Capgemini innovators Petya Tencheva [above left] and Mollie Chard [above right] are winners of the TechWomen100 Awards that showcase remarkable women within the technology sector.

"Thank you so so much to everyone who voted for me! I am absolutely over the moon and I feel honoured," said Mollie. "I will continue to use my voice to challenge the status quo, demystify the industry and help others in their career journeys."

"Feeling incredibly grateful to have been selected. Thank you again to my colleagues and mentors at Capgemini for the support, mentorship and recognition. Thank you to everyone that voted," added Petya.

Demystifying the cybersecurity industry

Mollie is a passionate Cyber Security Manager with 9 years’ experience in the industry. She helps organisations develop their cyber security maturity.

"I try to help organisations and individuals understand cybersecurity, portraying it in a way that is easier to understand. Outside of my day-to-day job, I am also a Board Member for Women in Cybersecurity UK (WiCyS UK), a non-profit charity that aims to attract, educate and promote women in cybersecurity. I am a writer and a speaker, having published several blogs/articles about the cybersecurity industry and diversity, as well as being a guest speaker at schools and various events," she explains.

Mollie's cybersecurity career has been "extremely comprehensive", working in various cybersecurity roles spanning different areas of the industry such as: cyber incident management, protective monitoring, strategy, governance, risk management, compliance, vulnerability assessment, training and awareness and more. Within these roles, Mollie has acted as a mentor to other women, helping them secure roles in tech/cyber, even if they had no background in it. She is also a key member of Capgemini’s Active Inclusion Group, where she drives various cyber and diversity initiatives.

"I am fiercely passionate about the industry and about diversity and inclusion – I aim to demystify the cybersecurity industry, and I drive initiatives that promote and encourage women. I actively challenge the status quo and attempt to tackle the industry’s image problems," she adds.

Using empathy in a people-focused tech career

A career in technology was not what Petya had set her eyes on when she started her degree in Chemistry in 2013.

Throughout her time at university, she spent a lot of time at networking events, figuring out what she could do with her STEM degree. It’s there that she came to learn that technology is a lot more than learning to code.

"This doesn’t mean that when I joined Capgemini UK in 2017, I knew what I wanted to do in tech, I just knew that I was in the right industry. I started off my career in project management office before moving to the world of digital consultancy and eventually user experience, where I have found my passion," she says.

"As I have progressed in my career in tech, empathy is the skill I exercise the most. As a User Researcher sitting in the User Experience space, I work with clients, designers, developers, business, and technical architects to elevate the voice of the people who use the technology that we build. Putting humans at the centre of the technology, I help to create intuitive products that people need and want to use," she adds.

As a result of her exceptional client delivery and strong contributions to internal company operations, Petya has been on the accelerated promotion path for all 4 years of her career. As a line manager and mentor, she is passionate about advancing and supporting junior talent. She is particularly passionate about creating open, honest, equal opportunity, routes for progression for all, in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

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