Women in IT

19 DAME STEPHANIE SHIRLEY

Philanthropist, formerly first woman President of BCS and Past Master of WCIT

In 2004, BCS honoured me with its Lifetime Achievement Award. I’d joined as a student member, upgrading to full member, then Fellow – and later served four years as Vice-President (Professional) helping to get it to chartered status. Then, in 1989, I was elected the first ever woman president. It was a matter of enormous pride for me to head my professional body.

There’s now a revival of computing in schools and girls are getting the best marks and dominate most universities. Britain’s economy demands that all of us are not just consumers, ...