Recognizing the women driving innovation across Western Europe

Earlier this year, we launched the Microsoft Power Women in Tech Awards, to recognize and support remarkable women in the Microsoft Partner Network in Western Europe. We were looking for individuals who are reaching new heights in the industry and who are proven champions of promoting diversity and inclusion.  And we wanted to help raise the visibility of these leaders, to inspire women in the field at all stages of their careers.  

We saw an incredible response, receiving more than 150 nominations across 11 countries. We were absolutely blown away by the caliber of these professionals and by their enumerable achievements. The judges did not have any easy job.   

The 12 winners will be invited to join a bespoke Women Leaders Executive Program developed and led by Jennifer Petriglieri, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD.  

Equal representation of women in the tech industry is an issue that affects every business

There is a stack of research that shows diverse teams are more innovative and more effective.  However, less than a quarter of technology roles in Europe are currently held by women. In addition, only 21% believe that the technology industry is one that they can thrive in – so we need to change this perception if we are going to collectively address these issues and ensure Europe continues innovating at pace.   

I want to congratulate all the remarkable nominees and to spotlight one of our winners, Esther Lucena, Head of Partner Sales, Western Europe at Adobe. Esther’s work promoting diversity spans multiple countries across the region, and she has been an active contributor to a wide range of DEI initiatives at Adobe, including creating a stronger dialogue between women and the global leadership community.

Esther is passionate about the power of coaching and mentoring to help cultivate the next generation of women in leadership roles. “Winning this award is about leading by example, inspiring success and empowering talented women to work at their best, while living a life of fulfilment. We need to take each opportunity to promote diversity and inclusion, whilst contributing to creating networks which offer comprehensive mentoring and coaching for women. We also need to speak up about the challenges women face and how to overcome them. By doing so women will continue to grow and will feel more motivated and empowered.”

The 12 winners are: 

• Austria – Martina Grom, atwork 

• Belgium – Rima Farhat, Accenture 

• Denmark – Kathrine Forsberg, Atea Danmark 

• Finland – Hanna Kivelä, Fujitsu 

• Ireland – Gillian O’Sullivan, BearingPoint 

• Italy – Claudia Angelelli, VMware 

• Netherlands – Nerosh Raga, Accenture  

• Norway – Lillian Larsen, Crayon 

• Portugal – Beatriz Oliveira, BindTuning 

• Spain – Eduvigis Ortiz, SAS Institute 

• Sweden – Beatrice Silow, Nexer Group 

• Western Europe (working across multiple regions) – Esther Lucena, Adobe 

“Tech is the most influential industry in the world. It has the power to connect people, and if managed well, to shape the world for the better. To do this tech needs the best and brightest talent who can bring strategic calculation and moral imagination to the world. Ambitious young professionals, and women in particular, are well placed to help tech nudge the world in a better direction through the diversity of thought they bring. In return they will grow their leadership in a context that truly matters for humanity.” Associate Professor Jennifer Petriglieri, INSEAD

Congratulations once again to all of our nominees and winners!