Hailing another successful year for women in all avenues of business, 2021 is set to become one of the most diverse and opportunity-giving years in a long time. With growing equality seen throughout the otherwise male-dominated digital industries – spearheaded by social media campaigns like #choosetochallenge and #breaktheglassceiling – the world slowly edges towards gender parity.
On one hand, never before have we seen so many women succeed in business, with the technology sector in particular having high-profile women lead from the top. However, gender equality is still a far way off in the business technology world – with men still outnumbering women and a growing number of young girls and their teachers believing that boys are better matched to STEM subjects at school.
This way of thinking is only adding to the ever-widening digital skills gap the UK, and the world, are facing. This is why we wish to take this moment on International Women’s Day 2021 to celebrate and identify some of the many inspirational female tech and digital marketing leaders in the UK today.
Sarah Wilkinson – CEO, NHS Digital
In times of incredible hardship and tribulation for the NHS following the COVID-19 outbreak which is still affecting the whole country today, the CEO of NHS Digital was able to handle clinical data accurately and privately, ensuring that each patient’s data is handled with great care.
Not to be confused with the Track & Trace app that was developed by a third party, the NHS’ digital and physical efforts during the pandemic have been outstanding. In each of the last four years, Wilkinson has been named within the top ten in the TechUK 50, Computer Weekly’s annual ranking of the Top 50 Most Influential Leaders in the UK IT Industry, and she is an inspiration to women everywhere who are keen to step into digital leadership roles.
Cindy Rose – CEO, Microsoft UK
Leading the Microsoft team in the UK since 2016, Rose is a seasoned professional in the digital world and a role model for many as we enter the new year. Receiving an OBE for s services to UK technology in 2019, she is best known for her elevation of the firm’s product, service and support offering for UK customers, and has inspired many other team leaders from around the globe to follow suit.
Dawn Esther – Founder, D52 – Business Toolkit
Segwaying into our list from a business leadership perspective, Esther was recently named Most Influential Woman in Business Consulting in the UK by the fifth Influential Businesswoman Awards 2020, organised by Acquisition International (AI).
Dedicated to ensuring the best growth and development of businesses across the UK, the digital toolkit she offers helps bring budding entrepreneurs from all walks of life to identify their goals and support their business development through self-awareness.
Adapting to the current pandemic by further digitising her business offering, she demonstrated incredible versatility and adaptability in the digital sector, inspiring many other business owners to follow similar trajectories.
Anne-Marie Imafidon – CEO, Stemettes
From one influential woman to another, Imafidon was awarded the Most Influential Woman in UK Technology in Computer Weekly’s Technology Awards 2020. At the age of 11, she became the youngest person in the UK to receive an A-Level in computing, going on to receive a master’s in mathematics and computer science at just 20 years old.
Surpassing even the most talented of us by both knowledge and years, she quickly gained leadership positions across a range of technology-based companies such as Goldman Sachs, A&M Consult and Deutsche Bank.
After seeing her success and identifying the struggle women still have to enter into the technology sector on their own merits, she founded Stemettes in 2013 to encourage young women to pursue careers in the STEM sector. By 2017, she was awarded an MBE for her services to STEM and is a trustee of the Institute for the Future of Work.
If that’s not inspirational enough, you can tune into her Women Tech Charge podcast under the Evening Standard’s banner to get a real taste for her talent and dedication to making opportunities for women in Tech easier and more commonplace overall.
Mina Seetharaman – Chief Strategy and Creative Officer, The Economist Group
Working her way up the ladder of global change, Seetharaman joined The Economist Group to spearhead their global digital efforts after her success as co-founder of OglivyOne – seeing upward of $20 million in successful digital execution work in both advanced content marketing and video practices.
Today, she works as the Global Director for content and creativity at The Economist’s New York office, sits as the group’s representative to the UN Women GICC, and is on the advisory council for the Digital Marketing Institute.
With so many inspirational and talented women in the world of digital marketing to choose from, it can be hard to select only a few. Other platforms, such as Computer Weekly and Business Insider have far more extensive lists which we advise everyone to check out.
However, at Myk Baxter Marketing, seeing women leading the development and innovation of our industry not only inspires us but gives us hope that allowing an equal footing for both men and women and breaking the glass ceiling will inspire a new generation of young men and women who focus on talent and merit over gender and skin colour.
As it is International Women’s Day, we wish to give a small shout-out to Myk Baxter Marketing’s female team members, especially Hannah Stocker, who has over the last year proved her talents and successes across digital marketing, creative content creation, social media management, and project management.
“As this year’s International Women’s Day encourages people to #ChoosetoChallenge, I would challenge anyone in the digital world to put trust in and give equal opportunities to women across all roles. Consistently overperforming at their jobs, every woman working with MBM and every woman who works with us in various other capacities have shown me that they really are the future of our industry – whether it’s through talent, skill or incredible leadership ability. As a father of a soon-to-be 1-year old beautiful daughter, Amber, I am guided by her in everything I do. Her mother Sian is also an inspiration as a working mother, caring for Amber and her fur-baby Luna full-time. Amber’s arrival in my life has opened my eyes to how men around the world must continue to work hard to break down any inequalities we discover and I promise to her that I will do all I can to create a world that is truly free and fair for women.”
– Myk Baxter, Founder and Consultant of Myk Baxter Marketing
