Rachel Bence

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK in 2026.

As Chief Information Officer at Queen Mary University of London, Rachel leads IT services and oversees the university’s digital strategy and infrastructure.

She joined Queen Mary in 2019, bringing experience from engineering and IT leadership roles across aerospace and higher education.

Rachel unusually began her career in high‑energy particle physics, working on computational analysis and research projects, before moving into IT roles that combined technical expertise with programme delivery.

She later held senior IT leadership positions at organisations including Airbus and the University of Bristol, where she became IT Director.

At Queen Mary, she has overseen major investment in digital capability, including cloud migration, improved research infrastructure and transformation of the student learning experience, with a focus on AI, data strategy and governance.