With the importance of diversity when it comes technology leadership teams becoming widely accepted, here are 10 of Britain’s top diverse leaders in UK tech

To be truly innovative in the face of evolving customer and employee needs, a diverse and inclusive leadership team bringing together a variety of perspectives is vital. While much progress has been made over the past few years, there is still work to be done.

The tech industry in the UK remains male-dominated, with talent from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups proving particularly underrepresented not only in leadership roles, but across organisations generally.

TechNation estimates women account for just 26 per cent of the tech labour market, compared to 50 per cent of the overall workforce. People from ethnic minorities fare slightly better, accounting for 15.2 per cent against a UK average of 11.8 per cent, but the BCS Insights 2021 Report suggests 10 per cent of IT professionals have a disability, compared to 20 per cent of the working age population and 14 per cent of the UK workforce as a whole.

Boosting BAME representation across tech leadership teams calls for a rethink in talent pipeline operations, to consider how better to encourage young people from a variety of backgrounds to explore the increasing entry options there are in the tech industry. Those responsible for hiring need to look beyond their networks to ensure that new perspectives can be shared. Another key factor in future success in this area is the presence and advocation of role models already at the organisation, who can provide guidance on career progression.

And encouraging diversity in your tech leadership also plays well with your staff: ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View found 68 per cent of UK workers would consider finding new jobs if they discovered that their company had no diversity and inclusion policy.

Here are 10 top diverse leaders in UK tech who are breaking barriers to advocate for better representation of BAME people in leadership roles across the industry.