Priya Rajendran | Managing Director - Sub cluster Operations head | Citigroup
I started my career in the hotel industry in India and moved onto the Banking Industry.
Leading Service and Operations & Technology teams is my passion. I joined a call centre in the UK for Citigroup in 1999. I later gained experience as a subject matter expert when the call centre was migrated to Barcelona which resulted in me leading the next big migration from Barcelona to Chennai a few years later. My first role as Country Operations and Technology (O&T) head was in 2008 when I realised my passion for people management and leading O&T teams. In 2014 I wanted to expand my experience and moved into a regional role in Anti Money Laundering. In 2016, I joined Standard Chartered Bank as the Regional Head for Private & Banking Operations. In 2020 I rejoined Citi as the Cluster Operations & Technology head for Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. This role brought me experience in managing countries in a war related crisis. This led me to my current role of managing Operations & Technology across 9 countries in North Africa, Levant & Central Asia consisting of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Kazakhstan. Managing a crisis and Operational Resilience has become a big part of the roles I have carried out in the last few years.
Laura-Jane Piercy | Defence Lead | Defence and Security Accelerator
Laura-Jane Piercy joined the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) in October 2022 as the Defence Lead within the Partnerships and Impact Team.
This role sees her lead a team of seven embedded Defence Partners and three Exploitation Managers, ensuring the organisation has an understanding of defence challenges and the ability to showcase the impact of our work.
Prior to DASA she enjoyed a 20 year career within the Royal Air Force, joining in 2002 from college and into the Personnel Support Trade. A varied career path with 5 years experience in MOD Main Building and tours of Afghanistan and Al Udeid, she then decided to commission into the Personnel Branch. 10 years within the Officer cadre has given her a wealth of experience of employee wellbeing, discipline and staff work. Her final tour within the Royal Air Force saw her heading up the HR function at HQ Air Command – a privilege to command and look after a substantial workforce of over 2,400 employees.
Laura-Jane is married to Tim, a scientist within DSTL and has 2 young children; Isla and Jacob. They live in Winchester, having settled their over 10 years ago. Her family being the main driver for craving stability and leaving the RAF, she is grateful for the flexibility DASA brings to the work/life balancing act!
Lorna Nunn | Station Environmental Protection Officer | Royal Air Force
I have had a varied career, mainly due to being a Mum and a military wife. I have chosen jobs that fit in with the family and their needs.
Once my children were older, I decided it was time to commit to a job that I enjoy and can learn from.
Having started work on an RAF base within the infrastructure team I gained a vast knowledge of the Station, how the funding works and the impacts of poor infrastructure. I was asked to step up and look after the role of Environmental Protection Officer when the previous job holder left. This was due to my work ethic and my knowledge of Station and its processes. For six month I covered the role while still carrying out my current full-time job. I managed to carry out training and continually increase my knowledge enabling me to deal with issues arising. I applied for the Environmental Protection Officer and, having been successful, officially started in May 2023. It is the most fulfilling, interesting and exciting job I have ever had and I know this is where I want to stay.
Anna Rawcliffe | Head of Content Marketing and Innovation | National Trust
I am a marketing professional with 12 years’ experience in the charity sector, leading for creativity, innovation, and integrated digital communications.
I started my career as a digital marketing officer for a small charity in Stratford, before joining the National Trust’s Social Media team.
I learnt a huge amount as part of and leading the National Trust’s Social Media team. Together we grew a culture of innovation, bravery, and creativity. I am proud of the resilient and supportive team I built in face of an often-challenging climate on social media.
In recent years I took on a short secondment within the National Trust to lead for organisations’ digital investment plan, shaping future digital focus for enhancements and innovations. During the secondment I also worked with the Trust’s Customer Journeys team to understand and map our members’ year-one experience with the Trust.
In 2022 I took on a new role as Senior Innovation Manager and set up the National Trust’s first Innovation Hub. I lead a team responsible for testing digital technologies new the organisation. Since the hub’s creation, we have delivered over 12 pilots to inform the organisation’s long-term digital investment and approach.
I am excited to have started a new interim role in March 2024 as Head of Content Marketing and Innovation at the National Trust. Alongside leading the Trust’s Innovation Hub, I will be leading the organisations Content Marketing team through a period of growth and change.
Caroline Rees Williams | Trustee | The Valesco Foundation
Caroline is Operations Manager and EA to the CEO at The Valesco Group, responsible for operations and infrastructure.
She also sits on the Board of Trustees of The Valesco Foundation, responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity. Prior to joining Valesco, she worked at an award-winning international hospitality company within the Executive Team, where she managed the global headquarters across operations, finance and HR. Prior to this, she worked for a boutique executive search company, where she project-managed senior searches within the private equity and venture capital industries. Caroline holds a BSc. (Hons) Economics from the University of Birmingham.
Georgie Packer | Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager | Apps for Good
I currently work for educational technology charity Apps for Good as Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager, working with partners to achieve the best outcomes for young people from ALL backgrounds, a mission I am very passionate about.
After leaving school in year 8 due to personal family trauma, I was home-educated studying for the few GCSEs I managed to complete. My education and career journey hasn’t always been straightforward, but it has been amazing and diverse.
From my first job at 14 years old, working in ‘Tasty Baps’ burger wagon. A fast food truck owned by my aunt that was stationed at a local industrial builders yard. Whilst not the most likely of starts, taught me a great deal.
I started working in a primary school 18 years old, working with students who struggled to access education in a mainstream environment. It was an incredible role, and a cathartic one for me. Eventually I was approached to become an adult-trainer for the Thrive Approach teaching senior leaders in school to understand trauma informed approaches.
I transitioned to work in the charity sector in 2019 and spent 3 great years at Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice managing events for over 500 people, and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for Children and young people with life-limiting conditions .
Working with young people in need has always been the driving force behind what I do and I feel entirely committed to taking this forward in my current role and at all future opportunities.
Cara Swain | Medical Officer | Royal Navy
I studied medicine at the University of Bristol, joining the Royal Navy as a medical officer cadet in 2009.
After graduating in 2012, I worked as a Foundation Doctor for two years at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, before deploying as a ship’s doctor (General Duties Medical Officer) on four different ships to locations including the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the South Atlantic from 2014-2017. During this time, I used my experiences to complete a postgraduate diploma in Global & Remote Healthcare, and discovered my passion for education and training through the provision of medical training to military personnel.
In 2017, I commenced surgical training in Southwest England, with the aim to qualify as a Trauma & Emergency general surgeon. During the last three years, I have been undertaking a PhD in the field of medical education at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. My research explores the use of live animal simulation in relation to learning to manage complex surgical trauma, and has involved a novel international multi-sited study of surgical simulation training with military and civilian medical professionals.
I established the Royaumont Forum in 2022, an organisation designed to foster collegiality and provide networking and informal mentoring opportunities to Royal Navy Medical Officers, particularly those who are in training.
I advocate for using education as a catalyst for change in areas including harm reduction in trauma medicine, professional sociocultural improvement and gender equality.
Daisy Robinson | Graduate Security Consultant | BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
I joined BAE Systems Digital Intelligence in January 2023, immediately following my graduation from the University of Buckingham the previous December, with a first class BA in Security, Intelligence and Cyber.
I am currently working as a Graduate Security Consultant in the Central Government business unit.
I have always been fascinated by security studies, with a specific interest in cyber-security and I am incredibly lucky to be working for an organisation that specialises in that area.
My role at BAE Systems has allowed me to work with government clients to facilitate their growth in the cyber-security environment whilst keeping a holistic view on the essential operational capabilities of the organisation.
Grace Beckham | Business Consultant | BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
Whether bundling up last-minute bouquets for an online florist start-up in Singapore, designing steel superstructure for Grade II* listed London prime real estate, or providing IT consulting for UK central government clients, I have enjoyed the consistent thread of tackling problems through creative teamwork in my career so far.
My background in Structural Engineering gave me a solid foundation (pun intended) to grow analytical skills and embed the importance of best practice and industry standards, as well as the dual need for `doing maths` and the ability to communicate and coordinate across a myriad of teams.
I joined BAE Systems Digital Intelligence as a Business Consultant in 2019 and have since enjoyed unpicking processes and identifying problems, learning to ask better questions to determine needs and propose solution options. I have been grateful for opportunities to progress my personal development through achieving the BCS Business Analysis Diploma, obtaining TOGAF Certified and building product experience through the Prod MBA bootcamp.
Appreciative of those who have supported me thus far, I am inspired to support colleagues in my role as a Career Manager as well as previously running our Management Consulting Buddy Scheme, to help new joiners find their feet.
Looking to the future, I am excited to continue as a `woman in technology` and see where it takes me. If it doesn`t involve more flowers... perhaps it can involve chocolate!
Lilymae Prescott | UX Designer | Sky
Lilymae’s journey as a UX designer started at Loughborough University, where she obtained a Master’s in User Experience Design in 2021.
After graduating, she joined Publicis Sapient as a UX Designer on their graduate programme, working with clients across different industries to deliver innovative and accessible digital solutions. She is now working at Sky Sports where she is accelerating her impact through creating memorable experiences for millions of sports fans across the country.
Beyond her full time role, she has dedicated her time and skills towards a number of side projects and initiatives to drive positive impact. Her digital design work for Hazaar has helped facilitating a circular economy on university campuses through the UK’s first zero-waste student marketplace. She has also worked with the charity The Survivor Project to evolve their digital strategy to raise awareness of domestic abuse and provide meaningful and actionable support for survivors.
She also mentors young people who are at risk of becoming NEET, and actively engages in events and initiatives that aim to empower young people and women who want to pursue a role in tech. She is also a comms associate in the multi-culture network at her organisation.