Steve Shirley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame
Steve Shirley
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Shirley in 2013
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| Born |
Vera Stephanie Buchthal
16 September 1933 |
| Occupation | Businesswoman and philanthropist |
| Organization | Freelance Programmers (Xansa, now part of SopraSteria) The Shirley Foundation; Oxford Internet Institute; Autism at Kingwood; Prior's Court Foundation; Autistica; Autism Cymru; All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism |
| Known for | Philanthropy and founding the IT company Freelance Programmers (now part of Sopra Steria) |
| Awards | FREng (2001) CHM Fellow (2018) |
| Honours | DBE CH Multiple doctorates |
Dame Stephanie Shirley, also known as Steve Shirley, is a truly inspiring person. She is a pioneer in the world of computers and a very successful businesswoman. She is also a kind-hearted philanthropist, meaning she gives a lot of her money to help others. Born in Germany, she came to Britain as a child refugee. She later built a huge technology company and dedicated her life to supporting important causes, especially those related to autism.
Contents
Early Life and Refugee Journey
Escaping Danger as a Child
Steve Shirley was born Vera Buchthal in Dortmund, Germany, in 1933. Her father was a judge who lost his job because of the Nazi government. When she was just five years old, in July 1939, she arrived in Britain. She came with her nine-year-old sister, Renate, as a child refugee. This journey was part of the Kindertransport program, which saved many children from danger.
New Home and School
Steve was placed with foster parents in Sutton Coldfield, a town in the Midlands. She later said she was very lucky to have been saved. She was reunited with her birth parents later, but she felt a stronger bond with her foster family. Steve believes her early experiences helped her adapt to changes throughout her life.
After attending a convent school, she moved to Oswestry, near the Welsh border. There, she went to the Oswestry Girls' High School. Her school did not teach mathematics, which she loved. So, she got special permission to take math classes at the local boys' school. She remembered her time in Oswestry as five peaceful and wonderful years.
Building a Career in Technology
Starting in the Computer World
After finishing school, Steve decided not to go to university right away. She wanted to work in a field that used math and technology. When she was 18, she became a British citizen and changed her name to Stephanie Brook.
In the 1950s, Steve worked at the Post Office Research Station. This was a place where new technologies were developed. She helped build computers from scratch and wrote computer code. She also studied in the evenings for six years to earn a degree in mathematics. In 1959, she joined CDL Ltd, a company that designed computers.
Founding a Unique Company
In 1959, Steve married Derek Shirley, a physicist. With only £6, she started her own software company called Freelance Programmers. This company later became known as F International and then Xansa. Today, it is part of the Sopra Steria Group.
Steve had faced unfair treatment at work because she was a woman. She wanted to create job opportunities for women who had families. So, her company mostly hired women. In fact, out of the first 300 staff, only three were men! This changed after 1975, when a law made it illegal to hire only women. Steve also started using the name "Steve" in business. She found that letters signed with her real name, Stephanie, often didn't get replies in the male-dominated business world.
Her company worked on many important projects. One famous project was programming the black box flight recorder for the Concorde airplane. This device records flight information and helps understand what happened if there's an accident.
Steve Shirley retired in 1993 when she was 60 years old. After that, she focused on her charity work.
Awards and Recognition
Honored for Her Work
Steve Shirley has received many important awards for her contributions. In 1956, she earned her Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. She was recognized for her services to industry in 1980. In 2000, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her work in information technology. This is why she is called "Dame Steve Shirley." In 2017, she received the Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) for her services to the IT industry and her charity work.
In 1987, she was given the Freedom of the City of London. She was also the first female President of the British Computer Society from 1989 to 1990. In 1999, she received the Mountbatten Medal, another important award in technology.
Academic and Scientific Honors
Steve Shirley became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2001. She has also received many honorary doctorates from universities. These include the University of Buckingham, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Kent.
In 2013, she was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by BBC Radio 4. The Science Council also listed her as one of the "Top 100 practising scientists" in the UK in 2014. In 2018, she received the Gold Medal from the Chartered Management Institute. This award recognized her amazing contributions to British engineering and technology.
Commemorating Her Journey
In 2021, Steve Shirley unveiled a blue plaque in Oswestry. This plaque remembers her school years in the town. She also unveiled a statue in Harwich that same year. The statue celebrates the arrival of the Kindertransport children at the port, just like she did.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Supporting Autism Research
Steve Shirley has given away most of her wealth to charity. She did this after selling her company shares. Her son, Giles, had autism and passed away at age 35. This led her to become a strong supporter of autism research.
In 1986, she set up The Shirley Foundation. This foundation supported many projects related to autism spectrum disorders. It helped fund places like Autism at Kingwood, which supports people with autism to live full lives. It also supported Prior's Court, a school for autistic students. The foundation also helped create Autism99, the first online autism conference. This conference was attended by 165,000 people from 33 countries.
Ambassador for Philanthropy
From 2009 to 2010, Steve Shirley served as the UK's Ambassador for Philanthropy. This was a special government role. Her job was to give philanthropists a "voice" and encourage more people to give to charity.
In 2012, she donated her entire art collection to Prior's Court School and the charity Paintings in Hospitals. She has given away more than £67 million of her personal wealth. In her book, Let IT Go, she explains why she does this. She writes that she feels a need to justify that her life was saved as a child refugee.
Books by Steve Shirley
Steve Shirley has written several books about her life and experiences:
- Let It Go: My Extraordinary Story – From Refugee to Entrepreneur to Philanthropist (2012, revised 2018)
- My Family in Exile (2015)
- So To Speak (2020) – a collection of her speeches
- Ein unmögliches Leben: Die außergewöhnliche Geschichte einer Frau, die die Regeln der Männer brach und ihren eigenen Weg ging (2020) – a German version
- Déjalo Ir Memorias de Dame Stephanie (Steve) Shirley La inspiradora biografia de una nińa refugiada que llega a ser millionaria, filintropán y Dama del Imperio Británico. (2022) – a Spanish version
See also
In Spanish: Steve Shirley para niños
- Arnold Buchthal
- Dina St Johnston
- Rosa Buchthal
- F International
