Women in Computing through the years: Computer Weekly’s Archive
In 1992 Jean Irvine was the head of IT for The Post Office and was in charge of running its £84m IT operation.
The article describes what Irvine is like as a boss and gives details on her hobbies outside of work.
The article begins: “It is inevitable that the most notable thing about the head of IT at the Post Office is that she is a woman, but Irvine is doing her damnedest to make sure that gender in IT management becomes irrelevant.”
Irvine was chair of Women in Technology (Wit) which was set up to support and encourage women working IT. Ellen Neighbour, the then operations director at Wit comments: “As for her handling her male colleagues, they pour the tea.”
Google are sponsoring a Women in Computing Gallery at TNMOC unveiled at Bletchley Park this month. Dame Steve Shirley was in attendance for the launch.
Two Google interns have been researching women in computing in the Computer Weekly archive and shared their findings with us.