Let’s get female leaders beyond the glass ceiling

We are living through one of the most extraordinary moments in technological history. Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, redefining productivity and accelerating change at a pace few of us could have predicted even five years ago.

Yet at the same time, the technology sector is facing a quieter and more uncomfortable reality as, in many ways, progress for women in tech has stalled. Women represent roughly 26 per cent of the UK technology workforce, and the numbers narrow even further as careers progress towards leadership.

Despite years of mentoring schemes, diversity initiatives and graduate programmes, the pipeline to senior decision-making roles is still leaking talent. This matters not just socially, but economically.

The Women in Tech leadership session was held at investment firm's BGF’s ‘Bothy’ in Edinburgh

Research highlighted by Dr Vanessa Vallely shows that less than 2 per cent of venture capital funding goes to female-founded businesses. At the same time, The Rose Review estimates that unlocking female entrepreneurship could add £250 billion to the UK economy.

These were the themes that framed a recent Women in Tech leadership session hosted by Stellar Omada in Edinburgh, bringing together leaders from technology, finance and business at investment firm's BGF’s ‘Bothy’ in Edinburgh, supported by Cazenove Capital and Heart of Midlothian FC.

The intention was not another networking event. Instead, we created a working session to ask a more difficult question: why are talented women still leaving the industry just as they approach positions of real influence?

The research gave us a starting point. Sam Cooper-Gray highlighted that female-led technology companies in Scotland remain rare. Meanwhile, Gill Whitty-Collins’s Why Men Win at Work explored how workplace systems often reward visibility and confidence over capability and potential.

Emily Walters has worked across global brands, scale-ups and public institutions

But the most valuable insights came from the room itself. Across our discussion tables, one message emerged clearly: talent is not the issue - structure is.

Participants spoke about the need for women to be visible in the right places, leading major programmes and commercial initiatives rather than being confined to operational delivery. Others highlighted the importance of active sponsorship from senior leaders, ensuring talented women are genuinely put forward for leadership opportunities.

Transparency was another theme. Many attendees felt that access to financial information and commercial decision-making remains uneven, limiting the ability of women to influence where organisations invest and grow.

Confidence also featured heavily. Some women spoke about imposter syndrome, while others pointed to more systemic barriers - lingering “boys’ club” cultures, assumptions around family responsibilities, and workplaces that still reward the loudest voice rather than the strongest idea.

We were fortunate to hear from Ann Budge OBE, whose leadership across both technology and football has broken new ground in Scotland. Her advice was refreshingly direct: focus on the big things that matter, fight the battles worth fighting and ignore the trivia. It was also fitting that we announced that Ann will be joining the Stellar Omada board as a Non-Executive Director.

If technology is shaping the future of our economy, then the people designing that future must reflect the society it serves.

And that requires more than conversation. It requires leadership, accountability and organisations where the best ideas — not the loudest voices — rise to the top.

Emily Walters, Chief Growth Officer, Stellar Omada​