Mivy James

“Mivy brought coherence to a landscape defined by legacy systems, competing priorities and organisational silos”

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

Mivy James is the Chief Technology Officer for the UK Ministry of Defence, leading strategic technology direction, modernisation and architectural coherence across one of the country's most complex and mission‑critical environments.

An IT professional with over 30 years' experience, she has delivered transformation at scale across Defence and the wider public sector, specialising in turning intricate technical strategy into clear, actionable narratives for senior leaders.

A Fellow of BCS, Mivy is recognised for principled, inclusive leadership and for shaping the future of technical professions in Defence. She mentors women across the sector, advocates for structural change in decision‑making forums, and designs high‑impact workshops that align CTOs and lead architects around shared vision and measurable outcomes.

Beyond Defence, she serves as a trustee for Waverley Hoppa Community Transport, strengthening digital governance and operational strategy to support vulnerable residents. Her work blends strategic rigour, clarity and humanity.

Tell us about the nominee's biggest achievement to date

Mivy's most significant achievement as Chief Technology Officer for the Ministry of Defence is leading the creation and adoption of the Defence wide Technical North Star - a unifying strategic architecture vision for one of the UK's most complex and mission critical technology estates.

Drawing on over 30 years as an IT professional, Mivy brought coherence to a landscape defined by legacy systems, competing priorities and organisational silos. Her principled leadership was central to its success. She convened CTOs, lead architects and senior commanders in structured, inclusive workshops that enabled genuine debate and alignment. She translated divergent viewpoints into a single, actionable strategic direction, establishing the principles, capability model and layered architecture now used to guide investment, modernisation and interoperability across Defence.

The Technical North Star has become a touchstone for decision making, strengthening governance and giving leaders a shared language for the future. Alongside this, Mivy's commitment to addressing inequality drives her mentoring, advocacy and insistence on inclusive strategic spaces.

What is the most significant challenge the nominee has overcome?

Mivy's most significant challenge has been driving strategic clarity and inclusion across a vast, fragmented technology estate where legacy constraints and cultural inertia often impede progress.

Delivering the Defence Technical North Star required navigating entrenched viewpoints, programme level defensiveness and the discomfort that arises when long standing assumptions are challenged. Her response was principled leadership. She created structured, psychologically safe environments where senior leaders could interrogate difficult issues, disagree constructively and ultimately converge on a shared strategic future. Her evidence-based facilitation helped shift conversations from individual programme concerns to enterprise-wide outcomes.

A parallel challenge has been confronting sexism - sometimes subtle, sometimes overt - even at the highest levels of technical leadership. Rather than diminishing her, these experiences fuel her determination to reshape Defence's leadership culture. She mentors women, advocates for structural change in decision forums and models inclusive leadership in every engagement.

The result is a Defence technology direction that is clearer, more coherent and more inclusive and which has been achieved through persistence, integrity and a refusal to compromise on what principled leadership requires.

Tell us something about the nominee people would find surprising

What people would find surprising is Mivy’s deep investment in community level impact. As a trustee for Waverley Hoppa Community Transport, she applies national level strategic thinking to a small charity supporting vulnerable residents. She has strengthened digital governance, refreshed the IT risk register, improved operational reporting and supported funding efforts for medical transport and EV fleet planning.

Another unexpected aspect is her ability to make complex Defence technology strategy accessible. Whether speaking at techUK, mentoring emerging leaders or facilitating senior workshops, she brings clarity, empathy and principled leadership to every interaction. Her combination of national scale authority, community commitment and a clear stance on equality is unusual and deeply impactful.