Meet the top 10 women in tech who made the 2025 Forbes’ list

In a year defined by smarter AI, unpredictable algorithms and nonstop innovative cycles, more women in tech proved that complexity is no barrier to strong leadership. In 2025, several outstanding female leaders rose to global recognition, securing spots on the 22nd annual Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

As Forbes put it, “the leaders and vanguards on the 2025 Forbes Power Women list stood as examples of resilience in turbulent times.” 

The list was determined through four key metrics: money, media, impact and spheres of influence. Political leaders were evaluated by gross domestic product (GDP) and population; corporate chiefs were evaluated by revenues, valuations, and employee counts; while media presence was assessed across public visibility and global mentions.

However, this rigorous process resulted in 100 women, including 17 newcomers, who collectively commanded $37 trillion in economic power and influenced over 1 billion people worldwide.

After a close review of the full list, 10 remarkable women stood out for their technology leadership. From Meta’s product labs to Microsoft’s AI teams, these leaders are shaping global tech with grit, clarity, and undeniable power.

Here are the Top 10 Women in Tech who made the list in 2025

Read also: Meet the top 10 Nigerian women leading fintech growth in 2025

1. Lisa Su, CEO, AMD

Lisa Su is the CEO of the semiconductor company, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). She was ranked as the 10th most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes.

Born in Tainan, Taiwan, in 1969, Su immigrated to New York City at the age of three. Her path was paved by strong academic achievement, graduating from the Bronx High School of Science and MIT.

At MIT, she earned a bachelor’s, a master’s, and a PhD in electrical engineering. Her professional journey included roles at major tech firms like Texas Instruments, IBM, and Freescale, before she joined AMD in 2012. 

Since becoming CEO in 2014, AMD’s revenues have skyrocketed by 370%. In 2024, the company reported revenues of $25.8 billion, up 14% from the previous year.

2. Ruth Porat, President and CIO, Alphabet

Ruth Porat currently serves as the President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. She is the 12th most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes.

She previously commanded the company’s finances as Chief Financial Officer from 2015 until mid-2024. At Alphabet, she gained recognition for skillfully managing and reining in spending on the company’s exploratory ventures, known as “other bets.” 

Now 68, Porat holds degrees from several prestigious institutions: a Bachelor of Arts/Science from Stanford University, a Master of Science from the London School of Economics, and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. 

3. Amy Hood, Executive Vice President and CFO of Microsoft

Amy Hood is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Microsoft, a role she has held since 2013. She is the 16th most powerful woman in the world.

During her tenure, she has overseen the company’s financial strategy as it competes closely with Apple for the title of the world’s largest publicly traded company by market value.

Before becoming Microsoft’s first female CFO, she led the business division and previously worked at Goldman Sachs. She is described as a “pragmatic” voice on Microsoft’s executive team because she is central to the company’s massive strategic outlays, including the planned $80 billion investment in global AI data centres in 2025.

4. Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX (Twitter)

Gwynne Shotwell is the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SpaceX, the commercial space exploration company founded by Elon Musk. She is the crucial operational force that has transformed the firm from a visionary idea into an enterprise valued at $350 billion with over 13,000 employees. 

According to Forbes, she is the 20th most powerful woman in the world. She was one of the earliest members of the team, joining as the 11th employee in 2002. 

Before her tenure at SpaceX, she served as the space systems director at spacecraft developer Microcosm. Her leadership has been instrumental in the company’s achievements, including numerous crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA and private customer Axiom Space as of March 2024. 

5. Colette Kress, Executive Vice President and CFO of Nvidia

Colette Kress is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Nvidia and the 37th most powerful woman in the world.

Since she joined in 2013, she has been a key figure in one of the most remarkable revenue surges in technology history. Under her financial oversight, the chip-making giant recorded $130.5 billion in revenue in its 2025 fiscal year, which more than doubled the previous year’s total.

Kress’s influence has coincided with Nvidia becoming one of Wall Street’s hottest stocks, achieving a market capitalisation of $4.4 trillion as of December 2025. Her extensive background in technology finance includes a 13-year tenure at Microsoft, followed by three years as the CFO of a Cisco division, before she moved to Nvidia.

6. Susan Li, CFO of Meta

Susan Li is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Meta, a role she assumed in 2022 at the age of 36. Her promotion made her one of the youngest CFOs in the technology industry, significantly below the average age for the position, which is 53.

She is the 41st most powerful woman in the world. Her journey at the company began in 2008 when it was still known as Facebook. She steadily advanced through the ranks, most recently serving as a Finance Vice President before she was appointed CFO. 

7. Julie Gao, CFO of ByteDance 

Julie Gao became the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of ByteDance, the parent company of the social media app TikTok, in 2022. She transitioned into this executive role from a career in law. 

As the 47th most powerful woman in the world, Gao spent 13 years as a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, one of the world’s largest law firms. 

While at Skadden, she was a highly sought-after IPO attorney, advising on major deals for clients that included Baidu and JD.com. In 2019 alone, she advised on two dozen deals with a total value of $20 billion.

Her stated objective in joining ByteDance was to “instil financial discipline across the organisation and drive execution on the company’s strategic priorities.” 

8. Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI

Sarah Friar took on the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at OpenAI in 2024. As the head of all financial operations, she is central to the scaling efforts of the artificial intelligence giant, which is responsible for ChatGPT and boasts a valuation of $500 billion. 

The 50th most powerful woman in the world hails from Northern Ireland. Before joining OpenAI, she served as CEO of Nextdoor, the neighbourhood-based social media service, from 2018 until 2024, guiding the company through its public listing in 2021.

Earlier in her career, she was a key figure at Square (now Block), taking that company public in 2015. Her professional background also includes roles at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Salesforce. In November 2025, she was named to Stanford’s board of trustees, with her five-year term scheduled to begin in February 2026.

9. Wang Laichim, Co-founder and Chairwoman of Luxshare-ICT

Wang Laichun, also known as Grace Wang, is the Chairwoman and CEO of the electronics component manufacturer Luxshare Precision Industry. She co-founded the company with her brother, Wang Laisheng, who is now the vice chairman, in 2004.

As the 51st most powerful woman in the world, a pivotal moment in her career was her 10-year tenure at Taiwanese billionaire Terry Gou’s Hon Hai Precision Industry, which is also known as Foxconn. She left Foxconn in 1997.

Luxshare has cultivated a critical relationship with Apple, which is one of its most important customers, with CEO Tim Cook having visited its factories in China often.

10. Judy Faulkner, Founder and CEO, Epic Systems

Judy Faulkner is the Founder and CEO of Epic Systems, a leading medical record software provider. She started the company in a Wisconsin basement in 1979. 

As the 54th most powerful woman in the world, Faulkner is a computer programmer who leads the firm, which reported $5.7 billion in sales in 2024. She owns an estimated 43% of the company.

Epic Systems plays a massive role in healthcare, supporting the medical records of over 250 million patients and being utilised by top medical centres such as Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic.