Valerie started her career with British Telecom and worked in the UK and overseas on a telecoms-related projects, including coding the first text message. She also contributed to the creation of the first blood glucose monitor.
Judges were impressed with her career and embedded computing expertise, and R&D in electronic product development and ambient computing. They also heard about her mentorship which has also seen her guide and inspire over 50 engineers, many of whom have gone on to lead teams and establish successful start-ups.
“Throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Lynch has consistently broken down both technological and social barriers, advocating for gender equality and empowering women in the electronics industry,” said her daughter, Nicola Thorn, CEO of AND Technology.
The first Electronics Weekly’s Women Leaders in Electronics Awards was held on 23 April in the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, in London’s Covent Garden. The Awards recognise the contribution women have made to advance electronics engineering and design and their contributions to improve the workplace with mentoring and leadership initiatives. The awards also recognise male allies, companies and teams who have made a positive impact throughout the electronics industry worldwide.
The calibre of entries for all categories was extremely high and there were several highly recommended finalists in many categories, showing the quality of entries which presented dilemmas for the judges.
The evening was hosted by comedian Eleanor Tiernan, a former civil engineer, who charmed the audience with her experiences of technology, ageing, womanhood – and an impression of a catwalk model.
There will be an indepth feature on the Women Leaders in Electronics awards and this year’s winners in the 22 May issue of Electronics Weekly.
There are video interviews with some of the winners at www.electronicsweekly.com
