Influential Technologist + Purpose = Impact. Avril Chester is an accomplished Chief Technology Officer (CTO), award-winning Entrepreneur and a Patron. Recognised among the top 20 most influential women in UK tech by Computer Weekly for two consecutive years.
Avril is a strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial soul. She thrives in the exploratory space where ideas are sparked, shaped, implemented, and readied for growth. She brings the joy of ideation and a contagious energy, thinks big and transforms ideas into reality. Equally comfortable in the boardroom or innovation lab, with experience spanning established organisations across multiple industries and a successful start‑up. She brings energy, curiosity and a collaborative spirit to every challenge, making the complex feel possible and the journey genuinely fun.
As Founder of Cancer Central, Avril brought together over 300 volunteers and 60 organisations, collectively donating more than 70,000 hours. The award‑winning AI platform supported over 10,000 people, informed the development of the global Cancer Platform and during the pandemic, delivered a clinically approved solution for NHS Scotland that handled over 1 million COVID enquiries.
As CTO, Avril champions technology at the heart of board‑level strategy, driving data platforms, digital innovation, cyber resilience, governance modernisation and growth enablement.
Avril is Patron of Your SimPal, the only UK charity providing six months’ free SIM cards and phones to people affected by cancer, poor health, or digital poverty.
