Interview: April Tioe, SEGRO, Women in Tech Excellence Awards finalist

‘I’m proud of the part I’ve played in thinking beyond the immediate problem and designing solutions that support what comes next'

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.

April Tioe is a Solutions Architect at SEGRO who enjoys solving complex problems and finding ways to make things work better. She believes good engineering is about more than technical expertise; it’s about understanding the bigger picture, working with people and building solutions that stand the test of time.

Naturally quiet and thoughtful, April has learned to lead through preparation, collaboration and a strong understanding of the details. She is also exploring how AI can help me challenge ideas and find better solutions. Always curious and open to new challenges, April believes there is always room to learn and improve.

April is a finalist in the Engineer of the Year category.

What prompted you to enter the Women in Tech Excellence Awards this year?

To be honest, I didn't set out to enter the awards myself. I was nominated by someone, which came as a surprise. I tend to focus on the work rather than recognition, so being shortlisted made me stop and reflect on what I've achieved and how far I've come. It's encouraging to know that the work has made an impact, and I'm grateful to whoever put my name forward.

What would winning this award mean to both your people and your customers/partners?

Winning would mean a lot, but I wouldn’t see it as an individual achievement alone. Good engineering takes collaboration, trust and people working through problems together. I hope the award would also recognise my colleagues’ contributions.

For customers and partners, I’d want it to reflect the importance of building solutions that are reliable, practical and lasting. As a woman in tech, I hope it also shows that there are different ways to lead and make a difference.

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

From my perspective, one of the proudest achievements has been building capabilities that can be reused and adapted rather than starting from scratch each time. I’m proud of the part I’ve played in thinking beyond the immediate problem and designing solutions that support what comes next. It takes time and careful decisions upfront, but its value goes beyond a single delivery.

For me, success isn’t just getting something to work today, it’s making the next challenge easier to solve.

What have been the biggest challenges of the current year so far? How have your people or partners helped?

One of the biggest challenges has been making effective technical decisions when not everything is known upfront. I’ve had to balance moving forward with making sure the foundations are right. I’ve learned to prepare thoroughly, understand the details and back up my recommendations with evidence.

I’ve also learned that I don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to lead. Colleagues and partners have helped by sharing knowledge and finding practical ways forward. We can take ownership of a solution, but getting a solution right depends on collaboration.

What lessons do you think the industry has learned over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?

I think there’s growing recognition that technology should solve the actual problem, not simply introduce something new. Good architecture matters because requirements change, and solutions need to be adaptable rather than becoming another problem to maintain.

The industry also needs to find the right balance with AI. It offers exciting possibilities, but we still need to question the results and apply our judgement. Technology can help us work differently, but responsibility for the quality of the outcome remains with us.

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 opportunities to explore ideas, analyse problems and challenge designs more effectively. I'm already experimenting with how it can support my work while making sure I understand and validate the results.

I also see opportunities to build on what we've already learned. Not every challenge requires a completely new solution; by applying proven approaches, adapting them and sharing knowledge, we can deliver better outcomes more efficiently. I want to keep learning, questioning my assumptions and turning these opportunities into practical improvements.

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