Barclays are excited to host Overcoming Obstacles, in partnership with We are Tech Women, featuring a fireside chat on Women’s Stories with some fantastic leaders and pioneers across the industry…
This will be a great opportunity to hear from a panel of inspiring women with diverse experiences who have successfully navigated their careers in technology through obstacles and overcome challenges. Our exciting panel will tell you about their journeys in technology, opening opportunities for the next generation of women, and how the intersection of passions outside of technology have enhanced their careers.
Our first panellist is Vivienne MacLaren. Vivienne is passionate about sport, in particular women’s and girls’ football and has a keen focus on expanding the opportunities available to women and girls to take part in or return to sport. She is an award-winning marketing and digital specialist with 28 years’ experience spent in Scotland and London both client and agency side. She is also former MD and founder of an award-winning digital marketing agency, ad tech advisory board member and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. In 2016, Vivienne was appointed Chairperson of Scottish Women’s Football, the independent body that manages the domestic game in Scotland, after joining the main Board in 2014 as media and communications director. Vivienne led the transformation of the domestic game as a brand, a commercial entity and as an environment in which girls and women can thrive in Scotland. She is a strategy-driven professional who is regarded as one of the leading marketers in the UK. She regularly speaks at events including MarTech, Women in Business, University of Strathclyde MBA programme, IoD Scotland as well as media interviews on behalf of Scottish Women’s Football (SKY, BBC News, STV and various podcasts and radio). Vivienne was most recently VP of Global Marketing at high growth, global technology SaaS company, Ideagen for over 6 years. In September she joined marketing strategy agency Flourish Marketing in Glasgow as Managing Consultant, jointly running the business with founder, Ellie Murphy. She was also President of Giffnock Tennis, Squash and Hockey Club, 2020 and 2021 (LTA and Tennis Scotland Club of the Year 2021) and in June 2024 was appointed Chairperson for mental health and wellbeing charity, YAMS. Vivienne has represented Scottish Women’s Football on Scottish FA Congress since 2017. In 2021 Vivienne was the recipient of the Chair’s Award at the Institute of Directors Scotland (IoD) Awards.
Our second panellist is Bryony Stewart. Bryony started her career as an apprentice accountant in Manufacturing before moving into the Technology industry in 2002. She has been in Financial Services since 2008, starting with Barclays in the Wealth Technology team. She is always curious about the latest developments in Technology and the challenges and benefits those can bring to us at work and at home. Over the past 16 years Bryony has progressed from an Analyst grade to a Director always with a passion for making things better by simplifying processes and automating to free up time for her and her teams to feel like they are adding value. She is also co-chair of the Gender Network (Win Scotland) which has been a key part of her career journey as she has built up a fantastic network over the years through her work with the group. In her day job she is responsible for Technology Third Party Supplier Management for the bank.
Our third panellist is Catriona McPheat. Whilst studying for a degree in Mathematics and Sports Science at Loughborough University, Catriona completed a year-long industry placement with the Sports Science and Medicine Department at Exeter City Football Club, where she discovered a passion for using data to drive decision-making. After graduating in 2023, she pursued a graduate apprenticeship in Data Science, which led her to her current role at the BBC. In Catriona’s work, she focuses on integrating machine learning tools into journalistic workflows, helping to streamline processes and enhance the ways we tell stories. She is excited by the potential of data and technology to transform industries, and enjoys translating complex data into actionable insights that drive real-world impact. As she develops in her career, she is continually inspired by the women around her, both within her field and across the wider tech industry. Being part of a growing community of women in technology motivates Catriona to push boundaries and advocate for greater diversity and inclusion in tech.
Agenda:
5:30 – 6:00pm – Drinks and arrivals
6:00 – 6:10pm – Introduction from Hannah Fennah, Co-Chair of Barclays Women in Technology Scotland
6:10 – 7:15 pm – Panel session hosted by Nina Sosna, Deputy Co-Chair of Barclays Women in Technology Scotland
7:15 – 8:00pm – Pizza and networking
This event is open to all, so feel free to bring a friend or a colleague. We are excited to connect with our fantastic community of women in technology here in Glasgow at our networking after the panel event!