Curiosity, creativity and always asking why, are key to developing your career as a Technical lead and Quantum expert. But you don't need to adhere to the stereotype that you must read graphic novels or play video games. In fact, you can still do great cryptography work if you're wearing pink pyjamas and drinking Starbucks. Our Technical Lead and Quantum expert takes us through some of the barriers she's encountered, how the 'Matilda Effect' has impacted her, and why Bugs Bunny would make the perfect fictional quantum computing character....
What led to your interest and career in technology? Was there a defining moment, an interaction, maybe even an inspirational dream?
I was working hard to become an international war crimes investigator and spent years building skills across law, intelligence, and related areas. But then I had to come back to the UK when COVID hit and managed to land in Cybersecurity. I completed cyber training, AWS security engineering, some development, and general solutions architecture and eventually, a company offered me a job as an instructor. They sponsored me through a rigorous six-month training programme, funding all my training, gave me mentors, and supported me throughout.
That's how you got into tech, but what first drew you to quantum computing?
What drew me to quantum computing was the mystery of it — the fact it's so pliable right now, constantly being reshaped and growing. I first took an online training course and found it fascinating, rigorous, and challenging. It combined physics and mathematics, played to my visual brain, and drew on strengths I'd developed through biophysics, maths, algebra, and statistics. Quantum computing challenged me in a way that wasn't easy but was rewarding.
As a follow-up, do you have any advice for anyone entering the industry or looking to build a similar career??
I always tell people you don't need to be a scientist. What you need is curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to ask “why” and try things. You must also be prepared to be wrong, because things change so fast. One day you're right, the next you're wrong, and sometimes you're both at once. Flexibility of thought is vital, and there's no room for ego in this field.
If quantum computing was a fictional character, which one would it be and why?
Bugs Bunny. There's wisdom and strategy behind it, but it's always up to something, always changing on the surface, and usually manages to get the upper hand. It's like quantum physics itself, just when you think you understand it, it surprises you.
How do you see quantum technologies evolving over the next five to ten years?
I hope we broaden our view. The UK and Europe have locked into one type of quantum computing — quantum key distribution — and that's limiting. People often use “quantum computing” as shorthand for it, but it's just one approach with strengths and weaknesses. Quantum physics is vast, and there are many ways to build quantum capabilities. I hope we start recognising the breadth of possibilities rather than funnelling all resources into one silo. Other countries are already taking more diverse approaches.
Books, movies, and TV often get science wrong. Have you seen portrayals of quantum tech that really miss the mark — or surprise you?
A lot of sci-fi still imagines huge quantum machines in freezing labs, but that's outdated. Scientists are already developing ways to operate at room temperature. So, when I see futuristic depictions that look like 1980s mainframes with cold air pumping out, I think that's not the future. It'll be smaller, sleeker, and more integrated.
As a woman in a technical and innovative field, what challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
I've faced many challenges, particularly around appearance. There's a belief that to be in tech you need to play video games, read comics, or fit a certain mould. But I've done some of my best cryptography work at home in pink pyjamas, drinking Starbucks, with Love Island playing in the background. That doesn't make me less capable. I have a background in science, maths, and physics, but I also love fashion, sports, and being social. Men in tech are now accepted in all their variety, and I want women to feel the same freedom.
Do you have role models or inspirations you look up to?
Plenty. Einstein is one of my idols, and I've always admired John Nash and his work on game theory, which connects to my own research in complex adaptive systems. Ada Lovelace is another huge inspiration. Her contributions were forgotten for years, and her story resonates with me. I often encounter the “Matilda Effect,” where my work is assumed to have been done by a man. I've even had people offer to introduce me to “the man” behind research that was actually mine. I've also had real-life mentors. In my 20s, while working in New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, I spent time around Helen Clark, whose leadership deeply influenced me. In my 30s, Anne Marie Grazigono, who worked for the Australian MOD, was my mentor in complexity science and decision-making. Both pushed me to explore research and helped shape my career.