Recently, we’ve been inspired to think about what\u2019s happening in the wider tech landscape and the movers and shakers shaping our industry. So, we focused\u00a0on inspiring female leaders both local and global – from the tech companies dominating our lives in and outside of work, to the local heroes who are changing the sector through their individual approaches.<\/p>\n
1. \u00a0Cyan Ta\u2019eed, co-founder and executive director of Envato<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the tech start-up landscape.<\/p>\n Cyan Ta\u2019eed<\/a>\u00a0is co-founder and executive director of Envato, and founder at Hey Tiger and New Day Box. She was 2015 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year and Envato was awarded Job Advisor\u2019s Coolest Company for Diversity 2016. Cyan is deeply passionate about supporting women in technology and at work and is a popular speaker and commentator in this space as well as the tech start-up space. In a recent interview with AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors), Cyan commented: \u201cFor us, innovation is absolutely key. We invest in a great deal of research and development, and that\u2019s because we know that tech always moves so quickly \u2013 \u00a0we\u2019re always looking for the next big high-growth product that we can release. So right now, we have three in the pipeline that will be out in the next six months or so. We are constantly experimenting in a lot of different areas,\u201d.<\/p>\n 2. \u00a0Sarah Adam-Gedge, corporate vice president and managing director at Avanade Australia\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the digital and diversity agenda in ANZ<\/p>\n Sarah Adam-Gedge<\/a>\u00a0is corporate vice president and managing director of Avanade Australia and a regular speaker and contributor to the diversity agenda within Australia. Sarah believes digital and diversity go hand in hand and was recently quoted in\u00a0the Australian<\/span>: \u201cA digital workplace doesn\u2019t just benefit women. As we know, the expectations of all employees about the way they work have evolved. Employees are accustomed to having very digitally enhanced experiences as consumers and they now demand those same experiences in the workplace. \u201dSarah is a non-executive director of Ovarian Cancer Australia and an executive director of Avanade Australia.<\/p>\n 3. \u00a0Susan Wojcicki, CEO, YouTube\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the digital media landscape.<\/p>\n Susan Wojcicki<\/a>\u00a0has been CEO of YouTube since February 2014. She advocated for Google’s US$1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube in 2006; the video site is now worth an estimated US$90 billion. Susan was Google’s 16th employee, starting as the search firm’s first marketing manager and later heading all marketing and commerce. Wojcicki has proven that anyone who thinks you can\u2019t balance parenthood and being a top executive is wrong: she\u2019s a mother to five children. Even though many colleagues assumed she would give up her career when she had her second child, she continued to push for her career. YouTube recently announced it is working with expert NGOs on developing new video content designed to counter violent extremist messaging at different parts of the radicalisation funnel.<\/p>\n 4. \u00a0Ginni Rometty, CEO, IBM\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the future of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n Ginni Rometty<\/a>\u00a0began her career with IBM in 1981 in Detroit. Since then, she has held a series of leadership positions, most recently as senior vice president and group executive, IBM sales, marketing, and strategy. Under Rometty\u2019s leadership, cognitive computing is a key focus for the organisation. She continues to drive IBM to lead in this space and be competitive in the digital age. In her 35-year career at the company and during four years as CEO, chairman, and president, she has led spending programs for data analysis software and skills, cloud computing, and IBM’s Watson artificial intelligence technology. Rometty predicts huge earnings in cognitive computing, championing the potential of Watson, an intelligence system used to analyse data for hospitals, universities, and businesses. Rometty attended the world business forum in Davos earlier this year touting the vast capability of IBM’s Watson AI platform she sought to ease fears that the technology will displace human workers entirely but instead deliver the potential for AI’s to “find solutions to the world’s most unsolvable problems.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. \u00a0Hilda Clune, CIO, PwC (ANZ)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the technology-led business transformation agenda.<\/p>\n Hilda Clune<\/a>\u00a0is a business transformation leader and chief information officer at PwC Australia. A senior business leader with strong transformational, technology, and digital experience, Hilda has focused on business transformation enabled by digital and technology. Hilda made the CIO top 50 in 2016 and has recently been responsible for the technology-led transformation of PwC in Australia. Hilda is also a member of PwC\u2019s Global Technology Strategy Council \u2013 a body responsible for directing a 158-country global technology transformation program across PwC\u2019s international network, and a regular speaker on the women in technology circuit.<\/p>\n 6. \u00a0Jacqui McNamara, general manager, security solutions, at Telstra and chair, FITT (Females in IT and Telecommunications)<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the diversity and women in tech agenda.<\/p>\n Jacqui McNamara<\/a>\u00a0is a leading figure in the tech diversity and security space as chair of FITT and \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 GM of security solutions within Telstra. She is vocal and dedicated to changing the unconscious bias that affects women\u2019s working lives, particularly in the male-dominated tech space. Jacqui has nearly 20 years of experience in the IT industry, in technical, marketing sales, and sales management roles. She has worked with various industry verticals including telecommunications and technologies. She has run technology startups (TippingPoint) and worked in large technology companies including Hewlett Packard and IBM, in both Australia and the UK. Jacqui is passionate about attracting women to IT and helping women further their careers in the sector. She has been mentoring for many years as part of her formal and informal contribution to the industry.<\/p>\n 7. \u00a0Jennie Mclaughlin, partner, advisory, EY (ANZ)<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the technology advisory space in ANZ<\/p>\n Jennie Mclaughlin<\/a>\u00a0is an EY partner and advisory lead for TMT (technology, media, and telco) within ANZ. She is a seasoned executive with 25 years of outstanding results in senior marketing, customer, and operational roles across a diverse range of companies including start-ups, multinationals, and self-employed as a strategic adviser. Jennie is passionate about helping people find their purpose and is an avid supporter and mentor of women in the IT sector. Jennie works collaboratively with colleagues and clients to inspire and build a better working world by helping companies successfully transform, innovate and grow. She believes that happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders \u2014 in that order.<\/p>\n 8. \u00a0Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shaping the social media landscape and driving diversity awareness globally.<\/p>\n