Sheree Atcheson

Sri Lankan born professional changing the game for women in it.

- Tina Edward Gunawardhana

A ‘change maker’, ‘industry leader’ and one of the ‘most influential women in IT’ are just some of the words used to describe Sheree Atcheson, 26, who is a Technical Business Consultant at Deloitte UK.A Computer Science alumna from Queen’s University Belfast, Sheree is also credited with founding the ‘Women Who Code’ organisation in Belfast and as their UK Expansion Director has established branches in London, Edinburgh and Bristol. Her credentials have enabled her to address several global forums such as the World Economic Forum and One Young World. Adopted by a Belfast couple when she was an infant, Sheree returned to Sri Lanka to spend her honeymoon and felt a real connection to the country. This sparked a hunt for her birth mother and recently Sheree and her husband returned to Sri Lanka to be reunited with her birth mother Dingiri Amma and the rest of her extended family. Buoyed by this, Sheree has also launched the ‘I Am Lanka’ organization which aims to highlight other Sri Lankans who are role models and can be an inspiration to others. A former part time model, Sheree is also on a mission to get more women involved in the IT industry and is seen as a flag bearer working tirelessly to eradicate gender bias within the industry. Driven by her determination to succeed, Sheree is using her position in the IT industry to inspire others and set the benchmark for others to follow suit.

What made you embark on a journey into the digital industry?

I have always been interested in computing. My cousin was a leading software engineer for NYSE and this always intrigued me. I had always wanted to create programs, as opposed to using them and this shaped the A Levels I chose, alongside the degree I decided to study at university.

How easy was it to get into employment after graduating?