Roxane Heaton

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK in 2023.

Roxane leads Macmillan's Technology directorate, which is currently undertaking a large digital transformation programme. The work includes integrating online and offline services to improve and transform the experiences people have with Macmillan.

Before joining the charity, Roxane gained public and private sector experience in a range of roles including as an officer in the Royal Navy, a director in the Civil Service, and leading IT at Morrisons.

How did you get into IT?

A jigsaw of experiences that led to an opportunity to create betterment for users, and an organisation's efficiencies by using serous games for more productivity based outcomes. Through learning and trialling front and back end enablers, from visual effects to level of detail through to interoperability standards and security controls I learnt how to make technology enable users better. This led to more roles, learning and networks.

How do you ensure diversity is taken into account in your IT recruitment?

Diversity is the bedrock to our recruitment. We recruit in more places, reach out and are visible to more schools, and other spaces where life choices are being made. We enable internships from charity networks, enabling our roles to be open to those who we may not have reached previously.

We use different agencies and have positive gender and top social mobility statistics; we use anonymous recruitment, diverse panels and open questions before interviews. Whilst we are proud to have 42% females in our technology team and 20% ethnic minorities, there is more to do.

Which technology are you currently most excited by?

Working in a healthcare charity, I'm excited by the opportunity to improve enabling technology. All new shiny technologies are on our radar, and we are setting ourselves up to be able to work with them whilst also innovating at the top of the technology stack to showcase, trial, fail and learn.

However, what really excites me is improving user experience even when they don't know technology has done that. The technologies which excite me are those that enable seamless interoperability, security, resilience and enable ever more personalisation.

When we see progress in more diversity and equity of service uptake it is enabled through the technology, which allows this greater reach, great accessibility and motivation for users to engage.

What would an outsider find the most surprising part of your job?

The opportunity to innovate with shy partners, and freedom to explore. Technology at Macmillan has been building a trust journey with our users: we need to show progress and bring new ideas and opportunities, and we have many networks we can work with. The role of partnership, be it our charity peers, corporate partners, innovative start-ups or the healthcare system enable us to work with many talented diverse leaders and it all helps us to deliver more, better, together.

What's your secret talent?

No secret talent! I love to make people happy, to see them be their best and have equal opportunities. As a recently diagnosed neurodivergent, who has had a lifelong disabling stammer, I know what it is like to be different. Be it my doctorate in digital inclusion or my passion to better lead and enable my team, or deliver ever improving services, nothing makes me happier than seeing others be their best.

What makes you laugh?

People! Including myself! People, their stories, their journeys are wonderful to hear and explore. Wherever it has taken them there will always be areas to laugh. I also laugh at myself, whilst I seek high standards as our users would expect and need that of us, there is always time for joy and I definitely don't take myself too seriously!