After finishing school, Sue went to university and had the chance to do a work placement year at a company called Rank Xerox. This experience sparked her interest in how technology could help businesses run better. During this time, she also took part in a programme that places science and engineering students into industry roles, where she first learned about WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) and began to notice how few women worked in these fields.
After working in industry for a while, Sue took a career break to raise her children. Once they were a bit more independent, she went back to university to retrain as a teacher, and spent time teaching business and computing. Eventually, she started her own business, gradually growing it until she was working on it full time.
“What matters most is staying curious, making the most of the opportunities that come your way, and following what excites you, one step at a time.”
Sue didn’t have a specific role model who inspired her into STEM - she was simply drawn to working with computers and finding ways to make systems run more smoothly. Today, she is the Director of Databayes Ltd, a company that helps businesses build reporting tools using software like Power BI and Excel. She has earned multiple professional certifications from Microsoft and has even been recognised as a Microsoft Data Platform “Most Valuable Professional” - a title given to people who go above and beyond to share their knowledge with others.
Sue is honest that she’s faced plenty of challenges along the way, and that sometimes you simply have to confront your fears and keep going, with the support of a good community around you.