Women in Tech Conference

Babita Sharma

Conference Host

Babita is a distinguished broadcaster, journalist, and award-winning author with over 15 years of experience at the BBC. As Chief News Presenter, she has reported on major global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 U.S. elections, and the Black Lives Matter protests, earning the Asian Achievement Award. Her acclaimed book The Corner Shop explores the social history of Britain's corner shops, inspired by her childhood in 1980s Britain. The book won a Business Book Award and was featured on BBC Radio Four and BBC Two's Between the Covers Book Club. A leading voice on multicultural Britain, Babita has delivered a TED Talk on immigration and presented documentaries like Dangerous Borders: The Story of India & Pakistan, retracing her family's journey 70 years after Partition. She chairs high-profile events, including the UN World Investment Forum, COP 27, and the World AI Summit. Committed to diversity and mental health advocacy, Babita mentors BAME journalists and serves as a Trustee for United for Global Mental Health and Crescent Arts Northern Ireland. She is also a Patron of the South Asian Heritage Trust and Migration Museum UK. Babita is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Poetry at Queen's University Belfast.

Mairead Scott

Managing Director | MCS Group

Mairead brings over 25 years of expertise in delivering top-tier recruitment solutions across Northern Ireland’s private and public sectors. Known for her strong networks and exceptional service, Mairead is a highly respected professional in the recruitment industry. In 2015, Mairead successfully launched MCS Group’s Professional Services division, providing tailored recruitment solutions across Accountancy & Finance, Sales & Marketing, Legal, and more. Two years later, she founded Honeycomb Jobs, which quickly became Northern Ireland’s leading provider of business support and administrative recruitment services. Appointed Managing Director of MCS Group in January 2024, Mairead now leads the organisation’s strategic growth into new markets across Northern Ireland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the US, cementing its position as a leading specialist recruitment agency.

Rosemary J Thomas PhD

Senior Technical Researcher | Version 1

Rosemary is a Senior Technical Researcher within the Version 1 AI Labs - a team that explores cutting-edge technologies in AI across sectors, services, and technologies. Rosemary holds a PhD in Computing Sciences from the University of Aberdeen, where she developed and tested ArguMessage, a system for generating persuasive messages based on argumentation schemes. Her previous roles include Senior UX Researcher at Verizon Connect Ireland Limited, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University College Dublin, and R&D Analyst at Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Aberdeen. She has published several papers in the fields of Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence, argumentation, and behaviour change. Rosemary is also an avid AI blogger for Version 1, with her work featured in Technology Dispatch, Digitalisation World, Process & Control, and more.

Bridgeen Rea-Kaya

Immeasureable Hearts & Minds

Bridgeen will bring some mindfulness into your day. We will explore the science and benefits of stopping and pausing including the impact on your productivity and relationships at work and balance in your home life. Equipping you with practical skills to take away and use in everyday life. Bridgeen is a pioneer of mindfulness and mindful self-compassion based in Northern Ireland. She has a Masters in Mindfulness Based Approaches (Msc) from Bangor University, Wales and is an accredited and trained Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Teacher and a qualified yoga teacher (YFNI).

Deena Robinson

EOS IT Solutions

Deena is the People and Culture Director at EOS IT Solutions, a global company headquartered in Banbridge, joining the organisation a year ago. With over 30 years of experience, Deena has honed her expertise in Industrial Relations, Learning and Development, Organisational Design & Development, and leading complex Transformation and Change initiatives. Before her current role, she held prominent national-level positions in the retail sector with leading brands such as Sainsbury's, Homebase, and Coop. A certified Workplace Mediator and a Business Coach, Deena is deeply committed to fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainable growth through strategic people practices.

Clare McGrath

St. Malachy’s College Belfast

Clare is an award-winning educator and the Creative Digital Technology Leader at St Malachy’s College, Belfast. With over a decade of teaching experience, Clare spearheaded the launch of the school’s state-of-the-art digital hub in 2022, designed to upskill both students and teachers in cutting-edge technologies. Under her leadership, the hub has become a collaborative space for pupils from across North Belfast, offering hands-on learning in coding, robotics, virtual reality, and more. Clare’s forward-thinking approach addresses Northern Ireland’s digital skills gap by equipping the next generation with tools for a tech-driven future. In recognition of her impact, Clare was named Outstanding Woman in Tech 2024 at the Women in Tech Awards, celebrating her dedication to innovation and education. Her work continues to inspire collaboration across schools and empower young minds to embrace creative problem-solving and digital innovation.

Lorna McAdoo

Version 1

Lorna is a Director at Version 1, a global IT services provider. Since joining in 2013, she has grown the Belfast operation to over 560 people, delivering 30% year-on-year revenue growth and providing services to local and international clients. Lorna also leads the organisation’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, driving diversity, community engagement, and employability initiatives within the tech sector. Her accolades include being named one of Europe’s Top 25 Women Leaders in Software (2021) and Digital DNA’s Business Personality of the Year (2022), alongside multiple leadership and company excellence awards. With a career spanning prominent technology organisations, Lorna is committed to fostering innovation, building strong teams, and inspiring the next generation in the tech industry.

Dr. Aisling Gough

Healthy Little Lifter

Recognised online as Healthy Little Lifter, Aisling has amassed a loyal international following through her health and wellness content. A nutritionist, trainer and qualified menopause specialist, her approachable informative style with easily implemented tips, has made her a go-to source. Her work with menopausal women, has earned a reputation for excellence, resulting in her winning the “Influential Woman of the Year for Outstanding Contribution to Health”, Ulster Tatler Award in June 2024. Aisling’s wealth of knowledge and expertise will provide invaluable action steps you can implement to improve your own personal wellbeing.

Susan Stewart

Digital Product Manager | Allstate Northern Ireland

Susan is a Digital Product Manager at Allstate NI, with over 10 years of expertise in the IT industry from consulting to data and analytics. Her product is the first employee facing app in Allstate's Claims area to adopt large scale use of AI and has been instrumental in improving the quality of ~20M outbound communications to customers in 2024.

Camilla Long

Co-Founder | Bespoke Communications

Camilla is an expert in Leadership Communication and Organisational Culture, and co-founder of leading training and professional development company, Bespoke Communications.  Camilla's expertise has been recognised with multiple speaker awards, cementing her status as a thought leader in her field. She is a featured speaker at leading conferences and corporate events, helping people to speak authentically for impact and influence.  

Diana Atchison

Centre for Digital Innovation and Technology Project Manager | Belfast Metropolitan College.

Diana is the Centre for Digital Innovation and Technology (CDIT) Project Manager at Belfast Metropolitan College. Diana is responsible for delivering Bring IT On as well as Digital Skills Academies. Bring IT On is a programme to educate young people, their parents, and teachers on careers in IT. Digital Skills Academies are designed to connect learners with opportunities to enhance employment and digital skills. Diana has over 15 years’ experience working within the software development and consultancy industries. Throughout her career Diana has implemented tech enabled digital change projects into multi-national businesses and government departments.

Jonathan McMurray

Data & AI Consultant | Microsoft

Jonathan is a Data & AI Consultant at Microsoft. With a diverse and multifaceted career behind him, Jonathan is passionate about modern workplace reform and championing best practices for neurodiverse employees, drawing from his own experiences. As a father of two sons and someone diagnosed with ASC, he is dedicated to creating more inclusive environments.

Edel Martin

Head of Development | Pytilia

Edel is Head of Development at Pytilia, a fast-growing Northern Ireland-based software solutions company with an international customer base including some of the biggest names in IT worldwide. Throughout her career, Edel has led the successful delivery of numerous customer projects, building diverse & inclusive teams in both corporate and startup environments. At Pytilia’s core is an emphasis on wellbeing, inclusivity and giving back or what we call “Heart & Soul”. As Head of Development, Edel is instrumental in achieving these goals, fostering an environment where team members from all backgrounds are supported to achieve their full potential.

David Crozier CBE

Director | Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre

David is Director of the £16.3m Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), a joint venture between Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast. Previously he was CEO of Software NI, representing the £1.7 billion software industry having spent over a decade at QUB’s Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) as Head of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement. He was appointed to the DSIT (previously DCMS) College of Experts in 2021, the NI Cyber Security Steering Group in 2018 and was, until recently, Chair of SpecialisterneNI. He was awarded a CBE in the 2024 New Year's Honours List for services to the economy.

Eleni Kamenou

Senior AI Engineer | Rapid7

Eleni is a Senior AI Engineer at Rapid7, specializing in leveraging artificial intelligence to transform Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services and enhance cybersecurity operations. She develops innovative AI solutions that empower security teams to detect, respond to, and mitigate threats more effectively, showcasing how AI can be harnessed to protect organizations from evolving cyber risks. Eleni also has a strong academic background in AI research, spanning across natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and generative AI, with a particular focus on the security and trustworthiness of AI models. With an extensive portfolio of research publications, proofs of concept, and participation in international conferences, Eleni offers a unique perspective on the challenges, security concerns, and opportunities that advanced AI technologies bring to cybersecurity and beyond.

Cheryl McIntyre

Technology Application Development Consultant | Microsoft UK

Cheryl is a Technology Application Development Consultant at Microsoft UK. They have worked on major development projects across Europe, including Mercedes Benz and the Met Office. With no prior technical background, they participated in the Assured Skills Academy for Microsoft and acquired all their technical skills on the job. Cheryl has been with Microsoft for 3 years and previously worked in Tourism in Northern Ireland at places such as Titanic Belfast and the Giant's Causeway.

Catherine McCourt

Director of Engineering | Aflac Northern Ireland

Catherine is the Director of Engineering at Aflac NI, an American supplemental healthcare insurance company that established its Technology Centre of Excellence in Belfast just over five years ago. For the past four years, Catherine has been responsible for Aflac NI’s Automation & Workflow Engineering practice, which employs 35 staff. Prior to joining Aflac, Catherine worked at Citi for 15 years, starting as an Application Support Engineer for a mainframe system and ultimately becoming responsible for production application support for Global Custody and Direct Custody in EMEA, APAC, and North America, leading a team of over 60 staff worldwide.