Kellie Kwarteng

“Coaching is mentorship in its purest form: building confidence, teaching resilience, and helping young people believe they belong on the pitch”

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

Kellie Kwarteng is a Director at HW Group, leading the technology practice for digital transformation, data, cyber and AI.

She founded Elevate Women in Tech, a community of around 5,000 members, and the ElevateHER Leadership Mentorship Programme, which has supported over 255 women across six cohorts and won a Best Mentorship Programme award.

With 21 years in tech recruitment, including 15 years at SThree, where she progressed to UK Partner and built the Public Sector Contract Division to £105M NFI, and a role as Global Group President at HireWithJarvis, Kellie has dedicated her career to championing women in technology, from classroom to boardroom. She is a regular keynote speaker, including her talk "Fix the System, Not the Women," and has been recognised as TechWM Diversity Champion 2025.

Tell us about your biggest achievement to date

My biggest achievement is founding and building Elevate Women in Tech and the ElevateHER Leadership Mentorship Programme.

What began as a self-funded initiative to support women in tech from classroom to boardroom has grown into a community of around 5,000 members, with ElevateHER directly supporting over 255 women across six cohorts. The programme has been recognised with a Best Mentorship Programme award, and I was named TechWM Diversity Champion 2025 for this work.

Beyond the numbers, what I'm proudest of is the tangible career impact: mentees have gone on to secure promotions, change career direction, and build the confidence to lead. Cohort 5 closed with a celebration event showcasing these outcomes, and Cohort 6 launched in 2026 with over 50 mentors and mentees across industry.

Built alongside a full-time career in tech recruitment, this programme reflects my belief that fixing the system, not the women, is what creates lasting change in the industry.

What is the most significant challenge you have overcome?

The most significant challenge has been building Elevate, alongside a demanding day job and a profound personal challenge: in November 2025, my husband's cancer diagnosis recurred.

It would have been the easiest thing in the world to step back from Elevate and focus solely on family and a new role. But I kept going, because representation in leadership is how we move the dial for women in tech. If women don't see other women succeeding at senior levels, the system never changes; it just keeps producing the same outcomes.

That belief is what got me through starting a new position as Director at HW Group while continuing to deliver ElevateHER without compromise; Cohort 6 launched in 2026 with over 50 mentors and mentees, building on Cohort 5's celebrated outcomes.

Running a self-funded community alongside a career has always meant proving its value with no safety net. Doing so while supporting my family through a health crisis tested every part of my resilience. I'm proud that Elevate's members never felt the strain.

Tell us something about yourself that people would find surprising

Outside of tech, I'm a Level 2 qualified netball coach and help organise netball at club level, alongside being Club Secretary at grassroots football at Solihull FC.

People are often surprised that someone building a tech recruitment career and a 5,000-strong professional community spends weekends on a sports pitch coaching the next generation, not networking. For me, the two worlds aren't as different as they seem. Coaching is mentorship in its purest form: building confidence, teaching resilience, and helping young people believe they belong on the pitch, the same principles I apply every day through ElevateHER.

Whether it's a 14-year-old missing a shot or a mentee facing a leadership stretch, the job is the same: show up, encourage, and help them try again.