Celebrating the women who shaped tech in 2025 – and those to watch in 2026
20/01/26
As we have kicked off the new year, it’s the perfect moment to shine a spotlight on the women whose leadership, creativity and innovation left a mark on the tech world in 2025 – and to look ahead at the emerging voices set to shape innovation in 2026.
From business leaders guiding cutting-edge technology strategy to pioneers pushing ethical practices and cybersecurity boundaries, these inspiring women remind us that the future of tech is built by diverse minds and bold perspectives.
Trailblazers of 2025
Each year, lists such as Forbes’ World’s Most Powerful Women highlight leaders whose influence extends across industries, including technology and innovation.
On the 2025 list are women like Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, whose leadership has helped drive the company to central importance in global semiconductor supply chains and AI compute infrastructure – placing her among the most powerful figures in tech today.
Women across the globe have also been recognised for their contributions to tech leadership and innovation. European and global rankings of inspiring women in technology showcase executives and founders redefining digital futures.
Notable names in the 2025 Top 25 Most Inspiring Women in Tech include Claudia Nemat (Technology & Innovation, Deutsche Telekom), Sabine Klauke (CTO, Airbus), and Natalia Panowicz (CEO, Codility), each driving strategic vision and technical excellence in major organisations.
These leaders represent a range of sectors – aerospace, telecom, sustainability technology and digital platforms – illustrating that women’s influence in tech spans not just coding and product design, but corporate strategy, digital transformation and organisational leadership.
Beyond titles: innovation, inclusion and impact
The tech landscape of 2025 was shaped not just by organisational headlines, but by expanding conversations around ethical AI, cybersecurity resilience and inclusive innovation.
Women in technology are increasingly visible in arenas where technical expertise intersects with ethics and public trust, signalling that technical leadership today includes stewardship of how technologies affect society.
Across the cybersecurity space, emerging voices and established experts alike are drawing attention to resilience and safe digital environments. These contributions highlight the breadth of women’s impact, from infrastructure to ecosystem safety and governance – a trend expected to grow in the coming years.
Eyes on 2026: leaders to watch
Looking ahead, several figures and themes point to what’s next. Profiles of Women in Tech 2026 highlight leaders such as Parisa Tabriz – Google’s VP of Chrome Security – continuing to shape how billions of users interact with secure digital products, and Fei-Fei Li, a leading voice in human-centred artificial intelligence whose work prioritises ethical and empathetic AI systems.
Other leaders emphasise communication and policy as strategic components of technological progress, underscoring that understanding, explaining and governing technology are central to future innovation.
These voices reflect a broader shift from purely technical prowess to holistic leadership in tech – where impact, ethics and inclusion go hand in hand.
Celebrate, amplify, engage
As we step in 2026, honouring the women who made 2025 remarkable is not only a celebration, but an invitation: to learn from their paths, amplify diverse voices, and continue building an ecosystem where every aspiring technologist sees possibility and belonging.
Whether through coding, design, policy or leadership, these women remind us that the future of technology is shaped by collective ingenuity – and that the most influential innovations often start with curiosity and courage.
