles Babbage. It was Lovelace who saw that the Analytical Engine could be more than just a calculator. She didn’t just write the first algorithm she foresaw the very idea of computing as we understand it today.
Grace Hopper – the reason why we don’t have to write software in incomprehensible strings of numbers. She was a computing pioneer, the inventor of COBOL, and most amusingly the person who quite literally coined the term “debugging” when she removed an actual moth from a malfunctioning computer. She didn’t just fix problems she made it possible for an entire generation of engineers to write software in human language.
Frances Allen – a genius in the field of compiler optimisation and former IBMer. If you’ve ever worked with modern software and marveled at how fast, efficient, and streamlined it is, you owe a quiet thanks to Allen. Her work laid the foundation for parallel computing, making the impossible seem routine.
These women didn’t just contribute to technology they redefined it. They were visionaries who saw beyond what was in front of them and dared to imagine what could be.
But let’s not just celebrate history. Today, I have the privilege of working alongside some of the most brilliant women in technology and leadership women who are shaping the future with the same spirit of invention and fearlessness.
Every day, I see women in technology, AI, and consulting who challenge assumptions, solve impossible problems, and redefine what technology can do for people. These are strategists, data scientists, and leaders who aren’t just pushing forward innovation but making sure it serves people.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a special mention to my boss, Helen Gowler, who exemplifies what great leadership looks like.
International Women’s Day isn’t just about looking back and applauding achievements. It’s a reminder that technology is only as good as the diversity of minds shaping it. The best ideas come from the friction of different perspectives, the questioning of assumptions, and the refusal to accept “that’s just how it’s always been done.”
So here’s to the Ada Lovelaces, the Grace Hoppers, and the Frances Allens of today the women shaping AI, rewriting the rules of technology, and making sure the future is as inclusive as it is intelligent.
Let’s celebrate them not just today, but every day.
