Interview: Alice Breen, Canopius, Women in Tech Excellence Awards finalist

‘An apprenticeship can be just as strong a starting point to a successful career as university'

The Women in Tech Excellence Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions of women in all areas of technology, from software development and engineering to AI, cybersecurity, and beyond.

Alice Breen is a finalist in the Apprentice/Graduate of the Year category.

What would winning this award mean to you?

Winning this award would show that university isn’t the only route to a successful career, and that an apprenticeship can be just as strong a starting point. Two years ago, I joined with no prior knowledge or experience of the industry. Winning would recognise how far I’ve come since then and the hard work I’ve put into building my knowledge and skills along the way.

It would also reflect the support my team and my company, Canopius, have given me from day one. They have helped me learn, grow and succeed, and I’m grateful for the part they’ve played in getting me to where I am today.

I hope it would also encourage other young women and girls to back themselves, take a different path and pursue opportunities in technology. It would give me even more confidence to keep challenging myself and developing my career, and I’m excited to see how far I can take it.

What would you say was your company's proudest achievement of the last year?

I’d say one of our team’s proudest achievements has been decommissioning MIDAS, our old reporting platform, and moving to a more modern platform.

This has been about more than getting rid of an old system. It has involved looking at the reports we already had, understanding what people actually use and need, and then thinking about how we could make them better. By bringing reporting together in one place, we have made it easier for people across the business to find and use the information they need.

Having data that people trust and can access quickly makes a real difference. For an underwriter, getting the right information even seconds or minutes sooner can help when making a decision or trying to win a deal. These improvements leave us better equipped for where the business is going and confident that our reporting can support it as it grows.

For me, it’s been a great project to be part of. I’ve learned a lot technically while also gaining a better understanding of the business and how people actually use the reports we build. I’ve also had the chance to work with different people across the business and adapt what we’re doing based on what they need, which has helped build my confidence.

I’m proud that this work isn’t only improving reporting now but also putting us in a stronger position for the future, especially as technology, cloud tools and AI continue to develop.

What have been the biggest challenges of the current year so far and how have you overcome them?

Technology is always evolving, and keeping pace with it has been one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of my role this year. I’ve embraced the continuous learning that comes with it, building my technical knowledge and adapting the way I work as new tools and approaches emerge. As I’ve gained more experience and taken on more responsibility, I’ve grown in confidence when it comes to speaking up about my work and sharing my own ideas.

At the same time, stakeholder requirements have shifted during the year, which has taught me to stay flexible and keep checking that the work we deliver gives stakeholders the information they need. I’ve also been part of our move away from MIDAS to our internal reporting platform as previously mentioned, helping to make sure stakeholders continue to get the reporting and information they rely on throughout the transition. Being involved in a change of that scale has been a great learning experience.

Working collaboratively has been key to overcoming all of this. I’ve drawn on the knowledge and experience within my team while building my own problem-solving skills. Together, these challenges have made me more adaptable, more confident and more comfortable with continuous learning, all of which are essential when working in technology.

What do you see as the main opportunities for your industry in the coming 12 months? How do you plan to capitalise on those opportunities?

AI presents a big opportunity, particularly within data and analytics. Used well, it can speed up processes, support analysis, and make the way we work more efficient. It can also help us get more from our data, supporting problem-solving, and freeing up time to focus on the insights that add real value.

I’m excited about the continued development of Insights Analytics, our internal reporting platform. Making data more accessible and easier to understand will help the business make better-informed, data-driven decisions. There is a lot of potential in exploring new and evolving technologies and how they can improve the way we analyse and report data.

More broadly, I’d love to see the industry open up more opportunities for young women to enter technology, develop their skills and build successful careers. I hope my own journey can play a small part in showing what’s possible.

The Women in Tech Excellence Awards takes place on 26th November in London. Click here to view the list of finalists!