Colette Wyatt’s route into technology was not planned. Starting in hospitality, she moved into telecommunications in 1987 after a client spotted her people skills. Within six months she was running an engineering department. That accidental entry into tech eventually led her to become Chief Technology Officer at Evolve, a UK software house, and Co-Founder of e-bate, a rebates management platform that raised £1 million from Mercia Asset Management and Midlands Engine Investment Fund channels.

Her story matters for women in tech UK because the sector still struggles to attract and retain female talent. According to Women in Business: Key UK Facts, women remain under-represented in technology leadership and founding roles. The British Business Bank’s Small Business Equity Tracker 2024 found that all-female founder teams receive only around 2% of UK equity investment. The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship 2024 estimates that if women started businesses at the same rate as men, the UK could gain up to 1 million additional businesses. For those who do not fit the conventional computer-science graduate profile, Wyatt’s career offers a practical alternative map.

From hospitality to engineering

Wyatt describes herself as an accidental technologist. In her first tech job she brought an inquisitive, problem-solving mindset rather than formal qualifications. She took systems apart, learned how they worked, and moved from engineering into sales, designing and installing voice and data networks for eight years.

That hands-on foundation shaped her later leadership. In 1997 she set up her first consultancy. A chance meeting in Milton Keynes led to a sales director role at a local telecommunications firm, where she helped grow turnover from under £1 million to over £10 million in two years. She then moved into carrier-grade systems, helping new operators establish themselves in the UK and globally.

Building businesses across continents

Wyatt’s entrepreneurial streak continued. With her brother, she established voice-over-IP and satellite businesses supplying services into Africa and the Middle East. A standout achievement was securing three of four voice-over-IP licences in Nigeria for a client, competing against large American companies.

After running her own business for five years while raising her young daughter, she returned to employed leadership, including a role as sales director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at a major UK voice-over-IP equipment manufacturer. She later joined a London telecoms startup as its first tech team member, building one of the early mobile VoIP applications in 2006.

Corporate leadership without a degree

One of the most striking aspects of Wyatt’s career is that she reached senior roles without a university degree. As VP of R&D for connected health at Alere, a multi-billion-pound medical technology company, she was the only VP in R&D without academic credentials. She has spoken openly about experiencing imposter syndrome and realising that her commercial and user-experience intelligence complemented the academic expertise around her.

She also put together an £800 million commercial plan for the connected health division, which was ratified by McKinsey, before the division was closed after investors chose to sell assets.

Raising funding in a male-dominated market

When Wyatt co-founded e-bate, the funding process took around 18 months. At the time of the original interview, she noted that only 3% of investments went to women-owned businesses. The figure has barely shifted. The British Business Bank’s 2024 equity tracking shows that all-female teams continue to receive a tiny fraction of UK investment, while mixed-gender teams attract a larger but still minority share. Female founders in the UK still face structural barriers in investor meetings, pitch formats and network access.

Her advice to founders seeking investment remains relevant: be clear on the problem you are solving, know your market, understand your customer, and assemble a reputable founding team. She also recommends speaking to founders who have already raised rather than only to those still searching.

Women in tech UK: what the data says now

ONS labour market data from 2024 suggests women make up around 26% of the UK tech workforce, a figure that has moved only slowly over recent years. The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2024 reported a 7.7% gender pay gap for full-time employees, with the gap typically wider in senior technology and professional roles. The rise in self-employed women over 50 also reflects a broader pattern of women moving into independent work later in their careers, often bringing decades of sector experience.

At leadership level, progress is uneven. Female CEOs in UK mid-market companies hit an eight-year low in 2026, according to Prowess analysis, a reminder that individual success stories do not automatically translate into systemic change.

Personal values and role models

Wyatt’s leadership style is shaped by a simple principle: treat people the way you want to be treated. She values fairness, equality and the belief that hard work can overcome most barriers. Her early role model was the telecoms executive who first hired her despite her lack of technical background, and a school teacher who saw potential where others did not.

She also admires the behind-the-scenes architects of technology, naming Steve Wozniak and Jony Ive as influences rather than the more visible front figures.

Leadership lessons from Colette Wyatt’s career

Wyatt’s career illustrates several principles that still apply:

• Competence builds credibility. In male-dominated rooms, she focused on knowing the answers and keeping learning.
• Non-linear paths are valid. Hospitality, engineering, sales, entrepreneurship and corporate leadership all fed into her CTO role.
• Commercial awareness matters. Understanding users, budgets and market dynamics can outweigh pure technical credentials.
• Set boundaries. She was upfront with her husband that her daughter and her work came first.
• Listen more than you talk. Her core career lesson is to use two ears and one mouth in that order.

Practical steps to build your tech career

If Wyatt’s story resonates, consider these practical next steps:

1. Audit your transferable skills. Customer-facing, operational and problem-solving experience often translates into tech product roles.
2. Map UK support for women founders. The British Business Bank, Innovate UK and regional funds such as the Midlands Engine Investment Fund offer finance and guidance.
3. Build a network of women who have raised investment. Their process knowledge is often more useful than generic online advice.
4. Keep learning. Whether through formal courses, self-study or mentorship, continuous learning offsets non-traditional entry points.

Colette Wyatt’s journey from accidental entrant to tech leader shows that women in tech UK do not need to follow a single prescribed route. What they need is curiosity, commercial judgement and the confidence to keep moving forward.