Some of the most influential women in technology have been featured in an esteemed compilation of 100 women across the UK who are championing female leadership in business. The FT & HERoes Champions of Women in Business lists, released today, categorise these leaders into three groups: 100 Female Executives, 50 Female Future Leaders, and 50 Male Executives.
Topping the 100 Female Executives category is Brenda Trenowden CBE, Head of Financial Institutions at ANZ. Thirteen notable women from the tech sector are also featured. Emer Timmons from Brightstar secured the fourth spot, while Harriet Green, CEO & Chairman of IBM Asia Pacific, ranked eighth.
Caroline Frankum, Global CEO of Lightspeed, and Serpil Timuray of Vodafone Group made it to the 18th and 20th positions, respectively. Other prominent industry figures in the top 100 include Sharon McCooey of LinkedIn Ireland, Rachel Higham from BT, Mel Edwards, the EMEA CEO of Wunderman, Deborah Baker of Sky, and Stacey Hawes from Epsilon.
Brenda Trenowden expressed her gratitude upon receiving the top ranking, stating, “I am both humbled and delighted to be included in a list of so many inspirational men and women, all of whom are doing a great deal to empower and promote women in business. I believe that we all have a responsibility to lead by example and to create truly inclusive workplace cultures where everyone can thrive and succeed. I’m encouraged that this is becoming a mainstream issue and that we are making progress, but there is still much more to do!”
However, it is noteworthy that only eight companies in the FTSE 100 have female CEOs. This highlights the ongoing challenges and the need for continuous efforts to achieve gender equality in top executive roles.
The list also includes several other notable names: Jayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO of Virgin Money; Melanie Richards, Deputy Chair of KPMG; Francesca McDonagh, Group CEO of Bank of Ireland; Leena Nair, Chief HR Officer at Unilever; and Claudia Parzani, Milan Capital Markets Partner at Linklaters.
Additionally, women from diverse sectors and roles such as Carol Andrews from BNY Mellon, Alison Nimmo of The Crown Estate, Funke Abimbola from Roche, and Tamara Box of Reed Smith LLP have been recognised. Their inclusion underscores the wide-ranging impact and influence of female leaders across different industries.
While the inclusion of these distinguished women marks significant progress, the disparity in female representation at the highest levels of business leadership remains evident. Continuous efforts are required to foster an environment of inclusivity and to further elevate the presence of women in executive roles.