I’m a former BBC journalist who began my career in local radio before spending four years in Hong Kong during and after the handover to China. I was a news producer and documentary maker for a Chinese TV station and covered the handover itself and the early rise of political dissent. As press freedoms became increasingly restricted, I chose to return to the UK, where I produced and reported for BBC World Service, including presenting the global affairs programme Analysis.
After becoming a single parent at 42, I took redundancy and retrained as a teacher to find a more conducive work-life balance. I taught broadcast journalism at university and college level. I went on to found and run a community radio station in rural southwest England, which was on-air 24/7. As a not-for-profit with over 100 volunteer presenters, we secured grant-funding to deliver media and basic IT training, with a strong focus on empowering disadvantaged communities. With a heavy heart I stepped away in 2011 after nearly four years, when funding for such programmes, and therefore my post, was cut due to the austerity measures of the coalition government.
I returned to journalism and the World Service as a freelancer and took on short-term PR contracts before joining BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, in 2018. Since then, I’ve transitioned from PR into policy—a move that reflects my belief that careers are always evolving. My mantra is simple: embrace change, stay curious, and keep learning—because that’s the key to staying relevant and doing work that matters.
Being an older woman in tech has its challenges, but it’s also been a chance to grow, adapt and hopefully inspire others along the way. I’ve gone from reporting on major world events to helping shape the national conversation around technology and policy during a time of huge change. It’s incredibly rewarding to share what I’ve learned and to support others—especially women—on their own journeys into this fast-moving and fascinating sector.