Technology is undergoing one of the fastest periods of reinvention in its history, redefining industries and reshaping how people live and work. Behind many of these breakthroughs are influential women leading some of the world’s most innovative companies.
They are driving advances in semiconductors, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, aerospace, and consumer software, often setting the direction for entire markets in the process. Their decisions influence global innovation cycles and determine how the next generation of technology will be built.
Here are 10 female leaders whose impact extends across the tech industry and whose work continues to shape its future.
1. Lisa Su — CEO, AMD
Lisa Su is widely regarded as one of the most influential executives in semiconductor engineering. Since taking over as CEO of AMD in 2014, she has led a historic turnaround that repositioned the company as a leader in high-performance computing.
Her technical background and focus on architectural innovation have shaped the development of the Zen architecture and Ryzen processors. Under Su’s leadership, AMD has expanded into datacenters, gaming systems, AI-optimized chips, and enterprise infrastructure.
Su’s achievements have earned recognition across the tech industry, including the IEEE Robert Noyce Medal and Time’s CEO of the Year. She remains a central figure in the future of high-performance computing and AI hardware strategy.
2. Sophia Deluz-Bhan — COO & Co-Founder, Search Atlas Group
Sophia Deluz-Bhan is reshaping how AI-powered search platforms operate and scale. As COO and co-founder of Search Atlas Group, she grew the company from $2 million to $30 million in ARR while staying fully remote and capital efficient.
Her operational model spans three integrated brands—Search Atlas, LinkGraph, and Signal Genesys—creating one of the strongest ecosystems in Answer Engine Optimization. Deluz-Bhan led the development of OTTO SEO and LLM Visibility, platforms designed for a world where AI systems power search results.
Rather than building in isolation, she oversaw the building of software informed by years of practitioner experience across enterprise SEO, digital strategy, and AI-driven content optimization. This tight connection between product and real user needs became the group’s competitive advantage.
Her leadership shows how AI companies can scale sustainably while executing quickly. At a time when many AI startups prioritize valuation over fundamentals, Deluz-Bhan’s focus on efficiency, timing, and customer-driven innovation has positioned Search Atlas Group as a defining force in the future of AI search.
3. Safra Catz — Executive Vice Chair, Oracle
Safra Catz is one of the most influential leaders in enterprise software, with more than two decades of shaping Oracle’s global strategy and financial performance. She joined the company in 1999 and quickly rose through senior leadership roles, becoming president in 2004 and later serving multiple terms as CFO.
In 2014, Catz was appointed co-CEO alongside Mark Hurd, and she became Oracle’s sole CEO in 2019. During her tenure, she helped expand the company’s cloud footprint, maintain industry-leading margins, and steer Oracle through large product and organizational shifts.
Beyond Oracle, she has served on boards including Disney, HSBC, and Paramount Skydance, and she lectures at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Her influence spans finance, technology strategy, national security advisory work, and corporate governance.
4. Amy Hood — CFO, Microsoft
Amy Hood has been one of the architects behind Microsoft’s resurgence. As CFO since 2013, she has helped guide Microsoft through its shift to cloud computing and has overseen the financial strategy that supported Azure’s rapid growth.
Her role has been essential to Microsoft becoming one of the world’s most valuable companies. Hood has also been central to Microsoft’s investment strategy in AI. She played a key role in structuring Microsoft’s multi-billion-dollar partnership with OpenAI and in funding the infrastructure expansion required to support frontier models and global cloud demand.
Her influence extends across every business unit at Microsoft, from enterprise cloud to productivity software. Hood’s leadership continues to shape Microsoft’s long-term position as a global AI and cloud leader.
5. Gwynne Shotwell — President & COO, SpaceX
Gwynne Shotwell is the operational engine behind SpaceX’s rise as the world’s leading commercial space company. As president and COO, she oversees daily operations, mission cadence, government relations, and engineering for the Falcon, Starship, and Starlink programs.
Shotwell helped SpaceX secure major NASA contracts, including Commercial Crew missions, which restored America’s ability to send astronauts into space. She also played a key role in scaling Starlink, now one of the largest satellite constellations providing global internet coverage.
6. Melanie Perkins — Co-Founder & CEO, Canva
Melanie Perkins transformed the design landscape by creating one of the world’s most widely used creative platforms. Before launching Canva, she taught design software to college students and saw firsthand how inaccessible traditional tools were.
That insight led to Canva’s core mission: making design intuitive and available to everyone. Under her leadership, Canva expanded from simple templates to a full suite of collaboration tools, AI-assisted design features, and enterprise workflows used by teams around the world. The platform now supports hundreds of millions of users and has become a staple for creators, marketers, and corporate teams.
7. Michelle Zatlyn — Co-Founder & COO, Cloudflare
Michelle Zatlyn co-founded Cloudflare and has been instrumental in its rise as one of the most important internet infrastructure companies. As COO and president, she leads global operations, customer experience, and delivery of security and performance products to millions of websites.
Zatlyn helped grow Cloudflare from a startup into a publicly traded company that now protects a large portion of the global internet from threats. Her leadership has expanded Cloudflare’s product suite into networking, developer services, and zero-trust security.
8. Sheryl Sandberg — Former COO, Meta
Sheryl Sandberg is one of the most influential executives in the history of consumer technology. Before joining Facebook in 2008, she held leadership roles at McKinsey, the U.S. Treasury Department, and Google.
At Meta, Sandberg spent 14 years as chief operating officer, where she oversaw business operations, advertising strategy, and global expansion. She led the development of Facebook’s ads platform, turning the company into one of the most profitable businesses in tech.
Beyond her corporate work, Sandberg is known for her advocacy around women’s leadership through LeanIn.Org and for her bestselling books Lean In and Option B. She has served on multiple boards, including Disney, Women for Women International, and the Center for Global Development.
9. Mary Barra — CEO, General Motors
Mary Barra became the first woman to lead a major global automaker when she was appointed CEO of General Motors in 2014. She has since guided the company through one of the most significant transitions in its history: the shift from combustion engines to electric and autonomous vehicles.
Barra has overseen multibillion-dollar investments in EV manufacturing, battery development, and autonomous driving through Cruise. She has also pushed for modernization across GM’s global operations, supply chains, and vehicle platforms.
10. Kimberly Bryant — Founder, Black Girls Code
Kimberly Bryant began her career as an electrical engineer before moving into biotechnology roles at Genentech, Merck, Pfizer, and Novartis. Her experience in male-dominated engineering environments shaped her awareness of how few Black women were represented in technical fields.
In 2011, she founded Black Girls Code after her daughter struggled to find coding programs where she wasn’t the only Black girl in the room. The organization provides after-school and summer programs in programming and robotics, and has grown to thousands of students across multiple U.S. cities and South Africa.
Bryant has become a key voice in tech inclusion. Her work has earned honors such as the White House Champion of Change award and induction into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.
