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Although almost 50% of the world’s population are female, it’s reported that this applies to just 24% of the STEM workforce. For an industry that’s helping to build a better future for all, it has never been more important to strive for diversity and equality to avoid unconscious bias – especially when building disruptive technologies such as AI and machine learning.
To champion and celebrate just some of the incredible women holding senior positions in what has always been a male-dominated industry, we’re incredibly proud to publish this list of technology trailblazers and innovators.
Not only are these women making an incredible impact in our industry, they are also advocating for diversity and helping to serve unheard voices, making them role models for women all around the world.
With International Women’s Day 2023 focusing on the theme of DigitALL, we hope that this list will help inspire the next generation of female tech leaders. Daisy
AWS linkedin.com/in/rubaborno/https://www.
Ruba Borno currently works as the Vice President, Worldwide Channels and Alliances at AWS. Prior to joining AWS in 2021, Borno spent six years at Cisco, working her way up from VP, Growth Initiatives to the SVP and GM of CX Centers and Managed Services.
As well as her commitments to AWS, Borno also serves as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, who are working to create a global community of change agents to help drive positive change throughout the world. Recently, Borno was awarded with the Rising Star Award from the Electrical and Computer Engineering division at the University of Michigan.
Cherokee Nation
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulastarr
With degrees in management information systems and hospitality administration & management, Paula Starr has worked for the best part of a decade at Cherokee Nation. Starting out as a Senior Manager of IT Enterprise Applications in 2014, Starr was quickly promoted to Director of Enterprise Application Services and then to Chief Information Officer, where she currently still serves.
Cherokee Nation is a federally-recognised government for the people of Cherokee, which aims to strengthen the nation's economy through job creation, diversification, and innovation.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mako254/
An award-winning global IT executive with extensive experience across multiple industries, Lisa Davis is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Blue Shield of California. As a recognised expert in cloud, edge and cyber-technologies, Davis is a highly requested keynote speaker and influencer.
As the CIO and SVP of Blue Shield, Davis oversees the digital transformation of the company’s US$21bn nonprofit health plan – which serves 4.5 million members – helping to shape the future of healthcare. Alongside her role, Davis is an executive sponsor for Blue Shield’s resource group for elevating women, which supports initiatives aimed at the development of women.
Croda
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lale-kof
Lale Kof is a visionary technology executive with a background in supporting business goals through enterprise digital solutions. Appointed as the Global Chief Information Officer for Croda in November of 2021, Kof has predominantly worked in the manufacturing industry for the likes of Procter & Gamble and Axalta.
During her time at Procter & Gamble, Kof worked her way up from IT Manager to CIO and Executive Director of Global Business Services by the time she left in 2015. In her role as CIO, Kof led the company’s digital transformation and ran a three-year ‘Going Digital’ programme.
Twilio linkedin.com/in/reenysondhihttps://www.
As the Chief Data Officer at Twilio, Reeny Sondhi leads the digital services and security organisation, which is made up of various teams including technology, cybersecurity, and health & safety. As a member on the board of directors for Rapid7, a computer and network security company, Sondhi has worked extensively across the technology industry, spending just over a decade at Dell EMC.
During her time at Dell, Sondhi held various senior roles and was a founding member of the EMC Product Security programme in 2005. Sondhi also spent six years working for Autodesk prior to joining Twilio in 2022.
Okta
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvinaantar/
Alvina Antar is an IT executive with over 20 years of experience in M&A integration, business transformation, and global delivery. As the current Chief Information Officer at Okta, she is passionate about delivering innovative solutions and has a proven track record in delivering success to Fortune 50 companies. Antar has been a board member for BUILD – a non-profit organisation that aims to ignite the potential of children in underserved and underresourced communities – for almost five years.
Before her appointment as CIO at Okta in 2020, Antar spent 16 years working for Dell and was also previously the CIO of Zuora.
With a passion for giving back to the community, technology enthusiast Wendy Pfeiffer is a seasoned volunteer offering mentorships and veteran support to various organisations, such as Girls in Tech, Inc., Columbia University in the city of New York, Tech Qualled, and NPower.
As the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Nutanix, Pfeiffer works to fuel the company’s global mission through the adoption of modern technologies and was recently included in the Infrastructure Masons 100 as well as named one of the Top 25 CTOs of 2022. Prior to joining Nutanix in 2017, Wendy worked for GoPro, Yahoo!, and Cisco. She is also currently a Forbes Technology Council Member.
With a career spanning across the media, communications, and software industries, Sharon Mandell brings more than 20 years’ worth of experience to her job as Chief Information Officer at Juniper Networks. Some of her key career highlights include co-founding a software company, leading large scale teams of over 500 employees, and managing budgets of over US$100mn.
Mandell has extensive merger and acquisition experience as well as an impressive background in engineering and product development.
Prior to joining Juniper Networks in 2020, Mandell worked for the likes of Yahoo!, Tribune Media, and TIBCO Software.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferperrotta
With over 20 years of experience in problem solving for clients around the world, Jennifer Perrotta currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at WeWork. A strong focus on driving vision and strategy makes Perrotta a leading technology executive, with a desire to help companies stand out to win through leading highperformance teams and technological innovations.
Joining WeWork in 2014, Perrotta brought with her a wealth of experience gained in her previous roles at the likes of IBM and through her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Boston College.
As Virgin Media O2’s Chief Technology Officer, Jeanie York is passionate about the intersection between people and technology, and is an advocate for cultivating the right environment for people to be their best.
In her previous role as Chief Technology and Information Officer for Virgin Media, York led the technology innovation across the United Kingdom and Ireland, with her role touching upon a multitude of areas including engineering, product development, and network and information technology planning. Accumulating two decades of experience in the telecommunications, mobile, and cable sector, York has previously worked at Liberty Global and Centurylink.
linkedin.com/in/caroldonovanjuel/https://www.
Named as the New York CIO of the Year at the ORBIEs in 2019, Carol Donovan Juel, Chief Technology & Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at Synchrony, is a highly-regarded senior technology leader. With multiple other accolades to her name – including American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Finance and Tech Standout in 2021, and Most Influential Women in Payments by PaymentsSource in 2016 and 2017 – Carol has also been featured in a magnitude of industry lists, such as Forbes’ CIO Next List in 2022, Forbes’ Top Women Changing the Money Industry in 2020, and the 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology by the National Diversity Council in 2021.
At GEICO, Linda Apsley is helping the company reimagine the customer insurance experience and landscape. As Chief Technology Officer, Linda does this through a multitude of ways, including data and service transformation. Apsley’s passion is to drive change to make customers' lives easier as well as developing great teams and leaders at the same time. Her passion for cultivating leaders is seen through her volunteer work, serving on the board of directors for the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, whose aim is to recruit, retain, and advance women across the technology and STEM industries, and the Institute for Responsible Technology.
linkedin.com/in/claire-dickson-44993250https://www.
Starting her professional career in 1998 as an SAP Analyst for United Biscuits, Claire Dickson now works as the Chief Information Officer for multinational packaging company DS Smith. Previously working for Accenture, Dickson has also worked for BP and Evos.
Part of Dickson’s goal with DS Smith is to develop and implement a number of tech-driven changes to transform the way the company operates in key areas such as customer service and supply chain management. By leading the company’s technology agenda, Dickson delivers efficiency and optimisation across the board.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaislet/
With an extensive career holding numerous senior technology positions, Sheryl Haislet has not one, but two master’s degrees. Having achieved one in Information Systems Management and the other being an Executive MBA, Haislet’s love for engineering, technology, and hard work was further fuelled – first established and nurtured at a very young age while growing up on a farm.
Using this passion for technology and hard work, Haislet worked her way up the career chain to become the Global Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of Vertiv in 2020. Previously, Haislet worked for the likes of Johnson Controls and Aident.
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87 Sheryl Haislet Global Chief Information Officer Vertiv
Adriana Karaboutis is a results-driven thought leader with a successful track record of driving innovation in business operations and customer engagement. With a career in leading technology functions for various Fortune 50 companies in industries such as bio-pharma, high-tech, and defence, Adriana is currently working as the Group Chief Information and Digital Officer for the National Grid.
With a bachelor’s degree in science and computer science, Karaboutis has previously held key senior positions at General Motors, Dell, and Biogen, where she developed her knack for managing global teams via the cultivation of an innovative, team-based culture.
As the Chief Technology Officer at Dollar General, Julie Elmore guides the company’s overall direction and future plans for development and growth. Elmore and her team do this via advanced technologies, helping bolster Dollar General’s competitive advantage across all 18,000-plus stores in the United States.
With an extensive career and well-renowned motivational leadership style, Elmore has been honoured with various awards, including Woman of the Year – Top Women in Retail Tech in 2021 and New Normal Digital Transformer in 2022, and was a finalist in the ORBIE Awards in 2022.
linkedin.com/in/paula-bobbetthttps://www.
With a first-class bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Warwick and a master's degree in Management Science, Paula Bobbett has spent most of her career working in the technology, beauty, and health industries. Currently working as the Chief Digital Officer for Boots, Bobbett is also a Non-Executive Director for Spire Healthcare Group.
Joining Boots in 2020 as the Director of Boots. com, Bobbett was promoted to Chief Digital Officer in April 2022 and has previously worked at Avon, Debenhams, and British Airways in a number of technology leadership roles.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurakohl
Laura Kohl is Morningstar’s Global Chief Information Officer and leads the company’s global technology through employee experience transformation. Bringing in strategic partnerships and leading technologies, Kohl is able to drive business growth and deliver excellent operational productivity. Emphasising customer focus, Kohl has an impressive background working across technology, finance, and strategy functions.
Kohl was appointed as Global CIO of Morningstar in 2021, having previously worked for United Airlines, Grainger, and McDonald’s in a number of senior leadership roles. Her most recent job prior to Morningstar was as the SVP of Enterprise Applications at Ulta Beauty, where she was responsible for enterprise application development.
https://www.linkedin.com/
Passionate about creating and nurturing a culture where people feel valued and can thrive, Jenny Watson is the Interim Chief Information Officer APAC at Bupa. To drive change, Watson is tasked with delivering value through building relationships with clients, customers, and partners, as well as leading world-class teams. Working across multiple industries during her career, Watson has held senior positions in banking and finance, health, and education.
Watson has also worked at the National Bank of Australia and the Swinburne University of Technology, where she also graduated with a master’s degree in Information Systems Management.
https://www.linkedin.com/
With a career in the retail industry spanning 25 years, Sharmeelee Bala currently works as the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at JCPenney. Within the retail industry, Bala has held a number of technology and IT engineering roles, proficient in driving return on investment through transformation initiatives.
Appointed as CIO and SVP of JCPenney in 2022, Bala previously worked at Gap as the Vice President of Engineering and Interim Head of Product Engineering for GapTech. Bala also worked at Walmart, holding various positions such as Director of Global Analytics and Visualisations, and Senior Director of Supply Chain, Global Transportation systems.
Telkom
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/keneilwe-gwabeni-7b270b64/
As a winner in the Global CIO 100 Awards in both 2021 and 2022, Keneilwe Gwabeni is a wellrenowned senior executive. Currently working as the Chief Information Officer at Telkom, Gwabeni holds various degrees in subjects such as information technology, IT project management, and information systems.
Before her appointment as CIO at Telkom in 2019, Gwabeni spent almost five years working at Standard Bank Group, where she joined as the Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Business Service Management; she left having worked her way up to Head of IT Integration.
Zoetis
As Zoetis’ Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Executive Vice President, and Group President China, Wafaa Mamilli is a seasoned executive with experience in the intersection between technology, cybersecurity, and healthcare. Prior to joining Zoetis, Mamilli spent over two decades at Eli Lilly and Company, holding various senior positions. She is currently a board member for Fiserv – a global technology provider – and T200, which is a peer community to support women in technology. Their members work across a number of avenues, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and technology for some of the world’s leading organisations.
Jabil
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/may-yap-77997311/
Holding an MBA in strategic management, a Master of Science in Computer Science, and a Doctorate in innovation and leadership, May Yap is also a double-major in Mathematics and Computer Science. Working as Jabil’s Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President, Yap has extensive experience in Industry 4.0, cloud, machine learning, digitisation, data analytics, and more.
May Yap was appointed as Jabil’s CIO and SVP in 2020, overseeing the company’s strategic IT management, ensuring smooth day-today operations across more than 100 sites worldwide. Prior to joining Jabil, Yap worked for the likes of IBM, PwC, and Oracle.
Stanley Black & Decker
Rhonda Gass is a first-class senior executive with over two decades of experience in designing, developing, and delivering enterprise products. Currently working as the Chief Information Officer at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., an industrial equipment manufacturer, Gass has been with the company for over a decade.
Prior to joining Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. in September 2012, Gass spent 11 years at Dell, joining in 2001 as the VP of Product Group and leaving in 2012 as VP of Information Technology. Gass graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and also holds a master’s degree in business management.
linkedin.com/in/monicacaldashttps://www.
Having worked at Liberty Mutual Insurance for the best part of five years, Monica Caldas joined the company in 2018 as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Global Retail Markets, and is now the Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer. With an affinitive love for technology, Caldas drives real change for customers and employees across the financial services and manufacturing industries.
Recognised as a critical thinker, Caldas has previously been named as both CIO of the Year and Digital Leader of the Year, championing STEM and diversity in the workplace.
Dalia
Chief Information Officer, SVP Humana
linkedin.com/in/daliapowershttps://www.
Recognised as one of the Top 50 CIOs Nationwide, in the Top 500 Business Leaders in Dallas, and a finalist for the Top CIOs in Dallas award at the ORBIEs, Dalia Powers is a renowned technology leader. Currently operating as the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Humana, an American health insurance company, Dalia is a veteran of driving digital transformations through artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data.
Prior to joining Humana in 2020, Powers has worked for some global giants including CBRE, Dell, USAA, and Capital One. She also holds various degrees and certifications from universities such as The American University in Cairo and Harvard Business School.
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Powers
Givaudan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leyla-delic-55a91444
Graduating with a Master of Science in Computer Engineering in 1997 from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Leyla Delic is the Chief Information Officer at Givaudan, a chemical manufacturing giant that specialises in fragrance, beauty, taste, and wellbeing.
Prior to joining Givaudan in February of 2022, Delic served as the Chief Information & Digital Officer at Coca-Cola İçecek for the best part of four years; before that, she worked for the best part of a decade at GE Healthcare. Here, Delic joined as CIO and Lean Leader of GE Healthcare EAGM and left as the CIO of Enabling Functions.
Infineon Technology
Rejoining Infineon Technologies in April of 2021 as the Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Constanze Hufenbecher had previously worked for the company between 2004 and 2009. Initially, she started out as Senior Director of Finance, Chipcard, and Security ICs before being promoted to Vice President and General Manager.
Alongside her role at Infineon Technologies, Hufenbecher is also a current member of the Shareholders Committee, a member of the Supervisory Board, and Audit Committee Chair at Voith Group, a global technology company that is creating ‘sustainable technologies for future generations’ by decarbonising the industry. Hufenbecher also previously served as a member of the Executive Board at Lufthansa Technik.
Spending 22 years with global healthcare leader Abbott, Nancy Avila joined McKesson in 2019 as the Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Technology Officer. During her time with Abbott, Avila held various positions, starting out as an IT Manager in 1997 and finishing there in December 2019 as Vice President of Business and Technology Services.
With extensive experience in other leadership roles, Avila also currently sits on the board for Comerica Bank and Children's Wisconsin, and possesses a deep background in global architecture, regulatory compliance, technology enablement, and shared services operations.
Raytheon Technologies
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrrobertson95
Appointed as Vice President of Digital Enterprise Systems and Development at UTC Aerospace Systems – now Collins Aerospace – in 2018, Janet Roberston was subsequently promoted to Corporate CIO of VP Enterprise Application Services at Raytheon Technologies in 2022, following the merger of Raytheon and UTC. In this role, she continues her work to digitally transform the company’s business systems by leading a global team.
With degrees in Industrial Engineering and Distribution from Texas A&M University, Robertson has over 25 years of experience across various industries such as telecommunications, industrial supply chain, technology infrastructure, retail, and financial services.
Qantas
linkedin.com/in/mary-criniti-361005bhttps://www.
With proven analytical problem-solving abilities and the skills to ensure the highest standards of customer experience, Mary Criniti works as the Chief Technology Officer for Qantas. Joining in 2009 as Business Analyst, Criniti has spent the last 14 years working for the aviation company holding various positions during her time, including Head of Technology and Business Services Manager, Operations and Enterprise Systems.
Criniti has a bachelor’s degree in Business, Computing, and Information Technology from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a master’s degree in Business and Technology from the University of New South Wales.
Cigna
https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelleeder/
Noelle Eder, who joined Cigna in 2020 as the Global Chief Information Officer, has recently been promoted to the Global Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of The Cigna Group in January 2023. Eder joined Cigna from Hilton, where she worked as the Executive Vice President and Chief Information & Digital Officer for two-and-a-half years, having also previously worked for the likes of Intuit and Capital One.
As an active leader in the industry, Eder was awarded the YWCA Silicon Valley Women and Industry Award thanks to her contributions to business in the region.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-hay-
Sarah Haywood is the Global Chief Information Officer at Carlsberg Group, where her primary focus is to lead on the company’s transformation programmes. With demonstrated experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry working for the likes of Cadbury, Mondelēz International, and Kraft Food Groups, Haywood has a strong background in programme management, team leadership, and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Haywood graduated with First Class Honours in her Master of Chemistry from the University of Manchester and then spent five years with Mondelēz International as the Senior Director Information Systems of Global Sales & Marketing, before joining Carlsberg Group.
Centring her transformational projects on client experience and operational excellence, Prasanna Gopalakrishnan is the Group Chief Technology Officer at Sky. With more than 20 years of experience, her expertise include blockchain, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotic process automation, and much more.
Gopalakrishnan is a known advocate of diversity and is committed to championing both women in technology and Asian leadership through her leadership skills, which centre around building and nurturing a culture of collaborative innovation. Before her appointment as Group CTO at Sky in 2021, Gopalakrishnan spent three years at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch as its Chief Information Officer.
BNY Mellon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgeto1/
At BNY Mellon, a global investments company, Bridget Engle works as the Chief Operations and Technology Officer, and has been with the company since 2017. As a senior executive and a member of the company’s Executive Committee, she heads up the technology organisation, which provides critical technology to the business, its clients, and 50,000-plus employees.
Holding a number of leadership roles throughout her career for companies such as Bell Labs, the Bank of America, and Barclays, Engle has extensive experience in leading complex technology projects improving the cybersecurity of both applications and infrastructures.
Bacardi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrantgargan
Jennifer Brant-Gargan is an experienced senior executive with a track record in innovation and delivery through IT strategy, business process, and data warehousing. Jennifer holds an Information Science and Technology BS from The Pennsylvania State University and has had a varied career across a number of industries – including technology, beauty & retail, and financial services.
Prior to joining Bacardi in 2021, where she implements the company’s transformation programmes, Jennifer worked as the Vice President of Global Transformation and Interim General Manager at Estée Lauder, where she was in charge of driving all IT transformation through the company’s technology centres.
linkedin.com/in/mariannatessel/https://www.
Working as Intuit's Chief Technology Officer and a current Board Member at Cisco, Marianna Tessel was named as a Woman of Influence in 2013 and earned her BsC in Computer Science from the Israel Institute of Technology.
Assuming her current role as Chief Technology Officer in 2019, Tessel has led Intuit’s team of 1,500-plus engineers, who are tasked with building the company’s products, which help entrepreneurs to grow. Prior to joining Intuit in 2017 as the Chief Product Development Officer, Tessel worked extensively across the technology industry, holding senior positions at companies such as VMware and Docker.
linkedin.com/in/abha-bhaskar/https://www.
Currently working as the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President at Experian, Abha Bhaskar is a strategic technology executive with 15-plus years of experience. During her career, she has led on several impressive acquisitions, built lasting relationships, and enhanced revenue across her previous companies.
Passionate about solving problems through technology, Bhaskar is a strong leader known for blurring the lines between business and technology. Prior to joining Experian in January 2022, Bhaskar worked at Equifax for over a decade, working her way up from Manager to Vice President of Technical Product Management.
Pearson linkedin.com/in/emontillahttps://www.
Elaine Montilla is the Chief Technology Officer for US School Assessment at Pearson, where she contributes to the overall strategy and governs the product technology workflow. With over 20 years’ leadership experience in the technology and higher education industries, Montilla is highly-regarded for representing several minority groups via the extension of STEM educational opportunities to all children, everywhere.
A former CIO, TEDx speaker, and Forbes Technology Council member, Montilla founded 5xminority, Inc. in 2020, which is dedicated to elevating the voices of underrepresented groups – including women – not only in technology, but also further afield.
Booz Allen Hamilton linkedin.com/in/susanpenfieldhttps://www.
Chief Technology Officer of Booz Allen Hamilton, Susan Penfield is responsible for accelerating the company’s growth, helping to transform the government’s digital vision and meet its critical missions. Susan does this through a multitude of channels such as scalable innovations and emerging technologies.
As a dedicated philanthropist, Penfield chairs the board of The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and also serves on the board of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, which is aimed at developing the Virginian tech landscape. Alongside these extracurricular activities, Susan is also a strong advocate for the advancement of women in technology and STEM.
A results-driven executive with more than two decades of experience, Laura Miller is the Chief Information Officer at Macy’s. With years of demonstrated success in the deployment of technological solutions to provide businesses with return on investment, Miller spent six years working at InterContinental Hotels Group before joining Macy’s in 2021.
During her time at IHG, Miller worked as the Senior Vice President, Global Solutions Delivery, before being promoted to Chief Information Officer where she envisioned the company’s digital future through infrastructure, cybersecurity, and enterprise architecture. Miller holds a BS in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and an MS in Computer Systems Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-ha-
With international experience in information technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, robotics and more, Annette Hamann is recognised for her leadership of large, complex organisations. Currently working as Beiersdorf’s Chief Information Officer and Managing Director, Hamann has experience in driving digital transformations through advanced analytics and AI solutions, interactive marketing projects, and implementing robotics solutions. She also holds many years of board experience, currently serving on the board for Origina and IT-Executive Club e.V.
Annette graduated from the University of Göttingen in 1998 with a PhD in Mathematics, Macroeconomics, and Chinese, and has previously worked for Henkel and Procter & Gamble, where she spent sixteen years.
NHS England
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-patel-560b823b/
A vital part of Sonia Patel’s role as System Chief Information Officer at NHS England is partnering with the frontline to digitise, connect, and transform the future of health and care. Patel has worked in the healthcare industry for the majority of her career – spanning over two decades –and most of her roles have been in the NHS.
During her time at London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, Patel led the organisation’s technology revolution, which, to this day continues to improve the lives of its patients and families.
Kantar
linkedin.com/in/alex-cesar-4b2a1a2https://www.
Alex Cesar boasts an impressive career across various industries where she has held a number of significant technology roles. Currently working as the Chief Technology Officer at Kantar – a worldclass marketing data and analytics company – Cesar has been with the company for almost two years and is responsible for delivering the future of technology to aid the next phase of Kantar’s growth.
Prior to joining Kantar in 2021, Cesar had gained significant experience working for the London Stock Exchange Group, Refinitiv, JPMorgan, Thomson Reuters, and Deutsche Bank. During her time at Refinitiv, Cesar led the company’s software engineering teams, who were tasked with building, operating, and innovating Refinitiv’s data platforms.
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Autodesk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiarasu/
With an impressive background in fintech, ecommerce, entertainment, and payments, Raji Arasu currently works as the Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President at Autodesk. Having been with the company for two years now, Arasu is passionate about driving growth through technological innovation to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Throughout her career, she has led highly successful transformations across several global businesses – including Autodesk, Intuit, eBay, and Oracle – and is widely recognised across the industry for championing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for women. Arasu also holds bachelor’s degrees in Engineering and Computer Engineering.
Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer
As United Airlines’ Chief Customer Officer and Executive Vice President, Linda Jojo’s ethos is great people, great products and great technology equals great customer experiences. With an impressive career across the technology and telecommunications industries, Linda has previously worked at Rogers Communications and General Electric. Joining United Airlines in 2014 as the company’s Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President, Linda received a promotion to Executive Vice President of Technology and Chief Digital Officer in 2017, before receiving her current promotion to Chief Customer Officer and Executive Vice President in July 2022.
Geodis
linkedin.com/in/evelynsmooi/https://www.
Evelyn Su Mei Ooi is an experienced business and information technology professional with over two decades of experience. Currently working as the Chief Information Officer APAC for GEODIS, a global supply chain operator, she is well-versed in digital transformation initiatives and change management.
Evelyn holds an ITIL V4 certification, is qualified in LEAN Management by the Kaizen Institute Europe, and is a strong change agent who believes culture is an important cog in the corporate change process. Evelyn holds extensive knowledge in healthcare, technology, IT service management, digital commerce and more.
Recognised as a figurehead for women in technology, Lauren Knausenberger works as the Chief Information Officer at the Department of the Air Force. She has worked for the Air Force for the past five years, joining the company back in 2017 as the Director of Cyberspace Innovation.
With extensive experience across the defence and space industries, Knausenberger has previously held positions at AFWERX, ANSER, and the United States’ Department of Defense. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and an MBA from the Wharton School.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniserussellfleming
Responsible for leading all aspects of cybersecurity, information technology, and shared services, Denise Russell Fleming works for BD – a US$20bn global medical technology company – as the Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology and Global Services. BD is advancing the world of health, and Denise plays a critical role in this advancement by championing the company’s strategic initiatives.
As a valued C-suite leader, Denise has an impressive track record for driving technology transformations through her leadership, possessing a unique combination of technology and operational experience. Prior to joining BD, Denise held positions at BAE Systems and Boeing.
Palo Alto Networks
linkedin.com/in/meerah-rajavel/https://www.
Currently working as the Chief Information Officer at Palo Alto Networks, Meerah Rajavel leads the global IT team, who are crucial in driving cybersecurity transformation to deliver solutions that empower the company and fulfil its mission of making the world a safer place.
As a passionate technology executive, Rajavel’s strengths lie in transforming and innovating both profitability and agility through technology. She’s also a keen change agent, inspiring herself and her team to achieve the extraordinary through championing women in technology, diversity and sustainability. Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks in 2022, Rajavel worked for the likes of Citrix, McAfee, and Cisco. She currently sits on the board for various companies including JFrog and TruU, Inc.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-merfeld-re
Working across the General Electric Group since 1999, Danielle Merfeld currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for GE Renewable Energy. Starting out at GE Global Research as a researcher, Merfeld moved to GE Energy in 2011, though returned to GE Global Research just a year later, in 2012, where she worked across the business engineering and commercial teams to help shape, implement, and drive the global technology strategies.
Merfeld now leads the company’s innovation efforts to deliver new products and services to the renewable energy sector. She is also a key supporter in the development and promotion of women, and is the co-leader of GE’s global Women’s Network.
Amdocs
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alegra-kilstein-53714bb4/
Joining Amdocs in 2007 as their Director of Information Systems and Operations, Alegra Kilstein now serves as the company’s Global Chief Information Officer, a position she’s held for over three years. Working her way up the ranks during her 16 years with the company, Kilstein has also held senior positions such as Head of Delivery Operations & Program Management and VP Head of Global Support Business Unit and Customer Experience Group.
Prior to joining Amdocs in 2007, Kilstein worked at ADC as the Chief Information Officer, Head of IT and Teledata Networks.
As Dow’s Corporate Vice President, Chief Information Officer & Chief Digital Officer, Melanie Kalmar drives the company’s overall strategy for Digital, IT, and Analytics to give Dow its competitive advantage. In addition to this, Kalmar is also globally responsible for Facilities Management, Risk Management, Cyber Security, and the Services Business.
Melanie originally joined the company in 1987 in Research Information Systems, since holding various positions within the company during an extensive career. In 1996, she notably launched the strategic IT partnership between Dow and Accenture, while today chairs the Executive Steering Team.
Sodexo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ag-
Recently named in the Top 50 Open Innovation Challengers by Mind the Bridge and the International Chamber of Commerce, Sodexo is a global leader in Quality of Life Services. Serving 100 million customers every day, Sodexo operates in over 50 countries and employs over 400,000 employees.
Agnès Mauffrey has been the Global Chief Information Officer at Sodexo since 2019. Prior to this move, Mauffrey spent over a decade at Michelin as the Chief Information Officer. Throughout her career, Mauffrey has seen the disparity in leadership roles within the IT and technology sectors and believes that the industry needs more diversity.
CGI linkedin.com/in/leslie-mckay-92249b17/https://www.
Working at CGI for over two decades, Leslie McKay initially joined the company in 2002 as the Vice President of Consulting Services and now works as the Chief Information Officer, a role that she inhabited since October 2021. McKay’s main responsibilities lie with developing and managing the overall global IT strategies to help best serve CGI’s employees and clients. During her time at CGI, McKay has also been responsible for leading numerous projects, including for CGI’s Global Data Centers, led the successful transitions of the company’s operations offshore, and led a major application maintenance programme in the telecommunications sector.
linkedin.com/in/tanja-rueckert-bosch/https://www.
As the Group Chief Data Officer at Bosch, Tanja Rueckert and her global team pave the company’s way as a leading AIoT company, using their expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Rueckert also leads the company’s IoT, software development, and digital solutions teams to drive digital transformation across the company’s four sectors, which are: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy & Building Technology.
Rueckert holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Regensburg and The Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg, and is passionate about benefitting people's lives as well as the planet through the creation of technology.
Mahindra Group
linkedin.com/in/ruchananavatihttps://www.
Known for her consistent value delivery through IT via a proven track record in successfully leading large, cross-functional, global teams, Rucha Nanavati is the Chief Information Officer at Mahindra Group. She has twenty years’ experience in leading complex transformational programmes and, prior to joining Mahindra Group in 2020, Nanavati held positions such as IT Director at Safeway Inc. and Group Vice President of Information Technology at Albertsons Companies.
Graduating with an MS in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a BE in Electronics from the National Institute of Technology Surat, Nanavati also works as a Volunteer Committee Member for the American Cancer Society.
Mastercard
JoAnn Stonier has worked for Mastercard for over a decade and currently serves as its Chief Data Officer. Prior to being appointed into this position in 2018, Stonier worked her way up the ranks from SVP, Global Privacy & Data Protection Officer to EVP, Chief Information Governance & Privacy Officer.
Stonier’s data expertise includes data governance, system development and deployment, and analytics, alongside substantial experience creating data strategies and programmes to ensure innovation while navigating risk. Outside of her role at Mastercard, JoAnn is an Adjunct Professor teaching courses such as Intellectual Property Law, Privacy & Cyber Law, and International Business.
PayPal
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/archie-deskus-985b332/
Appointed as the Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of PayPal in 2022, Archie Deskus is an accomplished IT senior executive with an impressive record of delivering strong results in innovation, growth, and profitability through technology-focused transformations.
Deskus has extensive experience in leading technology teams for global companies across industries such as aerospace, oilfield, industrial, and technology, and has previously held senior roles for the likes of Cognizant, Intel Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Baker Hughes. Deskus also sits on a number of boards, including the Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas and the American Eagle Financial Credit Union.
Julie Durham brings an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to her role as Chief Technology Officer at UnitedHealth Group. As an accomplished digital transformation leader, Julie has had a successful career in driving transformation and growth through the creation of cutting-edge technology for Fortune 5 companies.
At UnitedHealth Group, Durham is mainly responsible for the company’s digital transformation and its US$3.5bn of technology investments, which contribute directly to its US$250bn global revenue. With over 20 years of experience in new product development and digital innovation while leading world-class engineering teams, Durham was responsible for the creation of UnitedHealth’s first dedicated AI Platform and Transformation team.
Verizon
linkedin.com/in/jane-connell-b2377544/https://www.
Jane Connell is a senior executive and leader with a track record of driving digital transformations and implementing change for good. Currently working as the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President for Verizon, Jane’s expertise includes –but is not limited to – digital automation, diversity and inclusion, and service management solutions.
Prior to joining Verizon in 2021, Connell was the SVP and CIO at State Street. She also had an impressive tenure with Johnson & Johnson between 1991 and 2019, holding roles in supply chain operations and information technology. With a key interest in women’s leadership, Connell led the Women’s Leadership Initiative at Johnson & Johnson, completed the Smith College Executive Program for Women, and has been recognised by various national industry associations.
Kellogg Company
Passionate about all things technology, ESG, and DE&I, Lesley Salmon is a technology leader and specialist currently working as the Global Chief Information Officer and Vice President of the Kellogg Company. By marrying the company’s IT goals with its business strategy, Salmon is in charge of creating maximum value and driving impact across the business. To do this, Salmon started out by consolidating its vendors and partners across the globe and created the company’s ‘One Team’ mantra. A strong champion and supporter of women in business, the LGBTQ+ community, and diversity, Lesley is the executive sponsor of the K Pride & Allies ERG, which supports LGBTQ+ communities around the world.
As the current Chief Technology Officer at Atos, Sophie Proust has extensive board experience, serving on boards for the University of Technology of Troyes, Worldline Global, INRIA the Institut National de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies du Numérique, and IDSA –the International Data Spaces Association.
Prior to Atos acquiring Bull, Proust worked as the Vice President of Research and Development before being appointed as the Group Senior Vice President, Head of Big Data and Security R&D at Atos. After four years with the company, Proust was promoted to Chief Technology Officer in 2019 and has held this position ever since.
Joanne Ormandy is the Global Head of Infrastructure, Operations, and Delivery and Senior Vice President IT Executive at JLL. She was shortlisted for the CIO Woman of the Year in 2021 by the Women in IT UK Awards, in addition to being honoured in the UK CIO Top 100 for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022. Having previously worked for Nestlé, CocaCola, and Resonate Solutions, Ormandy joined JLL in 2014 as the company’s Head of Marketing for Hong Kong and Macau, quickly working her way up through the ranks to become Chief Information Officer, Greater China, in 2017, and then Chief Information Officer, UK & Ireland and EMEA Head of Technology Operations in 2019.
Thomson Reuters
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstyroth/
Kirsty Roth describes herself as “a change person” who is passionate about developing people and mentoring women, both inside and outside her company. Currently working as the Chief Operations and Technology Officer for Thomson Reuters, she has a strong reputation and track record for leading on major transformation programmes across the company in areas such as banking, information systems, and consulting.
Having started her career in technology in 1997 after graduating from the University of Bristol with a degree in Chemistry, Roth has worked for global companies such as Deloitte, Credit Suisse, and HSBC, focusing on implementing new technologies to improve operational efficiency and customer experience.
DXC Technology
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiegrinnell/
Kristie Grinnel is an award-winning senior transformation executive with over two decades of experience, having recently been a recipient of the 2022 Board-Ready Program certificate of participation. With extensive experience in driving change in professional services companies, the success of Grinnell’s career is demonstrated by her track record in leading large-scale IT, supply chain, and managed shared-service transformations.
Holding two degrees – a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering and an MBA in Business Administration and Management, General, from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management – Grinnell has held various leadership roles for companies such as PwC, General Dynamics Information Technology, and GM.
McDonald's
Graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Technical Writing, Whitney McGinnis now works as the US Chief Information Officer at McDonald’s. In her role, Whitney works closely with senior leadership teams as well as McDonald’s franchise owners and operators so that her team can lead on the development, integration, and deployment of technology to improve customer satisfaction across the fast-food company’s 14,000 restaurants.
With more than 20 years of experience in technology focusing heavily on innovation, transformation, strategy, and large-scale application development, Whitney helped launch McDonald’s Global Women in Technology organisation, which is aimed at increasing diversity in technology.
33 Melanie Maas-Brunner Chief Technology Officer
For the past 26 years, Melanie Maas-Brunner has worked for BASF – the multinational chemical manufacturing company – where, since 2021, she has functioned as their Chief Technology Officer and a Member of the Board of Executive Directors.
In her role on the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE and as CTO, Melanie leads the company’s research divisions and BASF New Business. With a strong passion for driving innovation through scientific excellence, Melanie has held various positions in research, production, and management, which stands her in good stead for her role with BASF.
Baker Hughes
linkedin.com/in/arungalai-anbarasu/https://www.
Arungalai Anbarasu is the current Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, where she is tasked with the overall strategy and innovation for the company’s future. Anbarasu and her skilled team focus on the digital transformation of Waygate Technologies, having been instrumental in spearheading its evolution into a Digital Inspection Solutions provider.
Arungalai has worked across the energy, oil, and gas industries in various different technology roles her whole career. She worked at General Electric for over 10 years before moving to Waygate Technologies in 2020. Anbarasu is also an Official Member of the Forbes Technology Council.
Deemed a change agent, Sheila Jordan is the Chief Digital Technology Officer for the appliances, electrical, and electronics manufacturing giant Honeywell. As a renowned IT executive who is known to use technology to excel in solving complex business problems, Jordan understands the importance of technology and how it adds value to businesses.
With over two decades of experience, Jordan spent 14 years working at Walt Disney World as the Senior Vice President, Destination Disney and Vice President, Marketing and Sales Finance. She also spent eight years at Cisco, where she delivered and integrated the company’s key IT services used by its global workforce.
linkedin.com/in/cindy-hoots/https://www.
As Chief Digital Officer and Chief Information Officer for AstraZeneca, Cindy Hoots is in charge of leading how the company can embrace digital technology to best serve their business needs and create positive change. Her main aspiration is to leverage technology to save people’s lives and turn science fiction into science fact.
Serving as a Non-Executive Director for Zoom, Cindy has also worked for the likes of BAT, Unilever, SABMiller, and Mars. A highly soughtafter and enthusiastic international speaker, she focuses on topics such as the role of IT in driving business performance, ethical implications of technology, and future trends.
Appointed in 2017 as Genpact’s Chief Information Officer, Vidya Rao has worked extensively across the technology and information technology sectors. In her current role, Vidya’s main focus is to lead and build a world-class technology team to accelerate the company’s business growth.
With over two decades of experience in consulting and leadership roles, Rao is a well renowned leader in the technology industry and has held previous roles at Accenture and Wipro. During her 16 years at Accenture, Rao worked as its Managing Director for both Technology Products and Financial Services, where she led the company’s global application maintenance and delivery for consumer goods manufacturers and insurance clients.
Uber
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/sandyvenugopal
Leading Uber’s global IT engineering team, whose focus is to deliver first-class employee experiences, is one of Sandy Venugopal’s main responsibilities as the Chief Information Officer. Her overall day-to-day scope includes – but is not limited to – data infrastructure and analytics, core infrastructure, custom solutions, and enterprise productivity applications.
Prior to being appointed as CIO, Vebugopal started out at Uber as its Director of Engineering where she led the Business Applications Team, who aided in the delivery of the company’s world-class technology solutions that aim to improve productivity in various companywide departments, including Marketing, Sales, Customer Support, HR and Manufacturing.
Boeing
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doniz-33b5161/
Working at the intersection of humancentred design, digital transformation, and technology, Susan Doniz – Global Chief Information Officer and Data Analytics Offer for Boeing – works to build a better planet for its customers and the citizens of earth.
As the current CIO and SVP of Information Technology and Data Analytics, Susan leads a global team of professionals whose main responsibility is to drive innovation and deliver agile solutions. After living in various countries and continents, diversity is high up on Doniz’s agenda and, as such, she endeavours to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and wider technology industry.
28 Sandy Venugopal
27 Susan Doniz
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anja-schneider/
As SAP’s Chief Operating Officer for the Executive Board area Technology & Innovation, Anja Schneider is responsible for the company’s overall operations, customer strategy, development portfolio, and cloud operations. Bringing together two worlds, Schneider’s role means she ensures operational excellence while positioning customer needs first. With her team of technology professionals, she drives the development and implementation of commercial models, allowing customers and partners to move to the cloud on SAP’s Business Technology Platform.
Prior to being appointed as SAP’s COO and SVP in 2021, Anja worked her way up the corporate ladder and held positions such as Senior Director and VP, Head of Innovation Sales.
Chief Information Officer
Schneider Electric
Elizabeth Hackenson is the current Chief Information Officer at Schneider Electric and has a total of 30-plus years of experience in leading technology initiatives and teams across many complex multinational organisations. Prior to being appointed as Schneider Electric’s CIO in 2017, Elizabeth held other significant CIO roles for AES, Alcatel-Lucent, and MCI.
In 2021, Hackenson was recipient of the Leadership Award for Technical Innovation at the ORBIE Awards due to her achievements in the industry. The CIO ORBIE Awards serve to recognise and shine a light on technology executives for their excellence and leadership.
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/fidelma-russo-202461
With a career in technology spanning more than 20 years, Fidelma Russo specialises in identifying inflection points to achieve maximum revenue growth and customer benefit through technologies and markets such as cloud, machine learning, servers, and storage. Currently working as the Chief Technology Officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Russo is committed to building diverse leadership teams, enabling her to deliver strong revenue profiles through world-class products and services.
Prior to joining HPE in September 2021, Russo worked at Iron Mountain for three years as its Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Global Technology & Operations.
JPMorgan Chase & Co
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-beer-93355a/
Serving as JPMorgan Chase’s Global Chief Information Officer for the best part of a decade, Lori Beer oversees a team of 50,000 professionals. Outside of her career with JPMorgan Chase, she promotes diversity and has endowed scholarships at both the University of Dayton and the University of Cincinnati, where she is also a member of the University’s Foundation Board of Trustees and its Lindner College of Business Advisory Council.
As a result of her extensive career and efforts to increase diversity, Beer has been named on various lists, including the Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker and the Most Influential Women in US Finance by Barron, to name just two.
Adobe linkedin.com/in/cystoddard/https://www.
With specialities ranging from software development to corporate IT restructuring, Cynthia Stoddard has over 25 years of global experience working with mission-critical information technologies and systems. She currently serves as the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Adobe.
Graduating from the Western New England University with a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Stoddard has held numerous leadership positions throughout her career, previously working at NetApp as its Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, before joining Adobe in 2016. In her role as SVP and CIO, Stoddard offered leadership to the global IT organisation and delivered on the company’s long-term technology vision.
linkedin.com/in/andrealeszek/https://www.
With a proven track record in scaling operations and extensive experience driving organisational as well as cultural transformation, Andrea Leszek is the Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President for Salesforce.
Joining the company in 2000, Leszek has worked her way up the company and is now responsible for co-leading Salesforce’s Technology & Products Success from Anywhere Effort, which is essential in helping the company reimagine the future of work. In her current role, Leszek is also responsible for engineering and business operations, employee enablement, and is a cultural change agent. Her specialities include building and leading highlymatrixed teams and streamlining processes.
L'Oréal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanisionader
Former Chief Digital Officer for L'Oréal, Tiffani Sionader has over 10 years of professional experience working across the technology and beauty industries. Her string of achievements started at Qoo10 Indonesia where she worked as the Senior Manager, Head of Beauty, Health, and Sports Sales Department and achieved doubledigit growth in her two years with the company.
Prior to joining L'Oréal in 2021, Sionader worked at Samsung as its Head of Online Business, where she gained a wealth of ecommerce experience. Sionader also worked for elevenia and Lazada, where she again drove double-digit, year-onyear growth through CEO-appointed projects.
19
As the Chief Information and Digital Officer for Dell, Jen Felch drives the overall strategy, direction, and delivery for Dell Digital, the company’s IT organisation. In this role, Felch is responsible for transforming traditional IT functions to aid the adoption of digital technologies across the organisation, helping to drive business transformation for its customers. Combining the traditional responsibilities of the CIO role with the new, ever-changing and emerging responsibilities in our digital world, Felch enables Dell to keep its competitive edge by introducing new products across the board for technological innovation. Prior to joining Dell, Jenn worked for the likes of Boeing and Cisco.
Pfizer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fonseca/
Lidia Fonseca is the Chief Digital Technology Officer and Executive Vice President at Pfizer, where she is responsible for overseeing the enterprise-wide digital, data, and technology strategies and solutions.
Prior to Pfizer, Lidia worked as the Senior Vice President and CIO at Quest Diagnostics. She has also had extensive board experience during her career, having been on the Board of Directors of Gannet, Inc. between 2014 to 2017 as well as a board member of Q2 Solutions, a joint venture between Quest Diagnostics and IQVIA. Lidia received Forbes' 2017 CIO Innovation Award and went on to be recognised on ALPFA's list of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas in both 2020 and 2021.
Chief Information Officer & EVP
The Walt Disney Company https://www.linkedin.com/in/dejurgens/
Overseeing Disney’s Global Enterprise Technology organisation, Diane Jurgens was appointed as Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of the Walt Disney Company in 2020. With more than 30 years of technology leadership experience, Jurgens is also passionate about STEM education and is committed to paying forward the successes she has achieved by attracting diverse talent into the engineering industry. Thanks to this transformative leadership, Jurgens was named a Top 5 Technology Influencer in Australia in 2018 and was also awarded with Shanghai’s prestigious Magnolia Award for her key innovations in telematics, which helped contribute to the city’s overall social and economic development.
Cisco
linkedin.com/in/julie-canepa-1343801/https://www.
With a knack for driving digital transformation through partnerships and IT operations to impact user experience, productivity, and overall growth, Julie Canepa has over 25 years’ worth of experience in IT leadership.
Canepa currently works as the Chief Information Officer for Asia Pacific, Greater China, and Japan at Cisco, working to leverage people, technology, and processes to transform the company’s business and IT functions. Prior to being appointed as CIO Asia Pacific, Canepa held a number of roles at Cisco, including CIO Australia and New Zealand, where she was recognised in the CIO 50 Australia for 5 years running and the CIO 100 in New Zealand in 2017.
15 Hanna Hennig Chief Information OfficerSiemens
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/hanna-hennig/
Hannah Hennig, Siemens’ Chief Information Officer, has a passion for technology that allows her to drive the company’s digital transformation and lead its global IT organisation. Appointed in 2020, one of Hennig’s first challenges was ensuring that Siemens’ over 300,000-strong workforce could work remotely, with global lockdowns quickly coming into force upon the outset of COVID-19.
With more than 25 years of experience working across industries such as energy, telecommunications, and information technology, Hennig is able to draw on her extensive experience to ensure the execution of the company’s business strategy and goals.
16Known for her strategic thinking as well as desire to accelerate and achieve business goals, Stephanie Troester is a recognised leader with more than two decades’ worth of experience in technology and transformation.
Currently working for Adecco as their Global Chief Information Officer and Group Senior Vice President, Troester leans on her global experience and passion for strategy execution to enable IT capabilities and operational improvements in key business areas, thus helping organisations make IT a true business partner. Troester joined the Adecco Group in May of 2017 and, before that, worked for Novartis Pharmaceuticals as Global IT Head, Corporate Functions, and IT Head Switzerland.
From roles in accountancy to leadership roles in transformation, Alisa Choong now currently works as the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Shell. In her current role as CIO of Information and Digital Services & Operations, Choong is responsible for delivering robust, reliable, and secure IT operations to ensure first-class enduser experiences for the international energy company’s employees and contractors, globally. In doing so, Alisa is cementing the foundations of Shell’s digital transformation in place.
Prior to joining Shell in 2007, Alisa spent her career working for a number of Fortune corporations, including IBM, PETRONAS, KPMG, and the National Bank of Australia.
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/laurengoodwin
Dr Lauren Goodwin is the Chief Information Officer of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she drives the modernisation, innovation, and cybersecurity of NASA’s mission for human space exploration by leveraging her expertise in systems engineering from the International Space Station Program.
As a first-generation college graduate, Lauren works hard to improve access to education for all, serving as an Associate Faculty member at Columbia University where she shares her own experiences with master's students. She also holds a Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, where her artificial intelligence and educational neuroscience-focused research helps underserved and underrepresented students gain access to education.
Currently working as the Chief Technology Officer at Wipro, a leading technology services and consulting company, Subha Tatavarti has a wealth of experience working in leadership roles across the technology industry.
Tatavarti spent 10 years working for PayPal, the multinational financial technology company, where she held a number of positions from Director of Planning & Operations - Data and Analytics to Head of Product, Data Platform & Infrastructure. During her time at PayPal, Tatavarti worked across a number of initiatives and programmes, leading PayPal’s platform transformation journey and horizontal functions, such as program management and quality engineering.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ ernstandyoung/
Barbara O’Neill has been EY’s Global Chief Information Security Officer since 2002 and leads the company’s strategic direction for all information security-related matters. Helping to build confidence in capital markets and economies across the globe, EY is a global leader in assurance, tax services, strategy and transactions, and consulting. Founded in 1989 as Ernst & Young by Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young, the company rebranded as EY in 2013, becoming a household name.
Joining Ernst & Young LLP in the US in 1997 with a BS in Computer Science from Saint Peter’s University and a MS in Computer Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University, O’Neill started out as the company’s Director of Information Security and took over the responsibility for the Americas region shortly after, in 1999.
With extensive experience in information security management, IT strategy, governance, and audit,
prior to joining EY, O’Neill served as a Vice President of Information Technology and held various IT positions in the telecommunications sector. As well as being EY’s current Global Chief Information Security Officer, O’Neill is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) holding many certifications and licences with EY, including EY Sustainability & ESG Series, EY Disruptive Tech Series, and EY Transformative Leadership Series.
Johnson & Johnson
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/rowenayeo
Having worked in both the healthcare and food & beverage industries in executive technology-focused roles for the past 19 years, Rowena Yeo is the Chief Technology and Global Vice President of Technology Services at Johnson & Johnson. So far during her four years at Johnson & Johnson, Yeo has been responsible for overseeing the global technology services organisation, which helps to deliver new levels of technological innovation and operational excellence to enable unprecedented levels of digital transformation, helping to better serve its patients, customers, and stakeholders.
Before joining Johnson & Johnson, Yeo worked as the Vice President and Chief Information Officer across Asia Pacific for The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Here, she was responsible for leading the technology direction of the Pharmaceutical group while implementing
IT strategies to both support the objectives and achieve the goals of the business in the region.
Prior to moving into the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, Yeo worked in the food and beverage industry for Cargill, an F&B manufacturing company. During her 12 years with Cargill, Yeo held various positions across the company. Her most recent job before moving to The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson was a dual role job as both the Global Group Chief Information Officer for the company’s Agriculture Trading and Processing Enterprise and the Asia Pacific Chief Information Officer. Her prime responsibilities in this position included leading the overall technology strategy, overseeing the global stakeholder management and IT delivery teams, and successfully executing the business IT programs.
Oracle
linkedin.com/in/jaesookevans/https://www.
With more than 20 years of experience in building and leading global technology teams to deliver secure cloud infrastructure and services, Jae Sook Evans is the current Chief Information Officer at Oracle. Having seen the enormous impact that cloud technology has on various industries such as telecommunications, ecommerce, and entertainment, Evans is currently in charge of launching and operating Oracle Cloud Infrastructure regions. These are aimed at supporting the cloud services needs of its customers and developers around the world. She also oversees the acceleration of Oracle’s own cloud transformation to improve employee productivity and overall user experience.
Passionate about shining a light on diversity and inclusion in both the workplace and the wider STEM industries, Evans is the Executive Sponsor
of DE&I for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. She has previously served as a thought leader and champion in a number of organisations focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as Walmart’s eCom African American Business Resource Group and the Grace Hopper Celebration, which is designed to bring the research of women in computing to the forefront through a series of conferences.
Prior to joining Oracle in April of 2022, Evans held two positions at American multinational retail corporation Walmart, including Senior Vice President of Global Infrastructure Engineering and Operations, where she was responsible for the the company’s ecommerce and store technology operations, global infrastructure services, as well as public cloud and edge cloud migration strategies, to name a few.
Accenture
linkedin.com/in/penelope-prett-9a57262/https://www.
Working to inspire the ingenuity of global IT and the promise of technology, Penelope Prett is the Chief Information, Data, and Analytics Officer at Accenture. In her role, Penelope is responsible for leading the company’s global IT operations, inclusive of infrastructure, services, and applications, allowing Accenture’s 700,000+ employees to work remotely while serving its clients in more than 120 countries.
To aid Accenture’s global IT professionals who are tasked with embracing change across a number of facets including cloud and digital experience – both of which are underpinned by intelligent technology operations – Prett and her team are responsible for transforming the company into a modern-day enterprise. In her current role as Chief Information, Data, and Analytics Officer, Prett is also responsible for cultivating and nurturing new and existing
relationships with primary platform and industry ecosystem partners – a job that she has been building on since joining the company back in 1992.
During her extensive career with Accenture, which has spanned more than thirty years, Prett has held various leadership roles across its client and technology organisations, including Chief Information Officer and Managing Director, where she supervised large transformation programmes and served as the Resources Industry Global Quality & Risk Lead. Outside of her leadership commitments, Penelope is also extremely active in Accenture’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives where she has worked on a range of programmes, including its LGBTQIA initiatives as well as work on integrating veterans and other non-traditional talent into the workforce.
Deloitte
linkedin.com/in/jaskiran-bhatia-93605430https://www.
Jaskiran Bhatia is a renowned technology and transformation leader currently working as a Partner and Global Chief Technology Officer at Deloitte. For over 25 years, Jaskiran has been focusing on new age technologies alongside how they can enable change and transformation, while also making a positive impact in the world. Before joining Deloitte in 2015, Jaskiran worked for the likes of KPMG and IBM, where she developed her love of technology to help solve complex business problems. Though she graduated as an Engineer from the BMS College of Engineering in 1994, Bhatia has always been a technologist at heart, having both led technologyfocused global teams and built software products throughout her extensive career.
Bhatia started at Deloitte as Partner of Technology Transformation and has worked her way up to Global CTO in her eight years at the company. During her
career, Bhatia has been responsible for designing and building Deloitte’s Enterprise Tax Technology Platform, which serves to help customers and clients meet their tax needs across the globe. She has also worked as an advisor to Deloitte’s clients and tax professionals, helping them use technology as a key driver in the transformation of the tax function.
During her two-year stint at KPMG between 20132015, prior to joining Deloitte, Jaskiran created and ran the Data and Analytics Practice in India, helping her to build on her already extensive experience and knowledge of new age technologies.
IBM
linkedin.com/in/kathryn-guarini/https://www.
Drawing on over two decades of IT executive and management experience, Kathryn Guarini is the Chief Information Officer at IBM. She leads a global team of nearly 12,000 employees whose mission is to deliver the future of IT by accelerating IBM’s digital transformation, ensuring the full potential of hybrid cloud and AI are realised to create a productive environment for the company’s over 250,000 employees around the globe.
Alongside her role as CIO, Guarini is a member of the IBM Acceleration Team, IBM Technology Team, IBM Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, IBM Privacy Advisory Committee, and serves on the Hispanics @ IBM Advisory Board. Kathryn has also completed the IBM MicroMBA programme, where she focused on finance, marketing, and strategy. Before assuming her role as CIO, Guarini served as the Chief Operating Officer of IBM Research and Vice President for Impact
Science, where she developed and implemented the IBM Research transformation and improved the operational efficiency of the division.
Outside of her career at IBM, Kathryn serves on a variety of boards that focus on ensuring diversity within the industry, such as the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Inclusion and Diversity External Advisory Board and the US Council for Inclusive Innovation. Having earned a PhD from Stanford University, and a BS degree from Yale University in applied physics, Guarini has authored over 60 technical publications including a book and a book chapter, holds more than 63 US patents, and has been recognised with various industry awards for her research.
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/sam-kini-nee-lloyd-a7a2068/
With a career spanning over a decade, Sam Kini has worked extensively across the technology industry with a strong focus in the telecommunications sector. Starting her stint in the technology industry at Virgin Media in 2010 as the Director of Service Management (Interim), Kini was responsible for all the end-user services and computing as well as service delivery disciplines and IT operations functions. In this role, Kini was also accountable for problem and change management, supplier management, service level management, and service performance.
Between 2010 and 2016, Sam held various roles within Virgin Media and ended her six-year career with the telecommunications giant serving as the Director of Development and Delivery, Technology, and Transformation. In this role, she overlooked all IT Applications across Virgin Media, including
TV, portals and app development, sales, customer service, billing, OSS, and enterprise/ERP.
After her career at Virgin Media, Kini moved to the Belgian media, telecommunications, and entertainment services provider Telent, assuming the roles of Chief Information Officer and Executive Board Member, where she was fully accountable for all IT, digital, and data systems and services across the combined Telenet group. Her current role as Global Chief Information Officer at Unilever has her overseeing the company’s enterprise architecture as well as the development and delivery of applied technology across all applications and platforms.
Amazon
linkedin.com/in/lakshmi-hanspalhttps://www.
In a world that is fast-paced and constantly changing, with global threats to digital assets being ever-present, trust is imperative. As the Global Chief Information Security Officer of Amazon Devices & Services, Lakshmi Hanspal’s work encompasses all aspects of trust, including products, platforms, and operating environments. Observing and influencing the role of trust in digital security over the past 26 years, Hanspal has aided Amazon’s mass migration to the cloud, which she says has thrust the company into a partnership era where conversations and decisions must be a trusted collaboration between cloud providers and customers.
An integral part of Hanspal’s job is to help leadership teams navigate their way to trusted operations and integrate secure transformations into their company ethos. As well as helping others to evolve, she also puts
a strong emphasis on allowing herself to constantly evolve, too, in an industry that is so often perceived as disruptive. Through allowing herself to evolve, she has become a proud champion of Women in Tech, an executive sponsor of Veterans, and a committed citizen to the development of the next-generation workforce.
Hanspal’s previous role, before joining Amazon in 2021, was as Global Chief Security Office at Box, the Cloud Content Management company empowering enterprises to revolutionise the way they work. During her time at Box, Hanspal was part of the executive leadership of Box's Trust Office. Her main focus was to build trusted products and operate trusted environments. Some of her other responsibilities included, but were not limited to, disaster recovery, crisis management, security operations, risk management, and data protection.
linkedin.com/in/reneewlo/https://www.
Beginning her career as a software engineer, Renee Lo, Partner Chief Technology Officer and APAC Regional Director at Google, now focuses on building teams that put people at the forefront to unlock business impact beyond the sum of individual parts. As the regional director, Renee leads the partner technology organisation across APAC to empower and grow Google’s already extensive partner ecosystem. By leveraging Google Cloud's tech stack, her team strives to help partners deliver digital transformation and innovative solutions to organisations across the Asia Pacific region.
Lo has had an extensive career in the technology industry – spanning over twenty years – where she has worked in a variety of fields including marketing, coding, product management, partner strategy, business development, and go-tomarket strategies. Her past experience has
allowed her to understand customer and partner needs, helping her to best serve them today.
Before joining Google in September of 2022, Renee served as the General Manager of Data and AI at Microsoft, where she managed the cloud and software revenue across Asia. Growing the business consistently at more than 50% year on year, she led cross-region specialist sales teams, built on and grew local partnerships, and operationalised the business. During her time at Amazon between 2015 and 2019, Renee held positions in business development and analytics, Big Data, and AI where she developed and delivered field enablement programs across Southeast Asia, grew the company’s partner community, and provided key insights to engineering leaders.
Microsoft
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemaxwell001
Kate Maxwell is the current Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, serving defence and intelligence customers around the globe. As a sought-after keynote speaker, leader, and author, she is passionate about leveraging the intersection of people, technology, and culture to help organisations advance their partnerships, alliances and missions. Some of Maxwell’s key expertise include: public sector digital transformation, unmanned systems, and space mission management. Maxwell’s work in the industry is highly critical and, using her training in computer science and systems engineering, she can best understand the frontline of defence technology, helping to bring service members home after every mission.
Alongside her role as CTO at Microsoft, Kate also serves as a Digital Transformation Council member for the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and has extensive board experience across the industry
for associations such as TechPoint Foundation for Youth and The Startup Ladies. Before joining Microsoft in 2020, Kate worked at Raytheon, an American multinational aerospace and defence conglomerate, as Chief Engineer and Technical Director.
Outside of her role in the defence industry, Kate is a huge advocate for diversity and inclusion in the wider technology industry, and, in 2014, she founded The Maxwell Scholarship at Cocalico High School, which serves to recognise and support young women pursuing a higher education in a computing or engineering major. Thanks to her determined efforts to encourage diversity in STEM and her outstanding leadership, Kate was named the Tech Executive of the Year in the Public Company category for 2022 by the Indianapolis Business Journal and was included in WomenTech Network’s 100 Women in Tech Leaders to Watch in 2022 & 2023.