Following the very sad news that Dame Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley – the inspirational founder of Xansa (formerly FI Group), which became part of our Sopra Steria family in 2007 – has died aged 91, we remember a once-in-a-generation tech pioneer.
Forming Freelance Programmers – later known as FI Group and then Xansa – in the 1960s, Dame Stephanie was decades ahead of her time, empowering women to pursue careers in the technology sector by offering flexible working practices for women with children.
A trailblazer for women in tech and a hugely successful entrepreneur, Dame Stephanie was also widely known for her philanthropy. Amongst the many millions she donated to good causes, she founded Autistica – the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity.
At Sopra Steria, her altruism has been – and continues to be – life-changing for many past, present and future employees. Our Employee Trust, which exists to benefit colleagues in the UK and India, was established in 1981 thanks to Dame Stephanie's gift of shares. Since then, thousands of colleagues have benefited from her generosity.
Today, it provides financial support to employees suffering personal hardship; supplies free 'matching' shares for our Share Incentive Plan scheme; donates to charities that our employees support outside of work; and funds training and education for our people above and beyond traditional career development opportunities.
John Neilson, Sopra Steria UK CEO, said: “We’re extremely saddened by the loss of Dame Stephanie and will be forever proud and grateful for how she’s shaped our organisation.
“An inspiration to so many in our sector, she was a truly special individual who has left an amazing legacy – not least for our employees. Through her generosity alone she embodied what we aspire to be – a people first organisation that makes a real difference to the communities we’re part of.”
Hilary Robertson, Strategy Director and Employee Trust Board Member, added: “Steve was well aware of the female talent that left the workforce once women were married and caring for children. By offering flexible hours and paying for work done – not time in an office – she offered so many talented female programmers the opportunity to continue working and benefit from the organisation’s financial success.
“Her philanthropy lives on through our Employee Trust, which wouldn’t exist without her generous donation. Thanks to her, more than 40 years on, we’re able to empower colleagues with shares and provide support in times of need.”