Tech Leader Award Shortlist

Aarti Balakrishnan, Financial Services Lead Cloud Technology Partner, Deloitte

Aarti has successfully led the delivery of several high-profile industry projects while playing both technical architecture and hands-on development roles. Her work has consistently driven transformation and modernisation, unlocking greater customer value and reducing operational costs. As the leader of Deloitte’s cloud and engineering financial services practice, she brings a unique combination of technical expertise and holistic problem-solving, helping businesses bridge the gap between their customers and technology teams to create superior customer and developer experiences.

In addition to her professional work, Aarti is a keynote speaker at various technology forums. She has launched a successful podcast series on technology innovation and cloud, which attracts around 2,000 active listeners, and also produces podcasts focused on diversity, covering topics such as financial services diversity in leadership and purpose-driven leadership.

Aarti is one of the few senior, ethnically diverse female cloud leaders in her field, serving as a role model and mentor for women and individuals from diverse backgrounds. She actively supports them in realising their potential in technical careers. Managing Type 1 diabetes, Aarti is a visible role model for balancing a demanding career with long-term health conditions.

Carla McGlynn, Managing Director – Global Markets Business Controls Technology, CitiBank

Carla is the Global Head of the Markets Business Controls Technology group at Citibank, leading a team of over 350 technologists. Her team provides solutions that enhance the bank’s controls framework for markets, offering cutting-edge technology that delivers unified control and alert coverage, centralised workflow solutions and improved user experience. This enables faster decision-making and more effective risk management.

Carla’s work has significantly improved Citi’s Risk and Control environment, earning recognition from senior stakeholders. Before her current role, she held leadership positions in Citi Markets’ Foreign Exchange (FX) Technology, where she led key initiatives such as the FX-Cross Border payments programme.

A passionate, empathetic, and inclusive leader, Carla has spearheaded several innovative women-in-technology initiatives, both within Citi and across Northern Ireland, promoting inclusion and diversity in the financial services industry. She has introduced unique programmes that advocate for workplace inclusion and have positively impacted the development of female talent and improved diversity ratios year on year.

Carla also sponsors university and school engagement, leading a volunteer group of over 100 employees and engaging with more than 4,500 STEM students annually. She is a role model at Citi for inclusion and diversity, while also leading a team that delivers cutting-edge technology to strengthen business controls.

Deena Vekaria, International Controller Change Lead, Wells Fargo
Deena is the Finance Change Lead for International Controllers, distinguished by her skill set, execution focus, strategic vision, and proven track record. Under her leadership, Deena’s team has revolutionised international regulatory reporting, an area under intense global regulatory scrutiny. Throughout this journey, she has recruited and advanced the careers of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including talented women, veterans, and individuals from Asian and Black communities.
Deena’s leadership has successfully delivered multiple mandatory reporting initiatives in a strategic manner, leading to the development of a comprehensive digital toolkit for international controllers. This not only enhanced the team’s operations but also inspired others within Wells Fargo and beyond with its innovative approach.
Known for her willingness to share knowledge and expertise, Deena and her team have consistently contributed to advancing the firm’s agenda. Her dedication to inclusion and diversity, along with her strategic vision, has made a significant impact on both her team and the broader organisation.

Jennifer Macrae, SVP ,Global Digital GTM & Channel Enablement, Mastercard

Jennifer leads Mastercard’s global Online Acceptance and Channel Enablement team, driving the scaling of products and partnerships that create exceptional digital shopping experiences for Mastercard cardholders. With over 17 years of experience in digital, telecommunications, and payments, Jennifer is passionate about the digital industry, specialising in global go-to-market strategy and execution. Since joining Mastercard in 2012 as a founding member of the UK digital team, she has played a pivotal role in the company’s digital evolution across key leadership positions.

Jennifer has built and led teams, processes, and partnerships that have brought Mastercard’s vision to life, successfully launching and scaling new digital technologies worldwide. Notably, she launched Mastercard’s proprietary digital wallet, Masterpass, in the UK and Ireland, creating the go-to-market strategy and collaborating with issuing banks, acquiring banks, gateways, and merchants to expand its use, including in omni-channel retail.

Jennifer is a passionate advocate for developing female leaders. She co-founded a UK volunteer-led organisation aimed at promoting women in leadership, which was later acquired by SheRunsIt. She also helped establish the UK chapter of mBolden, growing a network of over 700 women in tech from 2012 to 2021.

Larissa Sototskaya, Managing Director, Head of Transfer Agency, Citi Securities Services

As Managing Director and Head of Transfer Agency (TA) for Citi Securities Services, Larissa leads a transformative business, playing a critical role in maintaining shareholder records for clients. She is responsible for driving product strategy and business growth by implementing innovative operating models, engaging with FinTech, and managing data and platforms.

Under Larissa’s leadership, Citi launched the first global digital TA platform, servicing the entire investment fund lifecycle and eliminating paper trails to simplify the investor experience. This achievement showcases her ability to leverage investments in next-generation solutions through industry-leading execution, earning Citi a nomination for European Transfer Agency of the Year by Funds Europe. Since then, Citi’s TA business has seen a 26% increase in assets under administration (AUA) as of June 2023.

Within Citi, Larissa spearheaded a global “Skunkworks” initiative, where 30% of business problems resulted in technology-based solutions, with 40% receiving investment support. One success story was the Proxymity proxy voting platform, which was developed under her guidance from an internal challenge to a minimum viable product (MVP). Larissa was also an early adopter of AI and NLP technologies to improve the efficiency and quality of institutional client engagements.

Rachel Hover, Senior Director of UK & Cyber and ES BCM & Resiliency Programme, Capital One

Rachel Hover, Senior Director of UK & Cyber and ES BCM & Resiliency Programme at Capital One UK, is a transformative leader in the technology sector. Starting her career at 18 without a university degree, her rise to senior director exemplifies her adaptability and dedication.

Rachel’s strategic contributions at Capital One, particularly in integrating IT with business operations, have significantly enhanced internal processes and cyber risk management. Her leadership was especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she spearheaded initiatives to safeguard company data and operations.

A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, Rachel has actively promoted women in technology both within Capital One and across the wider industry. As founder and lead of the UK Women in Tech Chapter for over eight years, she has created an empowering environment that encourages women to excel in technology roles, helping to drive the industry towards more inclusive practices.

Rachel’s mentoring and strategic influence in tech and cyber risk management have been invaluable to both her organisation and the financial services sector. Her efforts have not only strengthened Capital One’s commitment to diversity, but also positioned the company as a leader in creating a more equitable tech community.

Sandie Small Duberry, Deputy Governorship Chief Information Officer for the Prudential Regulatory Authority, Bank of England

Sandie Duberry Small is the Deputy Governorship Chief Information Officer for the Prudential Regulatory Authority, reporting directly to the CIO at the Bank of England. She oversees the technology that supports the supervision of over 1,500 financial institutions, including banks and insurance companies.

With a 26-year career in financial services technology, Sandie has held significant roles at organisations such as HSBC, Aviva Investors, MF Global, and Thomson Financial. She is equally passionate about people and technology, driven by a desire to inspire others to achieve their best.

Recently, Sandie trained as an executive coach, specialising in mindfulness and transition. Through her coaching and public speaking, she is committed to helping others reach their full potential, believing this is crucial not only for personal development but also for the future of society.

In the technology sector, Sandie has led transformative changes, particularly in IT service organisations managing Critical National Infrastructure. She transitioned operations from an on-premise model to a multi-vendor, outcome-based model, while establishing procedures and disciplines to respond rapidly to major service impacts. Her work has made a lasting impact on the organisations she has served and the people she has mentored.

Skye He, Senior Manager – FS Consulting, KPMG LLP

Skye He is a distinguished tech leader, known for her passion for the intersection of technology and finance in FS Consulting. As a chartered accountant, she has a deep understanding of finance functions and business needs, enabling her to deliver innovative data and system solutions for financial and ESG reporting. Skye excels in building trusted relationships and diverse teams to drive impactful business results.

Skye’s achievements include automating the production of 400 product-level climate reports for a FTSE100 insurer, reducing time per report from 8 hours to 1 minute, and designing an end-to-end ESG tech solution for the same organisation. This transformation strengthened the company’s ESG commitments. She is also leading a reporting transformation for the London Market, streamlining processes for over 100 syndicates.

A champion of diversity and inclusion, Skye has mentored women through programmes like RaiseYou and Elevate, helping two women achieve promotions. She actively speaks at industry events on technology, data, and diversity, and contributes to professional communities including ICAEW and WIBF.

Skye continues to develop her expertise through certifications and industry involvement, promoting cost reduction, efficiency, and innovation in financial services. She is a role model for gender equality and a strong advocate for technology adoption and culture change.

Suky Sandhu, Financial Services Partner, Deloitte

Suky, a Financial Services Partner at Deloitte Consulting, is a passionate and authentic leader who has made significant contributions to the technology leadership agenda, with a strong focus on diversity and amplifying female voices. Alongside her professional commitments, she balances raising her 5-year-old daughter, Khiara, role-modelling that it is possible to succeed in both areas.

Suky’s impact includes establishing the Deloitte Sikh Network, now with over 600 members across the UK, providing support and a sense of community. She also built a Wealth Platforms team within Deloitte, which has grown to over 150 practitioners and supported more than 15 major implementations. Her efforts have driven the objective of achieving 30% female Partners in FS Consulting.

Suky has also founded and led various technical and support networks, such as Women in Cloud and Engineering, ensuring her teams remain relevant with technical qualifications and certifications. Her dynamic, collaborative leadership style has built strong relationships with clients, peers, and team members, fostering trust and growth.

Known for her honesty, integrity, and commitment to quality, Suky is an exemplary role model. She inspires confidence in others, encourages them to stand up for what is right, and continues to champion inclusion and development within her teams.

Special Mentions

Carmen Barandela, Senior Manager, RegTech, Data & Innovation, Bank of England
Sam Nelson, Head of Digital Banking Innovation, Deloitte

The Tech Leader Award is sponsored by