Join our panel of speakers as they discuss the opportunities and challenges of a career in computer science and coding, drawing on their range of experience to reflect upon the diverse range of career choices and the skills required to succeed.
‘Perspectives’ is a series of free, public lectures hosted by Bolton School. They are free to attend and open to pupils in Year 9 and above, parents, alumni, and all other members of the School and local community.
Speakers:
Niall Woodward (Class of 2016)
Niall is the Co-Founder & CTO of SELECT a B2B (business to business) software product which helps customers optimise and monitor their Snowflake cloud data warehouse. Today, SELECT has over 50 paying customers. Prior to starting SELECT, Niall worked as a data engineer at a consultancy and small startups. Niall is an open-source enthusiast, creating and maintaining several projects. He studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London, and A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Electronics at Bolton School.
Emma Arandjelović (née Shepherd Class of 1999)
After graduating with a 1st class BSc in Computer Science from Warwick, Emma first took up a position as a software engineer at IBM in Hursley. In 2005 she joined the team tasked with building the UK's national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source, and has since pursued a career in control systems engineering including four years spent in Melbourne at the Australian Synchrotron. She now works for the consultancy firm Observatory Sciences Ltd. and is currently involved in the software development effort for the world’s largest radio telescope, SKAO. Emma also completed a music degree with the Open College of the Arts and works part time as a composer.
Rosie Dandy (Class of 2019) – Business Analyst at AstraZeneca
Rosie pursued a four-year IT Degree Apprenticeship at AstraZeneca, graduating with First Class Honors in Digital and Technology Solutions from Manchester Metropolitan. Despite no IT background, she won Best Overall Mark, Best Performing Student, and Outstanding Project awards. As a passionate advocate for Women in STEM, Rosie encourages the younger generation to challenge tech career stereotypes.
Freddie Higham (Class of 2022) – Currently studying for a degree in Computer Science at York
Freddie is currently studying Computer Science at the University of York. For him, university has been a great chance to further his knowledge of the subject and begin to understand what he wants to do in the future. Game development has always been a big passion for him and he has enjoyed being the chair of the Game Development Society at the university. He is currently looking towards getting a software development placement as part of a “Year in Industry” program next academic year.
