Portugal is rapidly emerging as a European tech powerhouse, driven by innovation across AI, fintech, cybersecurity, data, and digital transformation. At the forefront of this momentum are remarkable women who are not only advancing cutting-edge technologies but also championing inclusive leadership. While women make up just 22.7% of ICT specialists in Portugal (Eurostat, 2024), the gender gap remains significant—highlighting the importance of visibility and representation. These trailblazers are breaking barriers, shaping industries, and inspiring a more diverse and equitable future in tech.
Meet standout women who are driving change, building inclusive tech ecosystems, and putting Portugal on the global innovation map.
Ana Figueiredo, CEO at Altice Portugal
Ana Figueiredo shapes the future of telecom and digital connectivity through strategic innovation and global infrastructure development. With international leadership experience spanning Europe and Latin America, she champions digital inclusion, organizational transformation, and diversity across the tech sector.
Carolina Trigo, Senior Product Manager at Native Teams
Carolina Trigo is a product and project leader passionate about creating impactful, user-focused tech solutions. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, she mentors and organizes initiatives with Geek Girls Portugal to empower women in tech. Carolina has been recognized by Portuguese Women in Tech, APOGEP, IPMA, and the WomenTech Network for her leadership and community impact.
Chris Liden, IT Director at Havi Supply Chain, Global IT, Infrastructure & Operations
Chris Liden is a global IT leader with nearly two decades of experience driving digital transformation, operational excellence, and people-first innovation across industries. Passionate about human connection in tech, she champions diversity, equity, and inclusion through multicultural leadership, empowerment initiatives, and mentorship. Chris regularly speaks at events like Extraordinary Women in Tech, inspiring the next generation while building inclusive, future-ready workplaces.
Claudia Alho, Chief Information Officer at Banco Credibom SA
Claudia Alho is a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience driving IT strategy, governance, and transformation in the banking sector. Known for her structured approach to innovation and change management, she combines technical excellence with a strong focus on people and leadership. Claudia actively contributes to Portugal’s tech ecosystem and supports diversity and collaboration through her advisory work and public engagement.
Cristina Fonseca, VP, Product, Zendesk and General Partner at Indico Capital Partners
Cristina Fonseca is a renowned tech entrepreneur and investor known for shaping the SaaS and AI landscape. She co-founded Talldesk one of Silicon Valley’s fastest-growing startups and actively supports impact-driven technology and inclusive entrepreneurship. Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and the World Economic Forum, she plays a key role in advancing Portugal’s startup ecosystem.
Débora Venâncio, Chief Data Officer at Allianz Portugal
Débora Venâncio drives data strategy and digital transformation, skillfully combining analytical expertise with her passion for youth mentorship and community engagement. A former national futsal player and committed sports coach, she actively integrates teamwork, inclusive leadership, and strategic thinking into both her professional initiatives and impactful volunteer efforts. Débora firmly believes in empowering young people through sports and education, advocating for collaboration, diversity, and personal growth in every endeavor.
Elvira Fortunato, Former Minister for Science, Technology, and Higher Education at República Portuguesa
Elvira Fortunato is a pioneer in sustainable electronics and transparent technologies, known for her groundbreaking work in paper-based circuits. A former government minister and scientific advisor to the European Commission, she advocates for gender equality in science and leads policy-shaping innovation across Europe.
Erika Cunha, CIO at Grupo Brisa
Erika Cunha is a global tech and transformation leader with experience across 20+ countries and industries like healthcare, agrobusiness, and logistics. She’s led major SAP rollouts and IT operations, delivering multimillion-dollar impact. A champion for DEI, she boosted women in leadership by 5% and is known for her high-energy, people-first approach to building diverse, high-performing teams.
Helene Westerlind, CEO at Zurich Insurance
Helene Westerlind is a global leader in insurance and wellbeing innovation, with over two decades of experience driving strategic transformation across claims, underwriting, IT, and operations. Based in Lisbon, she is passionate about empowering people through health-focused services and inclusive leadership. A committed advocate for diversity and gender equality, she has championed initiatives such as the Women’s Innovation Network and previously led Advance – Gender Equality in Swiss Business. Her work continues to shape a sustainable, people-centered impact across industries.
Joana Ribeiro da Silva, Executive Board Member at Worten
Joana Ribeiro da Silva is a senior executive with deep expertise in digital transformation, customer experience, and business innovation across retail, telecom, and services. With over two decades in leadership roles, she brings a strategic and people-centered approach to growth and operational excellence. Joana is passionate about long-term, customer-centric change and advancing inclusive leadership at the board level.
Luana Momm, Engineering Manager at Trustly
Luana Momm is a technology leader with a global footprint, known for driving innovation in Open Banking and financial technology. With a background in engineering, product design, and business management, she combines technical expertise with inclusive leadership to deliver impactful solutions. Luana is passionate about agile practices, cross-cultural collaboration, and building high-performing, diverse teams that thrive on continuous improvement.
Madalena Cascais Tomé, Chief Executive Officer at SIBS
Madalena Cascais Tomé leads innovation in digital payments and financial services, driving cross-border interoperability and financial inclusion. With expertise in strategy, analytics, and transformation, she envisions sovereign, efficient digital ecosystems and contributes to international leadership through various board roles.
Mariana Santos, Vice President, Software Engineering at iCapital
Mariana Santos leads digital innovation in the fintech space and has rapidly advanced through engineering leadership roles. With a background in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, she is passionate about building impactful technologies and mentoring the next generation of women in tech.
Mariana Lima, Full Stack Developer at Foundever™
Mariana Lima is a dynamic tech professional blending full stack development and automation to craft impactful digital solutions. With a strong foundation in React, TypeScript, and UiPath, she transforms complex challenges into intuitive user experiences. A finalist for the Women in Tech Global Awards Mentor of the Year Award, Mariana is also a dedicated mentor, empowering the next generation of women in technology through advocacy, community engagement, and hands-on support.
Monica Cañete Palomo, Director of Engineering, Systems and Technology at RTP
Monica Cañete Palomo is a seasoned technology and broadcast engineering expert with over 15 years of experience leading complex systems design and transformation initiatives. With a strong focus on innovation, she has delivered strategic projects across the media and broadcasting industry, driving performance, operational excellence, and future-ready infrastructures. Known for her visionary leadership and ability to integrate emerging technologies, Monica is committed to mentoring technical teams and advancing diversity in engineering.
Olha Paramonova, VP AdTech at Sigma Software Group
Olha Paramonova is a trailblazer in AdTech with over 15 years of experience driving innovation, strategy, and team development in the tech space. A startup advisor, writer, and founder of AdTech Academy, she blends business insight with creative thinking to lead transformation and empower future tech leaders. Passionate about education and impact, she thrives at the intersection of technology, mentorship, and purpose.
Paula Anselmo, Associate Director, Mainframe Delivery Management at Kyndryl
Paula Anselmo brings more than 30 years of expertise in mainframe systems, IT operations, and service delivery, with a deep commitment to mentoring early-career professionals and fostering inclusive technology environments. She has led major modernization efforts while managing large technical teams and has developed internal academies to upskill future talent. Based in Lisbon, Paula is a strong advocate for opening doors in enterprise tech to those traditionally underrepresented in the field.
Paula Francisca Fernandes , Senior Managing Director at Accenture
Paula Francisca Fernandes is a technology and transformation leader with over two decades of experience delivering business innovation across industries. Passionate about gender equality, she champions diversity and inclusion while driving complex modernization projects. Her mission centers on empowering people and organizations to create meaningful impact through human-centered innovation.
Sandra Mateus, Director for Strategic Opportunities, World Wide Public Sector at Microsoft
Sandra Mateus is a seasoned digital transformation leader with over 25 years of experience across consulting, healthcare, and public sector innovation. She is passionate about using technology to drive societal impact, foster inclusive digital ecosystems, and empower communities. Sandra is also a dedicated advocate for gender-balanced leadership and digital equity.
Sara Candeias, PhD, Chief Data Officer at Banco Montepio
Sara Candeias guides Data and AI transformation strategies, enabling regulatory innovation and business growth. With over 18 years of experience at the intersection of technology and strategy, she advocates for data ethics, inclusive AI, and empowering organizations to become data-driven. She is also a published researcher and educator.
Sara Portell, PhD Researcher, Psychology (Emotions, Well-Being, and AI) at Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Sara Portell is a UX and Product Research leader with over 17 years of experience at the intersection of behavioral science, technology, and innovation. A human-centered design expert and PhD researcher in psychology and AI, she pioneers responsible, emotionally intelligent tech. Her work empowers ethical, inclusive AI and well-being-driven product strategies globally.
Silvia Bechmann, CEO & Managing Director at Mercedes-Benz.io
Silvia Bechmann is a global technology executive with over two decades of experience leading digital transformation, IT strategy, and organizational growth across international markets. She is deeply committed to building inclusive, innovation-driven teams and fostering talent ecosystems that scale impact. Silvia actively promotes diversity in tech and contributes to thought leadership in areas such as internationalization, education-industry collaboration, and human-centered digital
Sílvia Rocha, VP of Engineering at OutSystems
Sílvia Rocha is a technology and product development leader with deep expertise in agile transformation, systems architecture, and cross-functional team management. With a career spanning large-scale software delivery and customer engagement practices, she brings a human-centered mindset to engineering leadership. Passionate about scaling innovation and cultivating collaborative team cultures, Sílvia also advocates for inclusive practices in tech and shares her knowledge through writing and mentoring. Her work continues to influence how modern product organizations adopt agility at enterprise scale.
Sofia Perdigão, Engineering Director at Constellation Automotive Group Tech Hub
Sofia Perdigão brings over 25 years of experience in tech with a passion for people-first leadership. With deep roots in engineering and a strong background in software architecture and databases, she thrives on building empowered, high-performing teams. Her approach blends technical excellence with a strategic vision for inclusive growth and talent development.
Sónia Gonçalves, Director at Synopsys Inc.
Sónia Gonçalves leads advancements in semiconductor design, with over 15 years of experience in high-performance computing and connectivity technologies. Known for her technical leadership and mentorship, she promotes engineering excellence and inclusive growth within the global tech community.
Sushmita Gogoi, Global Product Manager at Mastercard
Sushmita Gogoi is a passionate product leader with over a decade of experience creating impactful consumer and enterprise solutions, often leveraging AI and machine learning to reach millions of users worldwide. Known for her customer-driven mindset and love for data, she crafts strategies rooted in deep user empathy and technical insight. Sushmita actively mentors aspiring women in tech and is involved in global communities like WomenTech Network and ADPList. Her dedication to continuous learning, innovation, and inclusivity defines her dynamic approach to building meaningful products.
Vanessa Loureiro, Vice President Global Operations at Capgemini Engineering
Vanessa Loureiro drives transformation and efficiency across global engineering centers, with a career rooted in strategy, innovation, and sustainable impact in tech. Based in Lisbon, she brings extensive leadership experience from major engineering organizations and actively champions inclusive workplace practices.
Vânia Santos, Head of Engineering at OLX Group
Vânia Santos is a tech leader who thrives on empowering teams and building impactful engineering cultures. With a strong foundation in backend development, she is passionate about delivery excellence, stakeholder collaboration, and continuous improvement. Vânia champions people-first leadership while balancing innovation with empathy.
Vânia Gonçalves,Research Manager at Cloudflare
Vânia Gonçalves is a seasoned tech and research leader with a global track record in security, innovation, and digital transformation. With a passion for inclusive tech and over two decades of experience, she founded Geek Girls Portugal to empower women in STEM and drive gender equity through community and mentorship.
Wendy Rasin, Director CyberSecurity Renewals EMEA at Cisco
Wendy Rasin accelerates cybersecurity initiatives while fostering inclusion and leadership development. With over two decades in the tech industry, she plays an active role in advancing diversity through mentorship, board service, and her work with regional inclusion programs.
These women prove that tech leadership is about more than expertise it’s about vision, impact, and lifting others as they rise.
By sharing their stories, WomenTech Network hopes to inspire more women across Portugal to pursue, grow, and lead in tech. Let’s continue championing diversity, celebrating achievements, and shaping a future where everyone belongs in technology.
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