Trudy Norris-Grey is a Welsh businesswoman, and is a well-recognized leader in the U.K., globally and in the Tech industry.

In 2020 Trudy was appointed as UCAS'' first independent chair of its board of trustees.[1] Trudy was appointed, in 2007 through to 2024, the Chair of WISE (Women in Science, Engineering & Technology).[2] The WISE Campaign is aimed at encouraging more girls and women to consider important, satisfying and rewarding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Build Environment) career paths on which she has provided evidence to the UK Government and many other organizations.[3]

Awards

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Trudy was named as one of the top ten most influential women in UK Tech by Computer Weekly,[4] and was also included in the 100 Welsh Women list "created to mark the contributions of women, past and present, who have made brilliant contributions to our national life".[5] The Female FTSE Board Report published by Cranfield University recognised Trudy as one of the "Women to Watch 2017".[6] She was one of the 30 women identified in the BCS Women in IT Campaign in 2014 and was then featured in the e-book of these 30 women in IT, "Women in IT: Inspiring the next generation" produced by the BCS.[7] In 2015, Trudy was recognised by the Financial Times as a Notable Woman in IT and also by Computer Weekly as the 11th most influential woman in IT.[8] In 2016, Trudy was again identified as one of the 50 most influential women in UK IT by Computer Weekly,[9] also as one of the 10 Most Influential Women in IT in Computer Business and was also one of the Names to Know by Marie Claire.[10] In 2021 Trudy was recognised for lifetime achievement and added to Computer Weekly's Hall of Fame.[11] Trudy was celebrated as an iconic Welsh woman in 2021.[12] Learning organisation Firetech also celebrated Trudy as one of the inspiring women in STEM around the world.[13]

Trudy was awarded Honorary Fellow of the University of South Wales in 2013,[14] an Honorary Fellow of University of Wales Trinity Saint David in 2008[15] and an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2023.[16] She was also made a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society of the Arts).[17]

Trudy was elected a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in 2024.

Education

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Trudy Norris-Grey attended University of South Wales, INSEAD Fontainebleau, Harvard Business School, Smith College, USA and the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School.

Early life

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Trudy Norris-Grey was born in Morriston, Swansea; number seven of eight children. She gained a degree in Business Studies and after graduating, she completed the Certified Chartered Accountants examinations and qualified as an accountant.

Career

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Trudy Norris-Grey's early career began in Racal Vodafone in 1983 as an audit accountant before moving to Digital Equipment Corporation in 1986, based in Reading. At Digital she headed the Channels Finance group before moving into a front line sales role. Her final position at Digital was on the UK board as General Manager of the Components and Peripherals division, Digital’s first ever female board member. Norris-Grey then took a position with Kodak as Marketing Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa where she also opened new emerging market opportunities including in Africa and India. Norris-Grey joined Oracle in 2000 as its Vice President for Indirect Channels and Partners. After five successful years at Oracle she was asked to head up Sun Microsystems UK and Ireland as its Managing Director and President, pioneering a route for other women to lead large technology businesses in the UK.[18][19] In 2008 she joined BT Wholesale as Managing Director responsible for strategy, new business and transformation before moving to BT Global Services as Senior Vice President for Global Indirect Channels and Partners. In 2012 Norris-Grey joined Microsoft as its General Manager responsible for its public sector business in Central and Eastern Europe subsequently moving to the USA to lead Microsoft's global business development team for public sector and smart cities.

In addition Trudy has chaired the CBI's Committee on Innovation, Science & Technology,[20][21] was a member of the Research Council's Funders Forum, and a founder member of the Corporate Leaders Group where she was both a Government adviser on Sustainability and Carbon Emissions and head of the work group on Government Procurement for the Corporate Leaders Group; in addition to being a founder member of the CBI Leadership Group on Climate Change,[22] and was a member of the UK Trade Minister's UK Infrastructure Forum. Trudy Norris-Grey was a member of the UK's National Careers Council,[23] a member of the UK's Technology and Innovation Catapult Centre independent oversight committee and was chief editor of the Wilson review[24][25][26] on Business-University collaboration for the UK government and a contributor to the Shadbolt Review of Computer Sciences Degree Accreditation and Graduate Employability.[27] Additionally she was on the Science for All, Expert Group – under Sir Roland Jackson.[28]

Trudy was also on the board of Netherlands-based World Press Photo whose aim is to inspire understanding of the world through photojournalism and was an active Board Member of Junior Achievement Europe. Trudy was a Non-Executive director for EA Technology Limited, has also been a Pension Trustee for Oracle and for Digital. She also sat on the Welsh Government's Finance and Professional Services Sector Panel.[29] Trudy has debated the focusing of UK funding for science and innovation at the Royal Society[30] and has contributed to a Commons select committee inquiry on women in the workplace.[31]

Trudy is a champion of equal opportunities. She is a regular speaker encouraging women and girls to discover the potential of careers in STEM.[32][33][34][35]

Personal life

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Trudy Norris-Grey was born in Wales, in Swansea. She is married and is mother to three children.

References

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  1. ^ "UCAS appoints first independent Chair to Board of Trustees". UCAS. 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  2. ^ "WISE The Board". WISE. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  3. ^ "House of Commons - Business Innovation and Skills - No - Minutes of Evidence: HC 342". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  4. ^ "Computer Weekly announces the Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2020". ComputerWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  5. ^ "Home". www.100welshwomen.wales. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  6. ^ "100 Women to Watch 2017". www.cranfield.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  7. ^ "Trudy Norris-Grey | BCS". www.bcs.org. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  8. ^ "11. Trudy Norris-Grey, General manager, Central & Eastern Europe at Microsoft and chair of WISE - The 50 most influential women in UK IT 2015". www.computerweekly.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  9. ^ "Vote for the most influential woman in UK IT 2016". ComputerWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  10. ^ Claire, Marie (2015-12-01). "Women To Watch In Tech 2016". Marie Claire. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  11. ^ "Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2021: Entrants to the Hall of Fame". ComputerWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  12. ^ "Celebrating iconic Welsh women throughout history this International Women's Day". Cardiff University. 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  13. ^ Leanne (2021-03-01). "Celebrating Inspiring Women In STEM Around The World". Fire Tech. Archived from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  14. ^ "University of South Wales Awards". University of South Wales. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Honorary Fellows and Awards". Swansea Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  16. ^ "News Honorary Doctorates and Fellowships announced as Cardiff Met's graduation week arrives". www.cardiffmet.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  17. ^ "RSA". RSA. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Sun's ray of hope from Swansea". The Guardian. 9 September 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  19. ^ "Executive Profile Trudy Norris-Grey". www.bloomberg.com. Business Week. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  20. ^ "CB! Report" (PDF). cbi.org.uk/media/1144602/cbi-annual-report-2010.pdf. CB!. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  21. ^ "The Foundation for Science & Technology". www.foundation.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  22. ^ "CBI report urges business to tackle climate change". the Guardian. 2007-11-26. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  23. ^ "The National Careers Council". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  24. ^ "Business-university collaboration: the Wilson review". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  25. ^ "Business - University Collaboration" (PDF).
  26. ^ Open Doors: universities open for business.
  27. ^ "Shadbolt Review" (PDF).
  28. ^ Crick, Tom; Davenport, James H.; Hanna, Paul; Irons, Alastair; Prickett, Tom (2020-01-09). "Computer Science Degree Accreditation in the UK". Proceedings of the 4th Conference on Computing Education Practice 2020 (PDF). New York, NY, USA: ACM. pp. 1–4. doi:10.1145/3372356.3372362. ISBN 978-1-4503-7729-4. S2CID 210872188.
  29. ^ "New Members appointed to Financial and Professional Services Advisory Panel". Wales Cymru. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  30. ^ "Events - FST". www.foundation.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  31. ^ "Women in the workplace inquiry continues - News from Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  32. ^ Power To Our Women: Trudy Norris-Grey Live Cast.
  33. ^ Trudy Norris-Grey - SEREN Academy
  34. ^ Diversifying Data 14 - National Inclusion Week - Championing Inclusivity at Work.
  35. ^ Mining the gap – the untapped opportunity for Wales.