In an industry still dominated by men and shaped by rapid technological change, it’s rare to find a leader who stands out not only for her professional achievements, but for the perspective she brings to the role.
As one of the few female managing directors in the managed IT services sector – and proudly neurodivergent – Sarah Smith of ReformIT is challenging long-held assumptions about what leadership in tech looks like.
SoGlos sits down with her to find out how her new role is going at the Gloucestershire-based managed service provider (MSP).
With your new role, you’re now part of a very small group of female managing directors in the IT sector. What is that like for you – and what does representation mean in this industry?
It’s been energising and grounding at the same time. Day-to-day, I’m still me, focused on people, delivery and clear communication, but I’m very aware that visibility matters. When women, clients and our team see a female MD in an MSP, it quietly resets expectations.
Representation isn’t about a headline – it’s about the decisions we make, the standards we set and whether people feel they belong and can progress here.
Our culture is anchored in integrity, accountability, trust and compassion, so the 'how' matters as much as the 'what'. That’s the bar I hold myself to.
Why do you think women remain under-represented in senior leadership roles in the tech world?
A lot of talented women never see a path into senior roles because job design, progression and flexibility weren’t built with them in mind. Add in hiring bias, networking that happens before the kids are at school and role descriptions that read like wish lists not outcomes – many give up early in the hiring process.
I'd change things by writing roles to outcomes, making flexibility normal not exceptional, being transparent about pay and progression and holding leaders to account for pipeline and promotion decisions.
And by also telling the stories of women doing the work now. That’s what turns 'I might' into 'I will'.
You’ve spoken openly about being neurodivergent. How has neurodiversity shaped your approach to leadership, problem-solving and the way you run the business?
Honestly, I see neurodiversity as a real asset in my role. I’m pretty good at spotting patterns, untangling messy processes and getting things moving from problem to solution without too much fuss.
I really value clarity, so I tend to stick to plain-English communication, clear ownership and simple ways to measure if something’s working. That approach doesn’t just help me, it makes life easier for everyone in the business.
I’m also quite open about how I manage my energy and handle switching between different tasks – and I encourage others to do the same.
I think when leaders are upfront about how they work best, it gives everyone else permission to figure out what works for them, too.
What do you think the tech sector gets right – or wrong – about supporting neurodivergent professionals?
What it's currently getting right is that more companies now appreciate different thinking styles and are open to flexible work, written-first comms and clear priorities.
But what it's unfortunately still getting wrong is performative policies without operational follow through. If your ticket queues, meeting cadences and KPIs still reward constant interruption and speed over quality, you’ll burn people out.
My view is that companies should audit how work actually flows (for example, handoffs, SLAs, escalation paths) and design for focus time as aggressively as you design for responsiveness.
You’ve watched Neil Smith lead the company for 16 years before stepping into your current role. What did you learn from observing his leadership during that time?
I learned that consistency beats theatrics. Show up, tell the truth, keep your promises and look after clients and staff, especially when it’s inconvenient.
I also saw the value of founder-level persistence and relationship-building in a local market. Those habits shaped how I run service delivery and cross-team comms today; and they’re why our MD/Founder partnership works so well – we have different strengths but the same standards.
Can you walk us through your journey to becoming MD? What were the pivotal moments that prepared you for this role?
I came in owning operations and marketing, then took on service delivery rhythms and cross-functional process fixes.
That combination – how we communicate, how we deliver – meant I was living at the join between promise and execution.
I actioned some key inflection points, such as restructuring responsibilities after leadership changes in service delivery; formalising role design so people knew where decisions sat; and saying 'yes' to work that made the business measurably better, not just busier. Those steps set me up for the role of MD.
You describe yours and Neil’s split roles as MD and founder/CEO as working incredibly well. What makes the partnership effective and how do your strengths complement one another?
Neil and I are really aligned when it comes to the values and goals we have for the business, so we honestly don’t disagree very often.
When we do see things differently, we make the most of our leadership team and bring them into the conversation to help us find the best way forward. It’s a very open and collaborative setup and I think that’s why it works so well for us and for the company.
On a personal level we just get each other. We know where each others strengths are and trust in our ability to deliver our own areas of responsibility.
Now that you’re not only part of the company, but actively shaping its future, what’s your vision for the next few years?
For me, it’s all about keeping IT straightforward, secure and genuinely useful for our clients. We want people to actually feel the difference in how we work, not just see it on a report.
Internally, that means making sure everyone knows their role, building in more automation so things run smoothly and always improving how we communicate with clients. If there’s an issue, it should be clear and easy to understand, not something that causes stress or confusion.
We’re proud to be a Cyber Essentials certification body and an NCSC Assured Service Provider. We’re actually the only MSP in the county with our level of IASME accreditations; and that’s not just a badge for us – it’s about setting the standard for security and trust.
AI is coming in fast and it’s only going to get bigger in the months and years ahead. For us, it’s not about chasing the latest trend, it’s about making sure we use AI securely and safely, both for ourselves and for our clients.
I’m also investing in my own skills, like my recent passing of IAMSE assessor-level training, so we keep leading from the front and don’t just talk about what good looks like, we actually deliver it.
What advice would you give to women – especially, neurodivergent women – looking to step into senior leadership roles within tech?
Treat your brain like the superpower it is. Get to know yourself. And ask yourself, when do you do your best work? How do you like to take in information? What throws you off track? What helps you stay at your best?
Ask for structure. You deserve clear goals, clear owners and a rhythm that makes sense. If a company cannot give you that, ask yourself if it is the right place to grow.
Surround yourself with people who lift you up. Mentors will guide you and sponsors will open doors – find both.
And do not hold back your voice. Share your ideas; write the plan; and present the data! Leadership that speaks plainly and confidently goes a long way.
I will actually be working on building a community of female MDs in the new year, so that I can find more people in my position who can share knowledge and support each other.
