Natasha Sayce-Zelem

‘A poster kid for the squiggly career path’

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

Natasha Sayce-Zelem is one of the most influential figures in the Northern tech scene, known for leading major digital transformations across some of the UK's most recognisable brands. She is currently Director of Digital and Business Platforms at Lloyds Banking Group, where she is driving an ambitious, AI-powered transformation of the Homes platform, the engine behind the UK's largest mortgage lender.

Natasha joined Lloyds from Amazon, where she was their Global Head of Partner Engineering at Prime Video. There, she led worldwide ecosystem product and engineering teams and founded 'Women in Prime Video', championing the advancement and career development of female technologists.

With over 18 years in tech, her leadership is defined by scale, speed and impact. At Sky, she was part of the leadership team that launched the Leeds digital campus, building a 650-strong team in just 18 months and transforming customer service across EMEA through digital self-serve platforms.

Before that, she led the digital transformation of BBC Sport' online. Rooted in Leeds throughout her career, Natasha has consistently combined regional commitment with global influence. She is also the founder of 'Empowering Women with Tech', an award-winning initiative that supports women and underrepresented groups into STEM through mentorship and high-profile events.

What do you consider to be the nominees biggest achievement to date?

One of Natasha’s greatest achievements is the global scale of her leadership in technology, recognised with a dedicated Wikipedia page. As Global Head of Partner Engineering at Amazon Prime Video, she led worldwide distribution, managing product and engineering teams across six regions and pioneering AI-driven innovation in anomaly detection and personalisation. She also founded Women in Prime Video, advancing inclusion and supporting female technologists.

At Sky, Natasha helped launch the Leeds digital hub, growing it to 650 staff in 18 months, and co-created Get into Tech, a free coding course that enabled hundreds of women to move into technology roles. Earlier, she led BBC Sport’s digital team through its award-winning Olympics coverage, earning four Webby Awards.

As founder of Empowering Women with Tech, she has supported over 10,000 women and underrepresented people into tech careers. In 2023, she was honoured on Ribbons, a public sculpture in Leeds celebrating influential women. Natasha’s career embodies innovation, inclusion, and impact.

What is the most significant challenge the nominee has overcome?

Natasha has overcome significant challenges in a male-dominated tech industry that once made her feel she didn’t belong. Facing toxic cultures and unsupportive leadership, she chose not to leave but to change the system by building the inclusive environments she once needed.

Frustrated by London’s dominance in tech, she founded Empowering Women with Tech in Leeds to support women and underrepresented groups in the North. The initiative has since helped over 10,000 people access digital and STEM careers and transformed the regional tech landscape.

Within major organisations, Natasha launched Women in Tech at Sky and Women in Prime Video at Amazon, creating visibility, mentorship and belonging for female technologists. Despite long commutes and travel challenges from her Yorkshire base, she continued to represent Northern talent globally.

Through resilience and purpose, Natasha has tackled exclusion, bias and geography to build lasting pathways for others and drive meaningful, inclusive change.

Tell us something about the nominee people would find surprising

Natasha didn’t start in tech. She began in film and television, working on Last of the Summer Wine and Emmerdale, before becoming a music photographer capturing stars like David Bowie, Coldplay and Oasis. She also has an uncanny knack for winning competitons, winning nine holidays, including a £20,000 trip to Australia.

Natasha calls herself the “poster kid” for a squiggly career path, crediting her creative background for her adaptability, communication skills and stakeholder management. Her story proves there’s no single route into tech—and inspires those from non-STEM backgrounds to see a place for themselves in the industry.