Sarah McGovern

“Sustainable transformation depends as much on trust, culture and resilience as it does on technology, governance and budget control”

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

Sarah McGovern - I'm a hands-on Programme, Project and Delivery Leader with 15+ years' experience shaping complex technology transformation across Digital, Data, AI, eCommerce, IT and Business Change. I'm trusted to step into ambiguity, recover challenged programmes and create the clarity, confidence and momentum teams need to deliver lasting change.

Across startups, non-profit, luxury fashion, financial services, retail and technology, I've led global cross-functional teams and managed portfolios exceeding £30M, combining commercial discipline with people-centred leadership. I care deeply about building environments where people feel safe to speak honestly, grow, and do their best work.

For me, technology leadership is not just about delivery; it is about creating sustainable capability, visible role models and inclusive teams that help shape the future of the industry.

Outside work, I'm happiest with my family, hiking with my children and dogs, travelling, sport and theatre.

Tell us about your biggest achievement to date

My biggest achievement to date has been recovering a failing £30M transformation programme and turning it into a successful enterprise-wide delivery across AI, Data and eCommerce.

When I stepped in, the programme lacked clear governance, confidence was low, delivery was fragmented and commercial pressure was increasing. I established a clear operating rhythm, reset priorities, rebuilt stakeholder trust and created transparent governance across executive, supplier and delivery teams.

By bringing structure, pace and psychological safety to the programme, I enabled teams to speak honestly, solve problems earlier and deliver with renewed accountability. The transformation improved digital capability, strengthened data foundations and supported more effective customer and commercial outcomes across the organisation.

What makes this achievement meaningful is not only the scale of the recovery, but the sustainable capability left behind: stronger ways of working, clearer decision-making, improved supplier management and teams with the confidence to keep delivering after handover.

What is the most significant challenge you have overcome?

The most significant challenge I have overcome has been stepping into a high-value transformation programme at a point of real delivery risk, where confidence had been lost, priorities were unclear and teams were under significant pressure.

The challenge was not simply to fix plans or governance; it was to rebuild trust, create psychological safety and restore belief that successful delivery was still possible. I had to quickly understand the commercial, technical and organisational complexity, align senior stakeholders, challenge suppliers constructively and give delivery teams the structure and confidence to move forward.

This required calm leadership, difficult conversations, fast decision-making and a balance of empathy with accountability. Overcoming that challenge reinforced the kind of leader I aim to be: someone who does not step back when delivery becomes difficult, but steps in, brings clarity and helps people succeed. It also showed that sustainable transformation depends as much on trust, culture and resilience as it does on technology, governance and budget control.

Tell us something about you people would find surprising

Despite working in high-pressure transformation environments, the place I feel most grounded is outdoors, often hiking across Dartmoor or the Lake District with my children and dogs. Those long walks have shaped much of how I lead: with patience, resilience, perspective and an appreciation that progress is often made one steady step at a time. I'm also someone who genuinely enjoys stepping into the unknown.

Away from work, family, sport, travel and theatre keep me balanced and connected. They remind me that leadership is ultimately human, It’s about listening well, showing up consistently and helping others believe they can achieve more than they thought possible.