Interview with EE's Sofy Large, Future CIO of the Year

Sofy Genevieve Large, senior digital delivery manager at EE, speaks to Computing after winning the Future CIO award at the Women in IT Excellence Awards

The Women in IT Excellence Awards 2018 was a huge success, attended by more than 600 of the UK foremost technology leaders, gathered together to celebrate the many female success stories the UK has to offer.

Computing has previously published a full rundown of all the winners on the night, and a gallery of all the best photographs from the evening.

Sofy Genevieve Large, senior digital delivery manager at EE, won the Future CIO award.

Computing caught up with her to find out what the win means for her, and what opportunities she sees to encourage more women into the industry.

Computing: What did you think of the awards?

Sofy Genevieve Large: The awards are a great opportunity to showcase some of the fantastic women working in technology and their achievements. Recognition is important and it's a great place to meet inspiring women working in tech.

CTG: How did you feel when you heard you'd won an award?

SGL: I ran through a gamut of emotions; shock, elation, pride. I was left uncharacteristically speechless and felt it was a huge honour to be short-listed, let-alone win.

CTG: What's the next step for you in your career, and how might this award help?

SGL: I've just started a new role as Business Manager for Consumer Digital (BT & EE). Effectively, I'm a problem solver. I work for the Managing Director of Digital and with his Digital Enablement Team to help juggle all the plates, remove impediments, and ensure we continue to focus on the most strategic tasks with the biggest impact.

That's my immediate focus, but after that, the next step for me would be a role that gave me the opportunity to lead an organisational unit and implement transformational change.

I'm also doing some mentoring for a variety of people ranging from someone who recently finished our Graduate programme to peer mentoring for someone new in to the organisation and trying to understand the culture and how to get things done.

CTG: What do we need to do to encourage more women into IT?

SGL: Twenty students at the school I went to took A-Level Computing in my year. Only three women were on the course and I'm the only one who's gone on to have a career in IT.

Engaging more women at a younger age would help funnel talent into the sector.

To be honest it was a combination of factors that inspired me personally to go into Tech; my parents were always very supportive and I was given my first computer to play with at 11, and when I picked ICT as a GCSE (followed by Computing A-level), I had some great teachers and I really enjoyed the variety of skills required and the problem solving element.

Whilst I ended up doing a degree in Philosophy, I always knew I'd go back into IT and I had some amazing role models and mentors early on in my career who really reinforced that Technology was where I belonged.

There's a huge breadth and variety of roles available in IT and I don't think that's really shouted about. How you do something and the values that you/the business have are as important as technical skills.

CTG: What are your priorities for 2019?

SGL: My priorities for 2019 are to really make the most of the opportunities to learn and stretch myself in my new role, enjoy my wedding and honeymoon (Japan and French Polynesia), and make sure I give myself time to unwind with my friends and family.