Posted On : July 9, 2025
Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Chief Technology Officers of 2025. CTOs play a critical role in shaping enterprise strategy, leading innovation, and ensuring secure, scalable infrastructure across every layer of the business. While women currently hold just over 20% of CTO roles in mid-market tech firms, that number is growing as more leaders bring advanced technical depth and operational rigor to the highest levels of decision-making. This year’s awardees are driving complex transformations—from AI deployment to platform modernization—while expanding what effective technology leadership looks like.
Among our honorees is Penelope Merced, Chief Information and Technology Officer of specialty finance firm MidCap Financial, where she drives digital transformation initiatives that generate tangible value for MidCap and pioneers innovative technology strategies. She has headed the firm’s IT department since 2016 and has established the five core domains of IT from the ground up. These are infrastructure and operations, cybersecurity, data management, application services, and business systems. Her priorities include enterprise data management and data analytics capabilities, cybersecurity risk management, and business process optimization.
We also acknowledge Tracy Mills, Chief Technology Officer of HPE’s US Public Sector Federal Systems Integrators Sales organization. Mills works with federal entities to solve their IT challenges, providing mission capabilities efficiently and effectively. She understands federal systems integrators and public sector business drivers and provides insights into the latest emerging technology solutions. She works with end users, industry, leading partners, and integrators to identify solutions and opportunities to support the warfighter, civilian, SLED, and federal agencies.
Lastly, we congratulate Alexandria Cabello, Chief Technology Officer of SITE Technologies. Transforming the PropTech landscape, Cabello orchestrates the fusion of artificial intelligence with engineering principles to revolutionize property management. She leads a diverse team of engineers focused on deploying sophisticated AI models and machine learning algorithms that optimize workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and provide unprecedented analytical insights. Under her guidance, SITE’s platform has evolved into an essential tool for property managers seeking data-driven efficiency and competitive advantage.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Chief Technology Officers of 2025.
1. Lara Rubbelke
Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Americas, Microsoft
Lara Rubbelke, as the Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft Americas, plays a pivotal role in assisting customers with their most strategic technology initiatives, driving innovation, and enabling digital transformation. Rubbelke works with customers to help them with their most strategic technology initiatives that drive their innovation and digital transformation. The Microsoft Corporation is a multinational technology company and a leading developer of software, services, and hardware.
With over 25 years of experience, Rubbelke has consistently delivered business value by optimizing operations and enabling sustainable growth through the adoption of transformative technologies, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, systems, and cybersecurity. She is passionate about leveraging cutting-edge solutions to solve complex business challenges and is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. She is also committed to developing the next generation of technology leaders and actively contributes to the technology community through her participation in industry events and forums.
Previously, Rubbelke was a SQL Server enterprise consultant at Digineer. Before that, she was a consultant at Fujitsu. Earlier in her career, she worked with the University of Minnesota as a database administrator. She earned an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Minnesota.
2. Kinnera Angadi
VP & Chief Product and Technology Officer, Verizon Connect
Kinnera Angadi is the Vice President and Chief Product and Technology Officer at Verizon Connect. The Verizon Connect portfolio of solutions and services includes comprehensive fleet and mobile workforce management software platforms, embedded OEM hardware, and Hum by Verizon, a connected vehicle device that helps create a safer, smarter, and more connected driving experience for consumers.
Angadi has more than 15 years of technology experience. As a leader in digital transformation with a focus on sustainability, she delivers metering innovations, cutting-edge communication platforms, and software solutions. Previously, she served as the chief technology officer for Honeywell Smart Energy & Thermal Solutions. Earlier in her career, Angadi served in leadership roles at Comcast, Cigna, and IBM. She started her career as a software engineer at IBM.
Angadi has a BE in Information Technology and an MS in Computer Science. She also studied Women’s Executive Leadership at The Wharton School.
3. Anchal Gupta
Chief Technology Officer, American Airlines
Anchal Gupta is the Chief Technology Officer at American Airlines, a major American airline, bringing over 25 years of experience as a global engineering and product executive. She specializes in defining and executing technology strategies that drive business results and has worked extensively in B2B and B2C payments, tokenization, mobile technologies, big data analytics, customer 360, Salesforce, cloud design, and SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS architectures. She has deep expertise in infrastructure, application, and data architectures, as well as in security, auditing, financial management, and people management.
Gupta has led global cross-functional teams and played a pivotal role in transforming digital, API, and platform landscapes. She has delivered AI-driven, customer-focused solutions, enhanced analytical capabilities using big data, and championed agile delivery models. She has successfully managed platforms processing up to $2.2 quadrillion in securities annually and overseen financial portfolios exceeding one billion dollars. Her strategic initiatives have driven automation, generated double-digit revenue growth, and launched industry-influencing solutions. Gupta has improved customer communication across more than 90 products, resulting in over $20 million in annual cost savings and significant enhancements to the customer experience. She has also contributed to market share and Net Promoter Score improvements while leading efforts in enterprise data management, cloud adoption, integrated IT risk management, and the implementation of APIs and microservices.
Known for her expertise in AI, robotics, and predictive analytics, Gupta thrives on solving complex problems with a digital-first mindset. She regularly collaborates with stakeholders, senior executives, and regulators and plays an active role in operations management, partner relationships, and contract negotiations. Her leadership philosophy emphasizes empowering others, developing talent, and fostering a culture of innovation and change. Before joining American Airlines, Gupta was managing director and global head of card technology at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Before that, she was managing director and global head of product, platform, and data engineering at The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. Earlier in her career, she worked with Max Ateev as a project leader. She graduated from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, with a degree in business management.
4. Yao Morin
Chief Technology Officer, JLL
Yao Morin is Chief Technology Officer at JLL, where she leads and is responsible for the global technology strategy, product roadmap, and delivery. Morin oversees the centralized engineering group, which consists of over 1,000 team members within JLL Technologies, a business division of JLL dedicated to commercial real estate technology. JLL, or Jones Lang LaSalle, is a global professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management.
Morin joined JLL Technologies in 2020 as the chief data officer, where she helped refine and accelerate JLL’s approach to gathering, extracting, storing, and leveraging data assets across its businesses to create new value for investors, occupiers, and the broader organization. Before joining JLL, she served as chief data officer and head of US engineering at StubHub, where she defined and championed the company-wide data strategy and led a complete data transformation. She also led the development and modernization of Intuit’s data infrastructure as head of data science and machine learning engineering and as a principal data scientist. Earlier in her career, she was a research scientist at Intellisis and Parietal Systems and served as a science adviser for Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP.
Morin holds a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Information Engineering from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. She also holds several patents for her work related to user experience, data analytics and management, and machine learning.
5. Ceri Danheux
Chief Information & Technology Officer, Goodwill Industries International
Ceri Danheux is the Chief Information and Technology Officer for Goodwill Industries International. She previously served as the vice president of digital services. Goodwill is North America’s leading nonprofit provider of education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages.
With a robust tenure at Goodwill Industries International, Danheux advanced from vice president of digital services to chief information and technology officer, where she leverages a Six Sigma Black Belt certification to enhance manufacturing processes. Her team has made significant strides in new business development while maintaining a strong focus on detail. Committed to the mission of empowering individuals through learning and work, Danheux has successfully integrated technology solutions that align with the organization’s culture and values. Her expertise in process improvement and digital services positions the organization to innovate and serve communities effectively, reflecting the transformative impact of Goodwill Industries.
Danheux previously served as a senior director for Smith & Nephew and Ball Corporation. Before that, she was a business technology leader for Johnson & Johnson. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Elizabethtown College. She also studied at the American University of Paris, the University of Delaware, and West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
13. Lan Yang
Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, DeepSight Technology Inc.
Lan Yang is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of DeepSight Technology Inc., a medical technology company pioneering innovations to transform medical imaging through novel technologies that integrate advanced sensors, intelligent algorithms, and real-time analytics. Among its transformative technologies is NeedleVue, an advancement in ultrasound-assisted guidance designed to enable physicians to visualize in real time the precise location of interventional instruments, such as needles and biopsy tools.
Yang is the Edwin H. and Florence G. Skinner Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Her leadership bridges academia and industry, with a strong track record of translating fundamental research into impactful technologies. She holds a PhD in Applied Physics from Caltech and is an internationally recognized expert in optical physics and photonic sensing. She is known for pioneering work in light-matter interaction mechanisms and for developing innovative technologies for sensing, imaging, communications, healthcare, and beyond.
Yang has earned recognition from leading scientific and engineering societies and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Physical Society, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and Optica.
For the complete list, visit here.
***
Originally published by Women We Admire
