As part of our International Women’s Day 2026 Spotlight Series, we’re proud to shine a light on Katherine, one of Multiply Technology’s Board members. This year’s theme, Give to Gain, celebrates the power of generosity in leadership—the idea that when we share our time, knowledge and support, we enable others to grow while strengthening our organisations and communities.
Katherine has been part of Multiply’s journey since the beginning, bringing a career that spans tech start‑ups, multinational corporations and government. Her commitment to mentoring emerging talent, sharing knowledge across sectors and paying forward opportunities embodies the very spirit of Give to Gain. Through her strategic insight and her generous approach to leadership, she continues to help shape Multiply’s growth and culture. Today, we celebrate Katherine’s impact and the countless ways that giving unlocks progress for everyone.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your role on Multiply Technology’s Board.
I’ve been a part of Multiply’s journey since its inception. I have a passion for supporting founders creating new opportunities and solving problems with innovative technology. My own career journey has spanned tech start-ups, multinational corporations and government. That has given me deep insight into diverse stakeholders’ perspectives as well as skills in building partnerships across sectoral and organisational boundaries. My role on Multiply’s Board is to help the company keep sight of long-term strategy; ensure good governance; and support Natasha as she builds her team and scales the business.
2. This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Give to Gain’. What does this mean to you personally and professionally?
“Give to Gain” is one of the tenets I live by, both personally and professionally. I believe in the concept of “paying forward” – putting good out into the world, helping others where I can and seeing where that leads. I particularly enjoy giving my time to mentor and coach younger women in their careers and building their confidence to take risks and achieve their goals. In my experience, being open and generous with my knowledge and networks has always led to new connections and opportunities that benefit me as much as the those whom I’ve supported.
3. Why is it important to have women represented on the Board, and how does this support progress toward gender equality in leadership?
I believe that the key to success in business stems from curiosity and creativity – coupled with drive and diligence to solve problems and see things through. This is why I invest time in engaging very young people as a STEM Ambassador to encourage them to consider the future careers in technology and science that will harness those skills. In my experience, women have these assets in abundance – developed not only through their academic and professional experiences but also through the many other roles women play as mothers, sisters, daughters, aunties, friends, mentors, etc. It’s well-established that diversity of thought leads to better decision-making and organisational performance. Women operating at Board level not only benefit the organisations they work with; they demonstrate the benefits of female leadership to society at large, and young people in particular – challenging stereotypes and biases.
4. In your view, how does sharing knowledge help accelerate the advancement of women in technology and leadership roles?
I’ve always believed that sharing knowledge is crucial to realising potential and solving problems. This is why I chair a global knowledge-sharing network that fosters collaboration across the research community, industry and government and serve as a Trustee for a national student society, amongst other roles. There are still not enough female tech leaders and having other women and allies share their insights, lessons learned and connections can accelerate their path to developing their own leadership confidence and skills.
5. Can you share an example of how collaboration has helped create a more supportive, interconnected business environment in your career?
My career has spanned from developing new global lines of business for major corporations to building international scale-up companies to leading transformative cross-cutting government policies and programmes. In each of these endeavours, success could only be achieved through working in partnership with stakeholders: whether they were suppliers; other business units/government departments; or end-users who collaborated in developing new use cases and refining solutions. Collaborating authentically – so that each stakeholder’s needs and priorities were understood and valued – not only created a more supportive working environment, it always led to better outcomes. Collaboration unleashes creativity, unlocks opportunity and greatly strengthens the ability to identify and address risks and issues that might otherwise stand in the way of success.