BCS member shortlisted for Demeter Award

15:30 17th November 2008

A British Computer Society (BCS) member is one of the shortlisted candidates vying to win the IBM-sponsored Demeter Award for the most inspiring 26 to 35-year-old entrepreneur.

Kate Craig-Wood from Guildford in Surrey has been recognised for her outstanding achievement while running her IT and web hosting provider company.

Founded in 2002, the company, Memset, experienced 27 per cent year-on-year growth and in 2006 took the accolade of becoming the first carbon neutral ISP.

She commented: "I hope to use my success as a woman in the IT industry to inspire others and bring about change in an industry with a dire shortage of women."

Ms Craig-Wood reached the final of the NatWest everywoman awards and is a member of the BCS data centre specialist group, while also being the youngest person to sit on the board of IT organisation Intellect UK.

In October 2008, Intellect UK published a report entitled Perceptions of Equal Pay Survey which revealed female IT professionals to be of the opinion that their salary is not equal to that of male colleagues.

The report also showed many women in the IT sector were unaware how much their male colleagues earned.