Dr Catriona Campbell, MBE

‘This unconventional path shaped her lifelong focus on putting people at the heart of technology’

Part of the Tech Women Celebration 50 – a curated list of some of the most inspirational women working at all levels of tech

Dr Catriona Campbell, MBE is EY UK&I's Client AI Strategy Leader. A renowned expert in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Artificial Intelligence design, Catriona founded London-based experience design firm Seren in 2001. Now called EY-Seren, after being acquired by EY in 2015, the company has offices in several countries, assisting clients to create well-designed tech experiences. Since then, she has guided some of the world's best-known brands towards digital success, as the EY's CTIO She had a dual role, helping clients with tech strategy, as well as running our client technology and innovation across our 20,000 people UK&I business.

She now leads our AI Client Strategy. She has a well-deserved place in the Digital Hall of Fame & and the King awarded her an MBE for two decades of outstanding contributions to tech. In 2020 she authored a best-selling book on AI (AI by Design), and is the Chair of the Scottish AI Alliance, and Member of The Tech Council for Scotland, both Ministerial appointments. She has worked extensively with government and clients to deploy successful complex AI programs.

What do you consider to be the nominee's biggest achievement to date?

Catriona is a pioneering leader in responsible artificial intelligence (AI), driving systemic change across public and private sectors in the UK and beyond. As EY UK&I’s AI Client Strategy Leader, she has embedded AI at the core of the firm’s services, influencing over 21,000 professionals and hundreds of clients. Her initiatives, including the EY.ai Confidence Index, Maturity Model, and Value Accelerator, now guide major organisations in responsible AI transformation.

Beyond consultancy, Catriona shapes national AI policy as Chair of the Scottish AI Alliance and member of the Scottish Technology Council, advising government on ethical innovation and inclusion. She is also the best-selling author of ‘AI by Design,’ a reference for policymakers, academics, and technologists on integrating AI responsibly.

Her career is defined by innovation and leadership: she was the first Head of Digital at Barclays and founder of Seren, a leading design agency acquired by EY in 2015.

Recognised for her outstanding contribution to technology, she received an MBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours, was inducted into the UK Digital Hall of Fame, and named among the Top 100 most influential figures on the internet.

What is the most significant challenge the nominee has overcome?

Catriona has navigated a remarkable journey from tech entrepreneur to senior leader at EY, one of the UK’s largest professional services firms. At 26, she founded Seren, a digital experience agency launched in the uncertain post-dotcom era. While others left tech, she bootstrapped Seren into an international business across London, Paris, Dubai, and Riyadh, delivering human-centred design for clients like Barclays, Microsoft, Dell, and Vodafone.

Leading through economic volatility, she secured funding, built cross-cultural teams, and scaled global service design. When EY acquired Seren in 2015, she transitioned seamlessly from founder to corporate executive, an evolution few entrepreneurs achieve.

As EY’s first Client Technology & Innovation Officer and now AI Strategy Leader, she has driven responsible AI adoption and guided hundreds of clients in automation, machine learning, and generative AI. In a field still lacking women leaders, she reshaped EY’s approach to emerging technology and ethics.

Bridging visionary thinking with enterprise execution, she advises FTSE 100 boards and the Scottish Government on AI policy. Her journey from young founder to C-suite leader embodies resilience, ethical innovation, and transformative leadership.

Tell us something about the nominee people would find surprising

What surprises many about Catriona is that she studied psychology and taught herself coding while at university in Scotland and France. This unconventional path shaped her lifelong focus on putting people at the heart of technology and her willingness to cross boundaries.

From founding a global UX agency at 26 to authoring AI by Design and leading AI strategy at EY, she blends behavioural science, technology, and business insight in distinctive ways. Early in her career, she helped create the UK Government’s first digital accessibility standards with the RNIB and RNID, long before inclusive design became mainstream.

Beyond her professional roles, she’s a fluent French speaker, avid traveller, and mother of three who also advises governments on AI ethics and governance. Balancing these worlds with clarity and humour may be her most surprising achievement.