International Women’s Day: Spotlighting the Women Shaping Celerity’s Future

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across our business and within the technology industry, recognise the progress that has been made, and reflect on the work still to be done to create a more inclusive and diverse technology industry.

This year, the global theme is ‘Give To Gain’, which emphasises the power of reciprocity and support, so we’re shining a light on two of the women helping to shape Celerity’s services, culture and future. We spoke to Iqra and Tej about their roles, the work they’re most proud of, and what International Women’s Day means to them.

Iqra Haq is our Security Operations Team Lead, responsible for helping to keep Celerity’s infrastructure, devices and data secure, while also supporting customers with the management of their SIEM environments. Her day-to-day work is varied, from responding to real-time security alerts to testing and implementing new tools and techniques to strengthen our cyber security capabilities.  

One of the projects Iqra is most proud of is her contribution to developing Celerity’s Managed SIEM service. The service has played a key role in supporting new client onboarding, strengthening relationships with existing customers and improving overall security posture across client environments.

Beyond the technical impact, the work has also created opportunities for mentoring within the team. Iqra has been closely involved in supporting a placement student, sharing practical knowledge and helping them build confidence in a complex and fast-moving area of cyber security – something she finds particularly rewarding.

When asked what advice she would give to women looking to build a career in technology, Iqra is clear about the importance of staying true to yourself and recognising the value of different perspectives:

 “Your perspective is powerful, don’t shrink or change yourself to fit someone else’s. Given how much the world changes, and especially technology with it, it’s so vital to have diversity in this field. And we need more women and their perspectives in the tech industry, especially within the cyber security sector.”  

From Iqra’s perspective, the future-focused nature of Celerity’s services helps open doors and create meaningful opportunities for women to contribute, grow and find their place within the organisation.  

We asked Iqra what International Women’s Day means to her personally:

“International Women’s Day, to me, is a powerful reminder of the generations of women who came before us, women who fought under far tougher circumstances so that we could have the opportunities we have today. I still remember the stories my grandmothers would tell me about how they fought for their right to an education. Their courage, resilience, and willingness to challenge inequality laid the foundations for the progress we often take for granted…

It’s also a day that highlights how that fight isn’t over. Around the world, many women are still facing barriers, discrimination, and limited access to opportunities. IWD gives us a moment to acknowledge those realities while also celebrating the amazing strides that have been made. Most importantly, it’s a day that fills me with appreciation and hope. The progress achieved by previous generations means that more women today, including women like me working in tech, are able to learn, lead, and thrive in spaces that weren’t always accessible. IWD is a chance to celebrate that progress, recognise the work still ahead, and honour the women whose determination continues to open doors for the rest of us.”

 Tej Patel is leading the Engineering team at Celerity, leading on DevOps and engineering across the business. 

A recent highlight for Tej was running an Automations and AI Workflows session at Celerity’s latest tech conference. With artificial intelligence continuing to dominate conversations across the industry, Tej led an interactive session that encouraged attendees to explore new ways technology can support processes, with people remaining at the heart of delivery.

The session focused on collaboration, new perspectives and practical thinking about how AI and automation can be used responsibly and effectively.

When offering advice to women considering a career in technology, Tej keeps it simple, but powerful:

“Believe in yourself, make the effort to get to know people across the business, and don’t be afraid to seek guidance from a mentor.”

Tej also shared that she has never personally felt a barrier to being a woman in tech at Celerity , something she believes speaks volumes about the culture and environment within the company.  

We asked Tej what International Women’s Day means to her personally:

“It’s a day to reflect on the incredible girls I have around me – We always say the phrase “I’m just a girl” and then go on to become high achievers through working hard, inspiring each other and most importantly, always showing up.”

The stories shared by Iqra and Tej highlight not only the impact women are making across Celerity’s technical services, but also the importance of inclusive cultures, visible role models and opportunities to grow.

This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to celebrate the women who help drive our business forward, and to continue building a workplace where everyone can make an impact and thrive.