Top 10: Women in Technology in the US

The technology industry has long been dominated by men, with women making up only around 25% of the workforce in the US. This gender gap is the result of a variety of complex social and cultural factors, including outdated stereotypes, lack of female role models, and systemic biases in hiring and promotion.

However, the importance of women in technology cannot be overstated. Diverse teams have been shown to be more innovative and productive, and having women in prominent, influential positions is critical to inspiring the next generation of female technologists and dismantling the persistent gender imbalance in the field.

In the wake of Technology Magazine’s annual Top 100 Women in Technology publication, this week we highlight 10 of the most inspiring and accomplished women in technology in the United States.

10: Jen Felch, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Information Officer, Dell Technologies

As Chief Digital Officer and CIO, Jen Felch drives the strategy, direction and delivery for Dell Digital, Dell’s IT organisation, while leading its transformation and adoption of digital technologies.

Jen’s position combines the traditional roles and responsibilities of a CIO, along with the emerging role of change agent for digital transformation. Before joining Dell, she held a variety of engineering and leadership roles at Boeing, PTC and successful software startups.

9: Mitra Best, Partner & Technology Impact Leader, PwC

As PwC’s first Technology Impact Leader, Mitra Best leverages advanced technologies to address critical societal problems and amplify PwC’s impact at scale. She leads a forward-focused team of agile leaders and collaborate with a diverse ecosystem of external partners to drive sustainable results. 

Mitra joined PwC in April 1999 in the Office of Global CIO, before which her professional roles included VP Business Development at BookMark Communications and Founding Partner at Syntext. She began her career as a software engineer and quickly moved into product and marketing strategy.

8: Jennifer Bailey, VP Apple Pay & Apple Wallet, Apple

Having spent the last 20 years dedicated to Apple, Jennifer Bailey has held her current position as Vice President of Internet Services (Apple Pay) for the last 10 years. Jennifer oversaw the launch of Apple Pay in 2014 with the goal of giving customers an easy, fast and secure way to digitally present their payment cards using their iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac.

Under Jennifer’s leadership, Apple Pay has expanded to nearly 70 countries and regions and works with more than 10,000 bank and network partners worldwide.

7: Suzanne Dann, CEO Americas 2, Wipro

With over 25 years of experience in consulting and technology services, Suzanne Dann has held multiple leadership positions at both IBM and Avanade, before joining Wipro in 2021. In her role as CEO of the company’s Americas 2 region, she leverages her deep industry expertise to deliver growth and build a high-performing team committed to client success. 

Suzanna also serves as the executive sponsor for the business unit’s diversity and inclusion initiatives and is passionate about helping women advance their careers in technology.

6: Robyn Denholm, Board Chair, Tesla

A specialist in strategy, finance, operations and M&A, Robyn Denholm has served on the Board of Tesla since 2014 as Director, taking on the role of Chair in 2018, while she also sits on the company’s Audit and Compensation Committee.

An integral leader in the technology industry, Robyn has held executive roles and served on many boards in a technological advisory capacity for the likes of Toyota Motor Company, Sun Microsystems, Juniper Networks, ABB, Telstra, Blackbird and the Tech Council of Australia.

5: Safra Catz, CEO, Oracle

Safra Catz has served as CEO of Oracle Corporation since 2014 and a member of the company’s board of directors since 2001, having previously served as President of Oracle between 2004 and 2014 and as the company’s Chief Financial Officer from 2011 to 2014 and from 2005 to 2008.

Prior to being named President, she held various other positions since starting at Oracle in 1999, and also currently serves as a director of The Walt Disney Company and previously served as a director of HSBC Holdings plc.

4: Julie Sweet, Chair & CEO, Accenture

Before becoming CEO of Accenture in September 2019 and Chair in September 2021, Julie Sweet served as CEO of Accenture's business in North America, the company's largest geographic market. Prior to that, she was Accenture's general counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer for five years and, before joining Accenture in 2010, was a partner for 10 years in the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.

Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont McKenna College and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School.

3: Ursula Koski, CEO, Nordics Partners, AWS

A seasoned technology leader, Ursula Koski has more than 28 years of experience in software development, cloud transformation and digital innovation. 

In her role as CTO for Nordics Partners at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ursula works with partners, governments, and the European Commission to accelerate the growth of the technology industry, as well as strengthen Finland's position for digital talent and innovation. 

A passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and human rights, she co-leads the Glamazon Nordics AWS and Amazon LGBTQ+ affinity group, and is also the first woman in 70 years to hold the role of Chairwomen at Tivia - the Finnish ICT professionals association.

2: Beth Galetti, SVP People eXperience and Technology, Amazon

Beth Galetti is the Senior Vice President of People eXperience and Technology at Amazon. Her background consists of a variety of senior leadership positions across four continents, with a blend of engineering, operations management, information technology and human resources disciplines. She is passionate about fostering global collaboration, developing talent and creating solutions.

Before joining Amazon, Beth worked in the transportation industry for nearly two decades, beginning her career at FedEx as a software developer and later holding senior technology and operations positions across FedEx Express and FedEx Services. 

Beth is a board member of the healthcare partnership between Amazon, JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway, an alliance founded in 2018 to innovate and discover new ways to address healthcare for the companies’ US employees.

1: Ruth Porat, President, Chief Information Officer, Alphabet

Ruth Porat began her career at Morgan Stanley, becoming its CFO in 2010 where she was described as “the most powerful woman on Wall Street.” Joining Google in 2015 as its CFO, today she is President, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Alphabet, responsible for finance, business operations and real estate and workplace services while ensuring the company invests in creating sustainable, long-term value.

The company’s longest-serving CFO, she oversaw Google’s acquisition of cybersecurity company Mandiant for US$5.4bn. Today, Ruth harnesses her experience in investment banking, finance, corporate investment, policies and regulations to drive economic growth, job creation and opportunity, competitiveness and infrastructure expansion. 

Outside of Google, Ruth is a member of the board of directors at Blackstone, Stanford Management Company, the Council on Foreign Relations, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Board of Trustees of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 

She holds a BA from Stanford University, an MSc from The London School of Economics and an MBA from the Wharton School.

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