Jacqueline de Rojas
Birth placeFolkestone, England
Birth nameJacqueline Yu
Other namesJacqueline Jones[1]
Birth date11 October 1962 (age 63)[2]
Alma materMiddlesex University
Reutlingen University
Employer
SpouseRoger Andrews[3]
Known forTechnology

Jacqueline de Rojas (born Jacqueline Yu 11 October 1962) is a British technology executive, non-executive director, and advocate for digital skills and technology leadership in the United Kingdom.[4][5] She has held senior leadership roles at global software companies including Citrix Systems, CA Technologies, and McAfee, and serves on the boards of several listed companies.[6] She is chair of the Bletchley Park Trust and co-chair of the Institute of Coding.[7]

de Rojas previously served as president of techUK from July 2015 to July 2022 and has been involved in national initiatives aimed at expanding digital skills education and increasing diversity in the technology sector.[8] Through the Institute of Coding, a national consortium of universities and technology companies, programmes developed under its leadership have engaged more than one million learners in digital skills courses across the United Kingdom.[9][10]

Early life and education

Born Jacqueline Yu in Folkestone, England, de Rojas is of mixed British and Chinese heritage.[11][12] She studied European Business through a dual-degree programme at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom and Reutlingen University (formerly Fachhochschule Reutlingen) in Germany.[2]

Early in her career she worked in technology sales at Synon before moving into senior executive roles in the enterprise software sector.[1]

Career

Executive career

de Rojas has had a career spanning more than three decades in the global technology industry. She has held senior leadership and executive positions at major technology companies including Citrix Systems, CA Technologies, Novell, McAfee, Sage Group, and SAP BusinessObjects.[13][2] [14][15][16]

Through these roles she contributed to enterprise software development, international business expansion, and digital transformation initiatives across global markets.[7]

Technology leadership and policy influence

de Rojas has contributed to national initiatives aimed at addressing the United Kingdom’s digital skills shortage and improving access to technology careers.[17] As president of techUK she advocated for closer collaboration between government, industry, and educational institutions in order to expand the UK’s digital workforce and strengthen national technology capability.[5]

In 2018 she was appointed co-chair of the Institute of Coding, a national consortium of universities and technology companies established to develop industry-aligned digital education programmes and broaden participation in computing and data science education. Programmes developed through the initiative have engaged more than one million learners across the UK.[7]

de Rojas has also spoken publicly about diversity and inclusion in the technology sector, calling for greater representation of women and under-represented groups in digital careers and leadership roles.[5]

Bletchley Park leadership

In October 2024, de Rojas was appointed chair of the board of trustees of the Bletchley Park Trust, becoming the first woman to lead the organisation responsible for preserving and promoting the historic site of Britain’s wartime codebreaking operations.[18]

Under her leadership, Bletchley Park has continued to expand its role as a centre for public engagement with the history of computing and intelligence, while also exploring connections between the site’s legacy and contemporary developments in artificial intelligence and digital technology.[7] Educational programmes and public events at the site increasingly address the relationship between historical codebreaking innovations and modern digital security, computing, and AI.[6]

de Rojas has also highlighted the role of women in wartime intelligence work, noting that a large proportion of Bletchley Park’s wartime codebreakers were women.[19]

Board positions

de Rojas has served on the boards of several publicly listed companies in the United Kingdom. Her current roles include Senior Independent Director and non-executive director at Rightmove and FDM Group, as well as non-executive director with board-level responsibility for sustainability at IFS AB.[18] She also serves as chair of the Bletchley Park Trust and co-chair of the Institute of Coding.[7] In addition to her board work, she is a mentor at Merryck & Co and a fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford.[20] Earlier in her governance career she served as a non-executive director of Costain Group, AO World, and Home Retail Group, and was previously president of techUK.[18]

Media and public engagement

de Rojas has appeared in national media discussing technology leadership, digital skills, and diversity in the technology sector. She was a guest on the Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4[21] and has been interviewed by publications including The Sunday Times [22]and The Independent.[23]

She has also participated in industry discussions and public events addressing artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and the future of technology education.[24] Through her work with Bletchley Park and other institutions, she has helped connect the historical legacy of wartime codebreaking with contemporary debates on computing, cybersecurity, and AI.[25]

de Rojas was appointed Bletchley Park Fellow at Kellogg College, Oxford in 2025, a fellowship linked to the college’s partnership with Bletchley Park and its research and public engagement on computing history and digital innovation.[6] In February 2026 she also participated in a public conversation at Kellogg College during Bletchley Park Week titled “The Age of AI,” where she discussed the development and societal implications of artificial intelligence drawing on her experience in the technology sector.[26]

Personal life

de Rojas is married to Roger Andrews; they have three children and several grandchildren.[27] She has spoken publicly about maintaining work–life balance through meditation and yoga.[28]

Awards and honours

References

  1. ^ Morrison, Caitlin (November 28, 2018). "A View from the Top: Jacqueline de Rojas on discrimination in tech". The Independent. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  2. ^ Kelly, Liam (16 February 2020). "Jacqueline de Rojas: how I got to the top in tech — with a joke". The Sunday Times
  3. ^ Shefferd, Neil (2024-10-29). "Bletchley Park Trust announces first ever female chair of the Board of Trustees". Milton Keynes Citizen. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  4. ^ "Jacqueline de Rojas CBE: oration". www.bath.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  5. ^ Murphy, Ian (2016-12-13). "Talking diversity with Jacqueline de Rojas". Enterprise Times. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  6. ^ "Kellogg welcomes Jacqueline de Rojas as Bletchley Park Fellow - Kellogg College". Kellogg College. Archived 2025-08-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  7. ^ "Bletchley Park Trust appoints first female chair of the Board of Trustees". Milton Keynes Citizen. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  8. ^ Symcox, Jonathan (2022-07-06). "New president and deputy unveiled by techUK". BusinessCloud. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  9. ^ "Most Influential Women in UK Tech: Computer Weekly’s Hall of Fame | Computer Weekly". ComputerWeekly.com. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  10. ^ "How Jacqueline de Rojas became the UK's titan of tech". www.managementtoday.co.uk
  11. ^ Team, •WATC Content (2015-07-17). "Inspirational woman: Jacqueline de Rojas | Executive at Citrix, board champion for women at techUK - WeAreTheCity | Information, Networking, jobs & events for women". WeAreTheCity.com. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  12. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Jacqueline de Rojas, President of techUK". BBC. 24 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Tech trailblazer honoured by University of Bath". www.bath.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  14. ^ "Tech pioneer Jacqueline de Rojas to co-chair new Institute of Coding". Bath.ac.uk. Archived 2018-11-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  15. ^ "Jacqueline de Rojas, President of techUK". BBC. 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  16. ^ "FDM Group taps Tech UK chair Jacqueline de Rojas to join board". CityAM. 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
  17. ^ "A View from the Top: Jacqueline de Rojas on tackling discrimination in tech". The Independent. 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  18. ^ Hollick, Cheryl (2024-10-03). "Jacqueline de Rojas CBE appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Bletchley Park Trust". Saxton Bampfylde - Global Executive Search & Leadership Consulting. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  19. ^ Heathman, Amelia (2018-03-08). "Women in tech: Jacqueline de Rojas, president of TechUK". The Standard. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  20. ^ "Jacqueline de Rojas CBE – Board Director | IFS". www.ifs.com. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  21. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Jacqueline de Rojas, President of techUK". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  22. ^ Kelly, Liam (2020-02-16). "Jacqueline de Rojas: how I got to the top in tech — with a joke". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  23. ^ "A View from the Top: Jacqueline de Rojas on tackling discrimination in tech". The Independent. 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  24. ^ Matache, Simona (2023-06-14). "Conversations with Jacqueline de Rojas CBE Podcast". Institute of Coding. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  25. ^ "Jacqueline de Rojas". Archives of IT. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  26. ^ Kellogg College, University of Oxford (2026-03-06). Meet Jacqueline de Rojas, Chair of Bletchley Park Trust. Retrieved 2026-03-12. – via YouTube.
  27. ^ "Jacqueline de Rojas CBE | President, TechUK". WeAreTechWomen - Supporting Women in Technology. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  28. ^ "Bletchley Park announces new Chair of the Board of Trustees". Bletchley Park. 2024-10-01. Archived 2024-11-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  29. ^ "Top 50 Most Influential Women in UK IT 2015". ComputerWeekly.com. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  30. ^ "Variety Celebrates Incredible Women at the Second Catherine Awards". Variety.org.uk. 2017-11-27. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  31. ^ Cook, James. "Here are all the UK tech figures named in the Queen's New Year's Honours list". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  32. ^ "AI chief Demis Hassabis becomes a CBE". BBC News. 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  33. ^ "Most Influential Women in UK IT 2018: Entrants to the Hall of Fame". ComputerWeekly.com. Retrieved 2018-12-07.