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Top 50 Women Leaders in Cybersecurity to Watch in 2026

✇Firewall Daily – The Cyber Express
Por:Samiksha Jain

op 50 Women in Cybersecurity to Watch in 2026

As the world prepares to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, The Cyber Express takes the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the women trailblazers of the realm of cybersecurity. We proudly present the “Top 50 Women in Cybersecurity to Watch in 2026.”   This special recognition to Women in Cybersecurity highlights influential professionals who are driving innovation, strengthening cyber resilience, and shaping the future of digital security across industries.  This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” stresses on meaningful progress towards gender equality, which requires intentional contributions from governments, organizations, and individuals. When institutions invest in women’s safety, leadership, and opportunities, the impact extends far beyond workplace representation — strengthening innovation, improving decision-making, and building more resilient societies. 

Women in Cybersecurity: Progress and Persistent Challenges 

Within cybersecurity, women continue to expand their presence in a field that has historically been male dominated. According to the latest available data, women currently make up about 22% of the global cybersecurity workforce, a significant increase from just 11% in 2017. Today, one in four cybersecurity professionals is a woman, and projections suggest that by 2031, women could represent nearly one-third of the cybersecurity workforce.  Despite this progress, challenges remain. In the United States, women still hold less than 20% of cybersecurity roles, and a gender pay gap of around 5% persists in the sector. Career growth also continues to present obstacles, with nearly half of women in cybersecurity reporting challenges in professional advancement, while almost one-third say they have experienced workplace discrimination at some point in their careers.  Even so, women across the cybersecurity ecosystem are making remarkable contributions — from leading security operations and shaping national cyber policies to advancing threat intelligence, digital forensics, and cyber resilience strategies. Their work is not only protecting organizations and critical infrastructure but also inspiring the next generation of security professionals.  Keeping this in mind, The Cyber Express’ “Top 50 Women Leaders in Cybersecurity to Watch in 2026” recognizes professionals whose leadership, expertise, and impact are helping redefine the cybersecurity landscape. Their journeys reflect the spirit of International Women’s Day on 8 March — demonstrating that when we support and empower women in cybersecurity, the entire digital ecosystem stands to gain. 

Top 50 Women Leader in Cybersecurity | IWD Special by The Cyber Express 

Name  Designation  Company Name 
Celia Mantshiyane  Group Chief Information Security Officer  FirstRand 
Radhika Bajpai  CISO  Russell Investments 
Holly Foxcroft  Cyber Security Business Partner - BISO  OneAdvanced 
Dr Sheeba Armoogum  Associate Professor in Cybersecurity  University of Mauritius 
Irene Corpuz  Founding Partner, Head of Governance & Communications  Women in Cyber Security Middle East 
Patricia "Patty" Voight  Executive Managing Director; CISO and Tech Risk Management  Webster Bank 
Alya Al Marzooqi  Group Digital Risk Management and Compliance Manager  ADNOC Group  
Sakshi Porwal  Global Chief Information Security Officer & Cybersecurity Consulting Practice Head  Compunnel Inc.  
Rona Michele Spiegel, CISSP  Senior Manager, Security and Trust, Mergers and Acquisitions  Autodesk  
Dr Priyanka Sunder  Co-Founder & Chief Human Risk Intelligence Officer  Secure Mojo  
Lauren Dana Rosenblatt  Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)  PSEG 
Sheeba Sultan Hasnain  Chairwoman & CIO  SENTIENTE 
Dr. Meetali Sharma  Director - Risk, Compliance and Information Security  SDG Corporation 
Kylie Watson  Head of Cyber Security, ANZ/ASEAN/Japan/India/GC/Middle East/Africa  DXC Technology 
Catherine Rowe  Chief Information Security Officer  Reserve Bank of Australia 
Maryam Bechtel  General Manager, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)  TAL Australia  
Sofia Scozzari  CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and Founder  Hackmanac 
Archana Venugopal  Senior Vice President & Chief Information Secuirty Officer National aCommodity& Derivates Exchange  National Commodity & Derivative Exchange Of India Limited 
Shivani Arni   Enterprise CISO  Mahindra Group 
Cindy (Monceaux) Hoots  Chief Digital Officer & CIO  AstraZeneca 
Jae Evans  EVP, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Global CIO  Oracle 
Sheila Jordan  Chief Digital Technology Officer  Honeywell 
Maria Demaree  Senior Vice President, Enterprise Business and Digital Transformation & CIO  Lockheed Martin 
Heide Young  Manager Cyber Strategy & Engagement  NEOM 
Eman Al Awadhi  Vice President – Network and Cyber Security  Expo City Dubai 
Julia Dudenko  Group CISO  Haniel 
Anne Neuberger  Deputy National Security Advisor, Cyber & Emerging Tech  National Security Council, The White House 
Kris Lovejoy  Global Head of Strategy  Kyndryl 
Ramya Ganesh  Cybersecurity XDR Leader  Cisco 
Jane Teh  Founder and CEO  VortiQ[x] 
Nasrin Rezai  SVP, Chief Information Security Officer   Verizon 
Laura Deaner  Chief Information Security Officer  The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) 
Mignona Coté  SVP Chief Information Security Officer  Infor 
Noopur Davis  Global CISO. Chief Product Privacy Officer. Corporate EVP.  Comcast 
Teresa Zielinski  Vice President, CISO  GE Vernova 
Andrea Abell  Chief Information Security Officer  Eli Lilly and Company  
Deneen DeFiore  Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer  United Airlines 
Elizabeth Joyce  EVP & Global CISO  State Street 
Mary Rose Martinez  Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President of Infrastructure  Marathon Petroleum Corporation 
Marnie (Huss) Wilking  VP Chief Security Officer  Booking.com 
Hannah Suarez 🇵🇸  CISO  Loyalty Status Co 
Annie (Anne) Haggar  Deputy Chief of Staff  Australian Government 
Sujata Misra  GM - Network Infra and Security Leader  Brigade Group  
Bonnie Butlin  Co-Founder and Executive Director  Security Partners' Forum 
Gurdeep Kaur  Chief Operating Officer  Suraksha Catalyst 
Vandana Verma  President  InfoSec Girls 
Mansi Thapar  Global Head – Cyber Security & Infra  Apollo Tyres 
Rosalia Hajek   CISO  Topgolf Callaway Brands 
Carmen Marsh  President & CEO  United Cybersecurity Alliance (Europe, US, Middle East & Japan)  
Lisa Fitzgerald  Partner  Norton Rose Fulbright 
 
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