Hema Purohit

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK in 2024.

Hema has been in technology for more than 33 years, working across all industries but specialising in the public sector, health & life sciences. She is passionate about women in tech, bringing opportunities to those who are most deserving and paying forward in life, saying, "A helping hand goes a long way."

She is a Fellow of BCS, and an NED for Birmingham Women & Children's Hospital, which she is "enjoying massively!"

How did you get into IT?

In error! A four-week temping contract many moons ago opened up a career that is now more than 33 years strong in tech!

What do you consider your greatest IT achievement of the last 12 months?

Developing a strategy around Intelligent Hospitals of the Future, and being immersed in developing generative AI solutions for the future, bringing them across industries for transformation! In addition to this, launching a Women's Health Campaign through my role at BCS, where I'm a Fellow, and joining Birmingham Women & Children's Hospital as an NED!

How do you ensure diversity is taken into account in your IT recruitment?

By leading from the front - being the face of diversity in my various roles and ensuring there is a mix of applicants from all walks of life. Pushing back where this isn't the case and supporting the use of language that is appealing to all to increase applications from everyone. By coaching women in tech to not shy away from careers and jobs where they don't have the full skillset and helping to build confidence that ability will shine through.

Which technology are you currently most excited by, and why?

Generative AI in all of its forms, and especially the use cases in healthcare & life sciences. There is so much potential to build a world where preventative care and precision medicine assisted and powered by AI will enhance the standard of living for all people of ages and walks of life, and will pioneer new developments for cures and treatments. The possibilities are endless and the next decade will see a revolution in the world of health & life science, and I'm proud to be a technologist in this space. And that's just ONE of the use cases I'm excited about!

What would an outsider find the most surprising part of your job?

That I'm not interested in selling! I'm interested and passionate about finding solutions, but often times outsiders view vendors with a single lens and assume we all just want to sell to them, when I personally want to work with customers to innovate and build for the future.

What's your secret talent?

I'm a trained Henna Artist (& certified) as well as being a technologist.

What makes you laugh?

Myself mostly! I often giggle at the smallest of things and am easily amused by the things from childhood that made me laugh: jokes, people, shapes, sometimes nothing other than a look from a bestie or an eye roll to get me going.