Chair’s Award 2024

Chair’s Award 2024
Chair's Award 2024 winner Vin Murria OBE with Diversity UK Trustees Ramesh Vala CBE, Lopa Patel MBE and Sareeta Vala.

Tech titan Vin Murria OBE, founder of Advanced Computer Software plc, was named Top Asian in UK Tech 2024 by equality charity Diversity UK, publishers of the Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech list and the Asian Tech Pioneers index. The Chair’s Award was presented by Lopa Patel MBE, Chair of the Judging Panel and Trustees of Diversity UK at the launch of the tenth anniversary edition of the list.

Chair of the Judging Panel 2024, Lopa Patel MBE, said in her citation: “Vin Murria has had an outstanding career in the tech sector and is one of the original tech pioneers of this country. Armed with a first class BSc Honours degree in Computer Science, and an MBA, she has spent over a decade building her own tech company followed by twenty years of M&A activity in the software sector. She has smashed the glass ceiling for women in FTSE companies, the AIM market and within entrepreneurship. Vin has remained focused in her drive to create better-performing companies, driven by technological advancement, and she has truly mastered the art of deal-making. Her determination, razor-sharp intelligence and keen eye for an opportunity has brought her success and prosperity. We are delighted that she has engaged with the Asians in Tech initiative so enthusiastically over the years, always ready to offer help, support and advice to budding entrepreneurs. Away from work, she founded a charitable PS Foundation, to help educate and support women in the UK and in India.

Vin Murria she is a role model for young women the world over and a truly inspirational Chair’s Award winner. Congratulations!

About Vin Murria OBE
Founder – Advanced Computer Software plc

Vin Muria’s career has included a combination of venture capital, private equity and CEO/operational experience, centred around twenty years of M&A activity in the software sector. She was founder and Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Computer a consolidator in the healthcare and business solutions sector which, in March 2015 was acquired by Vista Private Equity for c$1Bn, and Founder and CEO of Computer Software Group plc, which exited to equity vehicle Hellman Friedman in July 2007 for circa $800m. Prior to this she was COO at Kewill Systems plc (exited in March 2000 at a market valuation of $1.8bn).

Vin is non-executive director at FTSE250 Softcat plc and FTSE 100 Bunzl plc, Advisor & Investor at Hg Capital and NM Rothschilds. Previously she was NED at Sophos Plc, Zoopla acquired by Thomo Bravo and Silverlake respectively and Chime Plc and Greenko Plc, acquired by Providence and GIC Private respectively.

Vin was named Overall Asian Woman of the Year(2010), Cisco’s Woman of the Year (2012), and Tech Entrepreneur of Year (2012) whilst Advanced was named Tech Company of Year (2014) having grown to be the 3rd largest UK headquartered Software Business. Vin has a first class BSc Hons degree in Computer Science, and an MBA. She was awarded an honorary doctorate by Edinburgh Napier University and in 2018, she received an OBE for services to the British digital economy, as well as for advancing women in the software sector. In 2007 Vin formed and fully funded a charitable foundation targeted at educating and supporting women in India and the UK.