Top 10 Black Women in Tech |
It’s black history month again, and what better way to celebrate black at its finest than acknowledging some of the top black women in tech in 2023 that have raised the bar high with their success stories?
These women decided that they would not give in to the status quo by making waves in the IT sector. Keep reading this article to intimate yourself with ten outstanding black women in tech that you should look out for in 2023.
1. Aicha Evans – CEO at Zoox
(Network of Executive Women in Tech)
Aicha Sar Evans is the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Zoox., Inc. (Amazon’s self-driving car subsidiary) since 2019. The African-American female is the first of her kind to be the CEO of an autonomous vehicle technology company.
Aicha has functioned in various positions before her appointment as the CEO of Zoox.
Some of the official positions she has held include, but are not limited to:
- Head of Mobile Chip Business
- Corporate VP
- General Manager of Communications and Devices.
She also served as the General Manager of Platform Engineering Group (Intel Corporation). After which, she functioned as the Chief Strategy Officer in the same company.
Aicha Sar Evans is truly a model to watch out for among the women in tech in the year 2023.
2. Alissa Abdullah – Mastercard
(Deputy Chief Security Officer & SVP)
When it comes to information risk management, Alissa Abdullah, PhD, is the woman for the job.
She is a highly skilled information security expert that has held supervisory positions at some of the world’s most distinguished companies, (some of which include Stryker and Xerox).
In addition to her management experience, Dr Abdullah has also been appointed as Executive Office of the President at The White House for 3 years. She is heavily sought after in the information risk management industry because of her expertise and ability to get the job done efficiently.
Some of her educational qualifications include:
- Information Technology Management (PhD) – Capella University
- Telecommunications and Computer Networks (M.Sc) – The George Washington University.
Meanwhile, Dr Alissa is also the host of the Mastering Cyber podcast. Not to mention the other numerous online publications in which she regularly shares her knowledgeable insights. Definitely one of the top black women in tech to look out for this year.
3. Dara Treseder – Autodesk
(Chief Marketing Officer)
Dara Treseder is a leading marketing executive that has made a name for herself by pioneering various successful initiatives in some of the world’s most prestigious brands. She recently served as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Marketing, Communications, and Membership at Peloton Interactive.
Using her vast experience in the marketing industry, she was able to carry out all her responsibilities that revolved around the creation and execution of the company’s marketing strategy to expand the business.
Meanwhile, before she started working at Peloton, Dara served as a Chief Marketing Officer at Carbon. She also functioned as Chief Marketing Officer of GE Ventures and GE Business Innovations. Not to mention marketing leadership roles at Goldman Sachs and Apple.
Dara Treseder is currently responsible for Autodesk’s global marketing strategy, education business teams, brand, and communications overseeing worldwide marketing, and global demand generation.
4. Elizabeth Theophille – Novartis
(Chief Technology Transformation Officer)
Elizabeth Theophille is another black icon making waves in the tech industry. She is currently serving as Novartis AG’s Chief Technology Transformation Officer and on the board of 8×8, Inc., (a voice-over IP company).
Theophille is a global IT expert with a great performance record of transforming a business’s system of operation through technology. With this method, she has been able to enhance growth and create new value in the company.
Her service management and leadership credentials include:
- Cyber security initiatives
- Executing cloud infrastructure and outsourcing at an enterprise level
- Application development through the adoption of a software-as-a-service approach
- Sourcing & contract negotiations.
Meanwhile, her experience in digital transformation includes:
- Robotics Process Automation and AI at an enterprise level
- Building platforms for data and advanced analytics
- Implementation of digital initiatives and data in IT (Novartis)
- End-to-end simplification of programs across the departments in Novartis.
Before joining Novartis, Elizabeth spent five years at Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia. She moved from Chief Technology Officer to Group Group Chief Information Officer right after Nokia acquired Alcatel-Lucent.
Before she started at Alcatel-Lucent or Novartis, Theophile had held information technology leadership positions at other global corporations like BP International, Capgemini S.A., Vivendi Universal, and Sita Equant.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from International Management Center in Buckingham, U.K. Also, she has lived in various countries like the United States, Switzerland, France, and the United Kingdom.
5. Fern Johnson – PepsiCo
(Chief Technology Officer VP, Infrastructure and Global IT Operations)
Fern Johnson is the Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Infrastructure and Global IT Operations at PepsiCo.
Johnson combines a valuable blend of business, operations, change management, and technology intelligence to develop and implement technology solutions that aid growth in profit, revenue, and competitive advantage.
Also, Johnson has held several positions at PepsiCo for more than 25 years now. Some of them are:
- Sr. Director, Global IT – Manufacturing OT Cyber-security
- Sr. Director and CIO, Global Procurement and Global Supply Chain
- Sr. Director and CIO, Global Procurement and Logistics
- Sr. Director, Global Collaboration Program
- Executive on Loan (3-month project each year)
- IT Sr. Group Manager
- Senior IT Manager
- IT Project Manager
- IT Project Lead – Y2K
In addition to her many credentials, Fern also boasts an MIT Sloan Executive Education in Cybersecurity.
6. Gail Evans – Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products
(Chief Digital and Technology Officer)
Gail Evans is the woman in charge of developing and implementing a comprehensive digital and technology strategy for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products. She is the Chief Digital and Technology Officer of the global enterprise.
Gail’s job is of utmost importance as she supervises system strategies across all the global businesses under the enterprise. She supervises a global team of over 3,000 digital experts including product developers, engineers, data analysts, and the like.
Before she joined Disney in 2016, Evans had also held prominent positions at various distinguished companies such as Hewlett Packard, Microsoft Business Groups, Bank of America, etc. Her outstanding achievements have earned her coveted awards like winning the Phenom Award from Digital Diversity Network (2018) and getting selected as a finalist for the MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award (2019).
7. Jacky Wright – McKinsey
(Chief Technology Officer)
Jacky Wright is McKinsey’s first-ever Chief Technology and Platform Officer. She was offered the role in 2022 because of her invaluable years of experience in technology for over two decades.
Asides from her tangible wealth of experience, Jacky was also recognized because she has held CIO positions at some prominent companies like GE, BP, and Microsoft.
Wright’s resume boasts various astounding accomplishments. Some of them include:
- Corporate VP for ten years (Microsoft US)
- Chief Digital Officer (Microsoft US)
- Vice President, IT Strategic Services
- Chief Digital Information Officer of HRMC – the British government’s tax department (2017 – 2019)
Jacky Wright is heavily recognized for promoting diversity and equity in the tech industry, as well as her enthusiasm and expertise for pioneering innovation.
8. Jacqueline Woods – Teradata
(Chief Marketing and Communications Officer)
Jacqueline Woods is another executive woman in the tech industry. She is Teradata’s Chief Marketing Officer and a member of its executive leadership team. She oversees multiple facets of communications and marketing for the organization.
Everything from brand management to strategic planning and execution, social/digital media presence, advertisement, and even customer acquisition through influencer outreach tactics. Some of which are:
- Industry relations campaigns
- Corporate communications endeavors
- Public relations initiatives
- Event organization
All of which culminate in creating positive consumer engagements. She’s a radical technology executive that is recognized for promoting organizational progress with her clever results-driven approach.
Meanwhile, before she started working at Teradata, Jacqueline Woods was appointed as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at NielsenIQ.
She also had almost a decade of experience with IBM, where she served in various positions such as CMO of IBM Global Partner Ecosystem Division which concentrated on developing strategies for Cloud and SaaS products like Data and AI.
9. Jameeka Green Aaron – Okta
(Chief Information Security Officer – Auth0)
Jameeka Green Aaron is a highly esteemed cybersecurity expert with over twenty years of experience in the tech sector. She has held prominent roles at influential companies such as Hurley, Nike, and Lockheed Martin.
Jameeka also exemplifies patriotism at best by enlisting in the U.S. Navy to serve her country. She ardently works to support individuals (especially women) from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM careers.
She assists them by supporting various organizations like Women in Science & Engineering, Girls in Tech, and the National Society of Black Engineers. All of these make Jameeka Green Aaron a beacon of hope and tech-savvy to watch out for in the year 2023.
10. Michelle Grover – Slalom
(Chief Technology Officer)
Michelle Grover is the Chief Technology Officer at Slalom – a global management firm that focuses on technology, strategy, and business transformation.
Grover possesses a very strong resume as she has efficiently served in distinguished establishments in the following roles:
- Chief Information Officer (Twilio)
- Senior Vice President of Software Development (TripIt)
- Mobile post with SAP Concur
- Interim Chief Information and Digital Officer position at First Command Financial Services. FCFS is a bank that provides services to US Military members that are working towards financial security.
In addition, she is a board member of Apptentive and Onymos.
Michelle diligently serves as a major powerhouse by utilizing her technical knowledge at Slalom to move the business forward.
Conclusion
All of these women rose above the limitations that come with gender and color to prove to other women that women can also stand out in the IT sector. We look forward to more feats that they’ll be accomplishing this year. You should watch out for them too!
