AQ Women in Tech Event – 1 October 2025

We are pleased to be hosting our next Women in Tech event with the University of London, the UK’s leading provider of digital and blended distance education internationally, offering programmes to around 40,000 students in 190 countries across the world. Although proudly rooted in London, its community and impact are global.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday 1 October
• Time: 2:00-5.00pm
• Location: University of London – Chancellor’s Hall

Agenda:

2.00pm: Guests arrive & networking
2.30pm: Opening remarks Rita Akushie, Pro Vice-Chancellor Finance and Operations, University of London
2.40pm: Bias in AI Dr. Anna-Maria Sichani, BRAID Fellow – Research Associate in Digital Humanities, University of London
3.00pm: Panel

Our panel topics will include discussion on:

• Bias in AI: A continuation of Dr. Anna-Maria Sichani’s earlier discussion, opened up to the panel for conversation and to the floor for Q&A.
• Succession Planning: The panel will discuss ways they have helped women grow their careers, and how you, as leaders, can help the next generation of women in tech grow and succeed.
• Menopause Awareness Month: October is Menopause Awareness Month. Menopause can cause a wide range of physical and mental health symptoms, which can be unpredictable, difficult to manage, and debilitating and with close to four million women aged 45 to 55 employed in the UK, this is a meaningful conversation to have. Our panel will share their personal insights on how their organisations have responded to the growing need for Menopause support, as well as best practices for both employers and employees.

We look forward to hearing insights from the panel and look forward to an open discussion and questions between the panel and floor.

Panel members include:

• Femi Otitoju (Chair), Founding Partner, Challenge EDI
• Yvonne Hanson Mills, CIO, Art Fund
• Grace Tattersall, Partner, Anderson Quigley
• Seema Chauhan, Associate Director, Enterprise Architecture, University of London

4:00pm: Closing remarks on Allyship within the Digital and Tech community Richard Michel, Chief Information & Digital Officer, University of London
4.15pm: Networking
5.00pm: Close

Speaker & Panel Bios

Rita Akushie Pro Vice-Chancellor Finance and Operations, University of London
LinkedIn

The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Operations) is responsible for Finance, ITDS, Human Resources, Residential Services and Estates & Facilities Management. She also provides strategic lead for CoSector, a leading provider of innovative digital services. Rita is an accomplished senior finance and commercial leader. She has developed and led large finance and corporate support teams. She is a fellow of both the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales) and of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

Rita first started working in audit in 1990 as a trainee-chartered accountant. She then left public practice and spent the next 24 years of her career with social housing organisations including Gateway Housing, Newlon Group, Thames Valley Housing and Sovereign. Immediately prior to joining the University as Chief Financial Officer, she was CFO for Cancer Research UK.

Rita has held Executive Finance Director/ CFO roles since 1999 and her experience includes corporate funding strategy and implementation, business planning and tax. She has also led on strategic matters including mergers, acquisitions, growth, diversification, and change management. In addition to finance, she has held executive responsibility for corporate services, technology, business improvement, governance, risk management and procurement.

She has held several non-executive positions, including Chair of the Audit Committee of The Beatson Institute and is currently a NED of HICL Plc, a UK-Listed Infrastructure Investment company.

Richard Michel Chief Information & Digital Officer, University of London
LinkedIn

Richard has been the CIDO at the University of London since September 2023. Prior to this role, Richard was the Managing Director at Global Business School (GBS) from July 2022 to September 2023. Richard’s extensive experience includes over a decade at Trinity College London, where responsibilities encompassed leadership as Chief Operating Officer (Deputy CEO) and Chief Information Officer. He has previously worked in a range of roles across government, education and commercial sectors in the UK and internationally, leading on digital and organisational strategies, innovation, and organisational transformation. Richard holds an Executive MBA from Cranfield School of Management.

At the University of London, Richard champions a student-centric approach to digital initiatives, harnessing AI and emerging technologies to enhance the global learner experience and operational effectiveness.

Seema Chauhan Associate Director, Enterprise Architecture, University of London
LinkedIn

Seema is passionate about using technology to make a real difference — whether that’s improving student experiences, streamlining operations, or shaping the future of education. At the University of London, she has had the privilege of leading key initiatives like Online Assessments, building and mentoring a fantastic team of Business Analysts, and crafting our Digital Strategy to support long-term transformation.

She loves connecting the dots between business needs and technical solutions, and thrives in collaborative environments where ideas turn into impact. Her focus is always on creating scalable, secure, and user-friendly systems that empower people and drive progress.

Yvonne Hanson-Mills Chief Information Officer, Art Fund
LinkedIn

Yvonne Hanson-Mills oversees Art Fund’s processes and technology to deliver outcomes that support the organisation’s strategic goals. She joined the team in June 2021 as Head of technical development and operations and has now stepped into the CIO role. She has extensive experience working in third sector organisations such as Marie Curie, Prostate Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK.

Femi Otitoju Founding Partner, Challenge EDI
LinkedIn

From firefighters to volunteers, moguls to Ministers, Femi Otitoju has inspired them all. Widely acknowledged as among the UK’s leading EDI practitioners, Femi began as an LGBTQ+ campaigner in the 1980s, then started Challenge in 1985, delivering change mostly to the public sector, NGOs and educational organisations.

These days big-business also recognise (and measure) the value of diversity & inclusion in the workforce and Femi heads up a talented panel of expert, highly experienced Consultants and Trainers.

Femi still trains some days but spends much of her time giving keynote speeches or delivering change by way of mediation, coaching and strategy work at Board level in every type of organisation from Global Multinationals to Universities, Parliaments and Charities of every size.

For clients Femi has written bespoke training films on Harassment and Equality and wrote the acclaimed e-Learning programme “Same Difference”. The UK Passport Office was the first of many organisations to use this as part of their induction programme for new staff. Her highly popular film based resources Fair’s Fair and Talk to Me are distributed globally by Video Arts.

Grace Tattersall Partner, Anderson Quigley
LinkedIn

With over twenty years’ recruitment experience, Grace specialises in executive search and selection for C-level and senior technology leadership appointments within the public and not-for-profit sectors. Actively supporting clients to reduce barriers to recruitment and to promote diversity in the workplace, Grace brings tailored solutions for both permanent and interim leadership roles.

Grace joined the AQ team in 2022 to further expand our work in technology & digital and data appointments; prior to joining the team she built an impressive track record recruiting mid to senior level roles for global charities, UK membership bodies, central and local government and leadership teams within the higher education sector. Grace works with personal integrity, vision, energy, and passion to support her clients and candidates through the recruitment process and beyond.

Grace’s recent appointments include Interim Director of IT Projects – City University, Head of Applications & Development – St Marys University, Director of IT – Arts/Heritage Organisation, CIO – Arts/Heritage Organisation, Interim CTO – Private Education Group, Director and Assistant Director of IT – Government Body, Assistant Director of IT – University, Assistant Director of Infrastructure – University, Interim Director of Technology Operations- University and Head of IT – National Charity.

Dr. Anna-Maria Sichani, BRAID Fellow – Research Associate in Digital Humanities, University of London
LinkedIn

Anna-Maria is a leading researcher and a motivated educator at the intersection of data, technology, cultural heritage and humanities scholarship, with extensive international experience of working across the information, cultural and research communities.

Her expertise lies in applying advanced computational and emerging technologies to analyse and represent diverse Humanities and Cultural Heritage data at scale, while critically engaging with their social, political, and ethical implications. She is also a leading expert in the development and application of responsible AI and data-driven research within the Humanities and Cultural Heritage sectors, focusing on licensing, ethics, and commons-based AI governance frameworks. Anna-Maria is currently a BRAID Research Fellow  and a Research Associate in Digital Humanities at Digital Humanities Research Hub, School of Advanced Study, University of London, looking at embedding responsible AI literacy skills across the cultural heritage community to empower informed, responsible and ethical use of AI and machine learning.