- What does your job role entail?
- How did you get into the cybersecurity industry?
- What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?
- What are you doing to support other women, and/or to increase diversity, in the tech/cyber industry?
- Who has inspired you in your life/career?
Organised by Eskenzi PR in media partnership with the IT Security Guru, the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards aim to shed light on the remarkable women in our industry. The following is a feature on one of 2026’s Top 20 women selected by an esteemed panel of judges. Presented in a Q&A format, the nominee’s answers are written in their own words.
In 2026, the awards were sponsored by BT, Bridewell, Plexal and Fidelity International. Community partners included WiCyS UK & Ireland Affiliate, Women in Tech and Cybersecurity Hub (WiTCH) and Seidea.
What does your job role entail?
As CEO of Photarix, I lead the development and commercialisation of telecom-wavelength quantum emitter hardware for communication and next-generation cybersecurity applications. Our work focuses on enabling quantum-secure communication systems that can protect critical data and infrastructure in the future. My role involves shaping the company’s strategy, building partnerships across the photonics and cybersecurity sectors, securing funding, and working closely with researchers and engineers to translate advanced photonics research into deployable technologies.
How did you get into the cybersecurity industry?
My path into cybersecurity came through my background in photonics and quantum technologies. During my academic research, I worked on single-photon light sources, which are key hardware components for quantum communication systems that can enable fundamentally secure data transmission.
As the research progressed, I became increasingly interested in how these scientific advances could move beyond the laboratory and be translated into practical technologies. This led me to focus on commercialisation and ultimately to founding Photarix, where we develop telecom-wavelength single-photon hardware designed to support quantum-secure communication networks.
My journey into cybersecurity has therefore come through the hardware side of the field—building the photonic technologies that will underpin the next generation of secure communication infrastructure.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the tech/cyber industry and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges has been being taken seriously at the intersection of deep-tech, hardware and cybersecurity, which are still heavily male-dominated fields. Especially in the early stages, I sometimes found that people were surprised to see a female founder leading a highly technical photonics and quantum hardware company.
Rather than seeing this purely as a barrier, I focused on letting the technology and the work speak for itself. Building strong collaborations with researchers and industry partners, demonstrating the real-world impact of our technology, and consistently delivering results helped establish credibility.
Over time, I’ve also realised that visibility matters. By being present in the ecosystem and sharing my experience, I hope to contribute to making it easier for more women to enter and lead in deep-tech and cybersecurity.
What are you doing to support other women, and/or to increase diversity, in the tech/cyber industry?
I believe that visibility and access are both important when it comes to improving diversity in technology and cybersecurity. Through my work as a founder in the photonics and quantum technology space, I try to highlight that deep-tech and hardware innovation are areas where women can and should play leading roles.
I regularly engage with students, early-career researchers and entrepreneurs, sharing my experiences of moving from academia into deep-tech entrepreneurship and commercialising research. More broadly, I try to support and encourage women students across disciplines, as I know how important role models can be in helping people imagine what is possible for their own careers.
I often participate in talks, panels and outreach activities to share my journey, and I also try to help students or early-career researchers who reach out for advice. Even small conversations can make a difference in helping someone believe that a path in deep-tech or cybersecurity is something they can pursue.
More broadly, I believe that strengthening the bridge between academia, startups and industry can help create more accessible pathways for diverse talent to enter and thrive in these sectors.
Who has inspired you in your life/career?
I’ve been inspired by different people at different stages of my life and career. Growing up, my father had a big influence on me. He was a businessman, and seeing his passion for building things, creating value and taking risks made me want to pursue a similar path of creating and developing ideas.
Throughout my career, I’ve also been inspired by many strong women I’ve encountered along the way. Each of them has given me a different perspective, strength and confidence to pursue ambitious goals in fields where women are still underrepresented.
Finally, one of the most symbolic inspirations for me is Marie Curie. During my PhD I was funded through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, which always reminded me of the incredible legacy she left for science and for women in research. Her story continues to be a powerful example of perseverance, curiosity and impact.
