At school, Christina loved both science and the arts. In fact, she chose an unusual combination of subjects for her A-Levels: maths, physics and history. Christina always believed that STEM subjects were just as creative as art - simply creative and innovative in different ways.
Christina went on to study Physics with Astrophysics at university - the science of stars, planets and the universe - though, at the time, she had no clear idea what career this might lead to! Her first job after graduating was in a local council’s IT department. She hadn’t necessarily planned to go into technology, but she knew she wanted to work in public services, helping make people’s lives better through more efficient systems.
“Tech careers involve creativity, communication and collaboration just as much as technical skills.”
Over the years, Christina has built and led technology teams ranging from just five people to as many as one hundred and twenty, working across local government, the NHS, and universities. Today, she is Director of Community at Herd Consulting, where she champions entry-level roles in technology and helps people discover careers in tech they may never have considered.
One of Christina’s proudest achievements was chairing the development of a national apprenticeship qualification for digital careers in the UK - one that now has the best gender balance of all the digital apprenticeship routes available, helping thousands of people find their way into technology careers. She has also co-written two books, including “Careers in Tech, Data and Digital.”