Code First Girls Podcast

Dive into our recent conversation with Katie Gaffney, Vice President, EMEA Tech Regional Leadership at Goldman Sachs, we delve into Katie's fascinating background, from her childhood fascination with technology to her leadership role in finance. Check out the interview to learn:

Welcome our first guest of 2024, Alison Noon-Jones, Vice President and HR Director at Leidos. Alison shares the fantastic work Leidos does, from border control and supporting the frontline to how Leidos supports their employees. We discuss the importance of creativity and soft skills in tech careers, as well as the significance of continuous learning and mentorship.Listen to the full interview to learn more about the world of technology and the multifaceted aspects of career growth.To learn more about Code First Girls, and how we've taught 200,000 women to code visit our website: https://codefirstgirls.com/ Follow our channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@CodeFirstGirls1/ #CodeFirstGirls #REPRESENT #WomenInTech #Technology #DiversityandInclusion

Welcome our new guest Evie Dineva, Group Head of Data Engineering and Data Science at Gymshark. Evie shares her journey to Gymshark and what drew her to the team's culture. Discover how Gymshark's tech and data teams thrive on principles like innovation, collaboration, and a garage mentality.The interview highlights:

#REPRESENT is back with a new guest, Christina Scott, Chief Product and Technology Officer at OVO. Over the next thirty minutes, we talk about sustainable ways to be energy efficient from doing your washing at 4 a.m. to using solar panels to charge your car! But most importantly, we talk about how we as a nation can help to reach our Netzero targets.Christina hails from a mechanical engineering background, so she's not only an expert on what happens inside the drawing room but also on-site - whilst also being a super-mum to her children. We also get an insight into OVO's initiatives and why they have been promoted as the best place to work for all women! If you're interested in sustainable tech and working in the energy sector this is the episode for you!Our interview highlights:

Exciting times ahead in banking! We had the pleasure of sitting down with Usha Newland, CIO of Customer Care at Barclays. We delve into the evolving landscape of technology and finance. Usha shares her insights on transforming the banking experience and the future of AI.  Usha's journey also underlines the tech field's dynamic nature. She's a firm advocate for continual learning, urging you to be bold, question the norms, and ride the waves of innovation. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a newbie, her message resonates: curiosity and innovation are the keys to staying at the forefront of the tech game.If you're interested in working in the banking sector, this is the episode for you!Our interview highlights:

We were lucky enough to sit down with National Grid's Chief Information and Digital Officer Sarah Milton-Hunt. As the UK continues the fight against global warming, National Grid is at the centre of decarbonizing the power system. What is Sarah's perspective on future technology and how it will help us achieve NetZero? We find out.As a seasoned technology leader, we ask Sarah how diversity in tech teams can be a superpower. She discusses transformational leadership and the environment she has found helps her team to feel psychologically safe, unfearful to fail and truly innovative. If you're interested in sustainable tech, working in the energy sector and Sarah's journey to becoming CDIO, this is the episode for you!Our interview highlights:

Lauren Sager Weinstein, Chief Data Officer at Transport For London, shares how she uses data to solve problems with tech. How do we provide better service for customers whilst also building their trust? Simple answer, through data! The world of transport offers so many opportunities to get involved with, from the data management side to the engineering - and we need more women getting involved! We know you can do it. From simply starting with self-learning to joining community groups like Women In Transport, saying yes to new opportunities can surely be the start of an amazing journey.Our interview highlights:

Did you know that the Deputy CTO of Sainsbury's used to fill jam donuts in their stores?  Karen Brown, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, shares her journey from working in Sainsbury's' stores to now leading a technical team of hundreds over the course of the last 31 years.Jumping from organisation to organisation has been a common trend for the younger workforce, but Karen is a prime example of how the sky's the limit when you work for a company that nurtures your talent.Interview highlights:

Ever felt out of your depth as a woman working in tech? Sarah Liddell, Chief Product Officer of femtech leader Elvie, was one of four women in a team of 240 engineers when she started

This episode is a bit different, as we are welcoming not one, but TWO guests on the podcast! We are joined by two brilliant speakers, coaches, and educators; Lily and Alex. Lily is a bonafide West End star, and Alex is the legendary confidence coach that has supported our Nanodegree candidates through their interviews with tech companies. Despite their backgrounds and successes, both still struggle with impostor syndrome from time to time and take a minute to share their techniques and tips for working through those dark moments. This conversation is so fun and so encouraging! Lily has a brilliant tip about a way to focus on the positive moments, so take a big note on that one.Make sure you've joined the Code First Girls community and join us at Code Fest 2021, available fully remote and online!

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Dots Pip Jamieson joins Anna for an in-depth conversation on her journey of starting a successful female-owned and lead tech business. She reveals how and why she chose the name "The Dots" as well as what it's like running a business whilst being "Delightfully Dyslexic".To sign up for a MOOC, free 8-week coding class, or explore the new Nanodegree, go to www.codefirstgirls.org.uk, and once you've signed up please leave us a ***** review with Apple Podcasts! You're brilliant and we hope you're safe and sound!

Suzanne Janse Van Rensburg joins Anna for an in-depth conversation about how she has built a diversity-friendly workplace as COO at Bank of America. 

Orla Dunne was recently called "the most important Goldman Sachs partner you've never heard of". After this conversation, it'll be clear why. Orla is a passionate advocate for technology education, diversity, and inclusivity in all its forms, and her insights on the future of work and new ways to share learnings from lockdown across society are sure to inspire you. To sign up for a MOOC, free 8-week coding class, or explore the new nanodegree, go to www.codefirstgirls.org.uk, and once you've signed up please leave us a ***** review with Apple Podcasts! You're brilliant and we hope you're safe and sound!

Social media is big business. The current value of the top five social media brands is estimated to be over $1 trillion, but lots of questions are being posed about the way that these companies treat user data and privacy. In this episode, Anna sits down with Freddie de Sibert, co-founder and CEO of the new social networking app Revmo to discuss the role of privacy in our social media landscape and what it'll take to make it work for users and companies. As ever, this is a stupendous chat with some fantastic insights. Freddie's book recommendation is Give And Take by Adam Grant, and don't forget to check out Revmo at https://www.revmo.app/ He also recommends you head to Hampton Court and watch a game of real tennis. Get outdoors and enjoy the weather! Produced by: Jonathan HewittEdited by: The MPowered Podcast Network

While we're pretty sure that artificial intelligence isn't going to lead to a Terminator-style apocalypse, a lot of people have a lot of questions. What is AI? What is machine learning? What's the difference between them, and can you use the terms interchangeably? To answer these questions and give some insight on how industry is building and applying these systems we are joined by Manisha Mistry, Portfolio Director Digital Culture and Collaboration at R2 Data Labs, a part of Rolls-Royce. Manisha's book recommendations are:Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-PerezPattern Recognition And Machine Learning by Christopher BishopSpeech And Language Processing by Daniel Jurafsky and James H. Martin (Stanford University has published a free pdf of the latest draft, access it free at the link in the title!)To sign up for the MOOC mentioned in the recording, go to https://www.codefirstgirls.org.uk/cfg-moocs/. They are always free and we have new classes coming up all the time. Register now!Produced by: Jonathan HewittEdited by: The MPowered Podcast Network

With good reason, inclusion and diversity have been on top of mind for many of us through 2020. Anna sits down with Lauren von Stackelberg, Global Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Expedia Group for an incisive conversation on the definition of D&I, ways that companies can be held to account for their public pledges, and how to interrogate hiring managers before deciding to take a job. Lauren's book recommendations are:Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-PerezSo You Want to Talk About Race and Mediocre by Ijeoma OluoYou're Not Listening: What You're Missing & Why it Matters by Kate MurphyWe can confirm that since recording, Lauren has crushed her reading goal for 2020.Produced by: Jonathan HewittEdited by: The MPowered Podcast Network

No matter how many times you hear it, it's still worth hearing: There is no 'one path' to a career in technology. In this episode, Anna is joined by Carol Johnson, IT Director at Telegraph Media Group and founder of Women In Tech Not Just Code. This episode covers Carol's journey from a junior administrative role to leading the IT infrastructure at one of the UK's largest media institutions. The conversation also covers the technical and commercial challenges of running the tech side of a modern media business and the growth of demand for inclusion and diversity in business. Carol's organisation, Women In Tech Not Just Code is a network is for women who work in technology beyond STEM and coding, for those in a technical job or a job in a technology company. To learn more, check out their website and listen to their new podcast! https://womenintechnotjustcode.com/To sign up for our Career Switcher courses go to our website!Produced by: Jonathan HewittEdited by: The MPowered Podcast Network

Open your fave notes app, this episode is packed with brilliant stuff. Rhona Moodly, HR Director for EMEA at Experian sat down with Anna to share her career and life journey. With a career spanning three continents, Rhona shares an insightful blend of stories and learned wisdom that we can all take something away from. To learn more about Experian and careers in data, check out their careers website - https://www.experian.com/careers/indexIG - @codefirstgirlsTW - @codefirstgirlsProduced by: Jonathan HewittEdited by: The MPowered Podcast Network

Almost everyone accepts the importance of mentoring, but so few of us actually have a mentoring relationship. How do you find a mentor? What does that relationship look like? And what does the outcome of mentoring lead to?Selina Pavan, a long-time friend of Code First Girls and senior tech leader at Bank of America joins us to share her own story and her personal passion for mentoring. Produced by: Jonathan HewittEdited by: The MPowered Podcast Network