The UK’s largest female business community, everywoman, has announced the 2012 finalists in the everywoman in Technology Awards, once again uncovering the UK’s most successful and talented women working within the technology sector. And our own founder Simone Brummelhuis of The NextWomen is again part of the jury.

These awards, now in their second year, highlight the achievements of women excelling in this industry, in order to encourage more to see it as a rewarding career choice.

Despite increases in the number of women entering the workforce over the past few decades, recent figures show that the number employed within the IT and telecoms sector has decreased. Although 47% of the UK workforce is female, only 18% of IT & Telecoms professionals are female, down from 22% in 2001*.

As the government calls for an overhaul in the education of information and communications technology within schools in order to ensure that the UK’s economic prospects are not damaged in the future, it is essential that the industry itself celebrates its success stories.

The everywoman in Technology Awards, in association with womenintechnology.co.uk, were created in 2011 to showcase the diverse range of careers offered by the sector and profile the women who are leading the way. They also celebrate the businesses that are investing in their female talent pool.

* e-skills UK, Technology Insights 2011

The finalists in the 2012 everywoman in Technology Awards are:

Rising Star of the Year – Sponsored by BP

• Orla Baker, NTP Head Office Data Programme Manager, Accenture from London
• Kim Cooper, Senior IT Consultant – Business Analyst, IBM from London
• Laura Earle, Executive Communications Manager, Services, EMEAR, Cisco from London
• Maria Navrotskaya, Information & Decision Solutions Manager, EMEA Financial Projects, Procter & Gamble UK from Newcastle Upon Tyne

 Team Leader of theYear in an SME (with under 500 employees)

• Kirstin Duffield, CEO, Morning Data Limited from Dorchester
• Jules Howard-Wright, BroadcastProject Director, Digital UK from London
• Poonam Joshi, Head ofAdvertising Operations, Gumtree.com from London
• Pam Maynard, General Manager, UK & Ireland, Avanade from London

Leader of theYear in a corporate organisation (with over 500 employees)

• Sheila Flavell, Chief Operating Officer, FDM Group from Brighton
• Tracey Foster, Manufacturing Director - Peterlee, PepsiCo UK & Ireland from Peterlee
• Alix Pryde, Director of Distribution, BBC from London
• Emer Timmons, President, BT Global Services, UK , BT from London

Innovator of the Year – Sponsored by Cisco

• Mandy Chessell, IBM Distinguished Engineer, Master Inventor, Chief Architect for InfoSphere Solutions, IBM from Hampshire
• Polly Gowers, Founder and CEO, Everyclick Ltd, Worcestershire
• Cyndi Mitchell, Managing Director, ThoughtWorksfrom London
• Jo Reid, Creative Director, Calvium Ltd from Bristol

Entrepreneur of the Year

• Nathalie Gaveau, CEO, Shopcade from London
• Olga Kubassova, Founder and CEO, Image Analysis Ltd from Leeds
• Vin Murria, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced ComputerSoftware Group plc from London

Inspiration of the Year

• Gillian Arnold, Director, Tectre from Huddersfield
• Hazel Moore, Chairman and Co-founder, FirstCapital Corporation Ltd from London
• Sheryl Newman, Operations Director, Appetite forLearning from Aberdeen
• Pat Ryan, CEO, InformationTechnology for Children in Hospital from Bletchley 

Commenting on the everywoman in Technology Awards, Maxine Benson MBE, Co-founder of everywoman says: “These women are shining examples of the diverse and rewarding opportunities that are available within the information technology sector. It is a common misconception that senior roles within technology are an exclusively male domain, but these hugely enthusiastic and energetic women dispel this myth, showing how talent can take you to the top.

Despite the current challenges facing the UK economy, technology is a growth area, and encouraging more inspirational women like these to pursue a career within the industry can only aid this positive growth potential.”

Maggie Berry, Managing Director of Women in Technology added: “Women currently only make up less than 20% of the UK's IT workforce so we are delighted to be working with everywoman again to uncover some of the hidden female talent in the UK's technology profession through the 2012 awards programme. We want to actively champion the women who are already doing great work in this sector and who, through these awards, will become inspirational role models for a future generation of female technologists.”

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 29 March 2012 at The Savoy in London.