The development of the archive is made possible by our team of specialists (click a name to find out more):
Tola Sargeant, CEO
Tola joined AIT as its Chief Executive Officer in September 2024 to spearhead the charity’s aims to capture, preserve and share the voices of people from the UK IT and Telecommunications industry and inspire the next generation.
Tola encapsulates AIT’s mission of Capturing the Past, Inspiring the Future having been a trustee since 2021 and has spent the past three decades analysing the IT sector with a deep knowledge of, and interest in, both the history of tech in the UK and its future.
Background
Much of her working life has been spent talking to, and working with, senior leaders from across the UK tech market, most recently as Chief Executive at TechMarketView. While there, from 2009 to 2024, she launched and led its successful PublicSectorViews research stream and worked closely with both suppliers and public sector organisations, providing insight on the market and advising on strategy before being promoted to Managing Director.
Before this she was Practice Leader at Ovum (now Omdia), an independent analyst and consultancy firm, from 2002 to 2009, where she led its Geographies & Industries practice, with responsibility for government and healthcare IT research globally.
Tola is also a member of the King’s Trust (formerly Prince’s Trust) Technology Leadership Group, where she chaired the business development sub-group for the charity, helping to secure much needed funds, and is now working with the trust’s the Digital Skills sub-group where there will be more of a cross-over with AIT’s objectives.
As well as this, Tola is an active supporter of the Greenpower Education Trust, which inspires young people into STEM through designing, building and running electric cars.
Stephanie Nield - Archivist
Stephanie is an Archivist who has worked in archives and records management for the NHS, government, universities and the charity sector. She believes in the power of archives to tell a good story and the positive impact this can have on people’s lives
Adrian Murphy - PR and Communications
Adrian Murphy has joined AIT as our PR and Communications Manager. He brings with him more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist, digital editor and communications professional, half of which has been writing and communicating about the cultural sector.
Katie Anderson - Education Lead
Katie graduated from the University of Winchester in 2019, with a BEd (Hons) in Primary Education (QTS). Since then, she has gone on to achieve her Qualified Teacher Status, working in a Junior School. Katie has worked in a variety of education and child care settings for a number of years and is passionate about creating engaging and motivating lessons to help all learners achieve their full potential.
Katie is enthusiastic about helping AIT in develop their education programme and working with other education professionals and organisations in order to increase awareness and the child audience to the IT industry.
Ravi Chagger – Education Outreach Programme Lead
Jane Bird - Interviewer
Jane is an award-winning freelance business and technology journalist. She is a long-standing contributor to the Financial Times, and previously was technology editor of The Sunday Times and editor of Personal Computer World. She has also presented, and contributed to, numerous TV and radio programmes about technology.
Lynda Feeley - Abstract Writer
Lynda is an experienced PR having worked in many sectors including education, publishing, professional bodies, and retail. For the last twelve years, she has worked in technology PR and is passionate about helping to raise awareness of the need for greater diversity and inclusion in science, tech, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Mark Jones - Adviser
Mark graduated from Cambridge in 1977 with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science and started work as a software developer. He set up an IT consultancy with three other colleagues in 1985, specialising in financial trading infrastructures. Mark became a senior project manager, running £100m technology projects in the City and advising clients at board level. He retired in 2013 after 36 years in the IT industry.
Dr Elisabetta Mori - Interviewer
Elisabetta Mori holds a Ph.D in History and Philosophy of Computing at Middlesex University, London. Her research focus is the European history of computing, with a special interest in software preservation and Human-Computer interaction. She is a professionally trained oral historian of computing. She is a member of the French ANR-funded project PROGRAMme, a member of the Computer Conservation Society, a member of the LEO Computers Society and an external member of the the Business and Labour History Group at the University of Sydney. She is currently collaborating with Software Heritage, the Museum of Computing Machinery of the University of Pisa and with Archives of IT.
Richard Sharpe - Interviewer
Richard is a long-time journalist covering IT and computing and sometime Adjunct Professor at the University of California. He is author of “Health online services” in “Information in Healthcare”, edited by Abbott, Blankley, Bryant and Bullas published by the BCS. He co-edited and co-published the newsletters “Computer product update”, “Software markets” and PC markets”.