Deep Dive on the Top 10 Women in Tech Who Made the 2025 Forbes’ List
The Forbes’ Tech list in 2025 highlights the most influential leaders shaping the global technology industry. This year’s list features women who sit at the very top of the world’s biggest tech companies—driving innovation, managing trillion-dollar finances, and leading groundbreaking technologies across AI, hardware, software, and space exploration.
Here are the top 10 women in tech who made the 2025 Forbes’ list, and why their leadership matters.
1. Lisa Su – CEO, AMD
Lisa Su is widely credited with one of the most remarkable corporate turnarounds in modern tech history. Under her leadership, AMD evolved from an underdog chipmaker into a global powerhouse competing directly with Intel and Nvidia in high-performance computing and AI. Her strategic focus on advanced semiconductors, data centers, and AI workloads has positioned AMD at the heart of the global computing race. In 2025, her influence extends beyond hardware—shaping the future of AI infrastructure worldwide.
Why she made the Forbes’ Tech list in 2025:
Driving innovation in semiconductors critical to AI and advanced computing.
2. Ruth Porat – President & CIO, Alphabet
Ruth Porat plays a pivotal role in steering Alphabet’s long-term financial and strategic direction during one of the most transformative periods in tech. As Google doubles down on artificial intelligence, cloud services, and future-focused investments, Porat’s disciplined capital allocation has been key to balancing innovation with profitability. Her leadership ensures Alphabet remains competitive while funding moonshot projects. In 2025, she stands as one of the most powerful financial decision-makers in global tech.
Why she made the list:
Shaping Alphabet’s financial and investment strategy during the AI boom.
3. Amy Hood – Executive Vice President & CFO, Microsoft
Amy Hood oversees the financial engine behind Microsoft’s aggressive expansion into AI, cloud computing, and enterprise software. She has been instrumental in supporting massive investments in OpenAI, Azure, and next-generation productivity tools while maintaining strong revenue growth. Hood’s financial strategy has helped Microsoft cement its position as one of the world’s most valuable companies. Her influence in 2025 reflects how financial leadership drives innovation at scale.
Why she made the list:
Steering one of the world’s most valuable tech companies through record growth.
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4. Gwynne Shotwell – President & COO, SpaceX
Gwynne Shotwell is the operational force behind SpaceX’s rise as the world’s leading private space company. She manages commercial launches, government contracts, and the global rollout of Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service. Her leadership has helped normalize private spaceflight and redefine access to orbit. In 2025, Shotwell’s impact reaches beyond space exploration into global connectivity and defense technology.
Why she made the list:
Scaling private space technology and global satellite internet.
5. Colette Kress – EVP & CFO, Nvidia
As CFO of Nvidia, Colette Kress has helped guide the company through unprecedented growth fueled by the global AI boom. Nvidia’s chips power everything from data centers to generative AI platforms, placing the company at the center of the AI revolution. Kress’s financial stewardship has supported massive scaling while maintaining investor confidence. Her role in 2025 underscores how financial leadership shapes the future of AI infrastructure
Why she made the list:
Overseeing financial strategy during Nvidia’s explosive AI-driven growth.
6. Susan Li – CFO, Meta
Susan Li manages Meta’s finances at a time when the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and next-generation social platforms. She has played a critical role in funding long-term innovation while improving operational efficiency. Under her financial leadership, Meta has balanced ambitious bets with financial discipline. In 2025, Li stands as a key architect of Meta’s AI-driven future.
Why she made the list:
Balancing profitability while funding Meta’s long-term AI and metaverse vision.
7. Julie Gao – CFO, ByteDance
Julie Gao oversees the financial operations of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, one of the most influential digital platforms in the world. Her role involves managing global expansion, regulatory pressures, and massive revenue streams across multiple markets. Gao’s leadership ensures ByteDance remains financially resilient amid geopolitical scrutiny. In 2025, her influence reflects the financial complexity behind global social media dominance.
Why she made the list:
Managing finances at one of the most influential social media companies globally.
8. Sarah Friar – CFO, OpenAI
Sarah Friar plays a central role in OpenAI’s rapid global expansion as generative AI reshapes industries. She oversees financial strategy during a period of unprecedented demand for AI products and infrastructure. Friar’s experience scaling tech companies has been critical in supporting OpenAI’s partnerships, research, and commercialization efforts. In 2025, she stands at the financial core of one of the world’s most influential AI organizations.
Why she made the list:
Supporting the rapid scaling of generative AI technologies
9. Wang Laichun – Co-founder & Chairwoman, Luxshare-ICT
Wang Laichun leads Luxshare-ICT, a key player in the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. The company supplies components to major tech brands, making it an essential force behind consumer electronics worldwide. Her leadership reflects the growing influence of Asian manufacturing giants in global tech. In 2025, Wang’s impact highlights the power behind the hardware that fuels modern technology.
Why she made the list:
Building a manufacturing giant critical to the global tech supply chain.
10. Judy Faulkner – Founder & CEO, Epic Systems
Judy Faulkner is one of the most influential figures in health technology, having built Epic Systems into a dominant healthcare software company. Epic’s systems manage patient data for hospitals and health institutions across the U.S. and beyond. Faulkner’s long-term vision has shaped how digital health records operate at scale. In 2025, her leadership continues to define the intersection of technology and healthcare.
Why she made the list:
Transforming healthcare through large-scale health IT systems.
Why These Women Made the Forbes’ Tech List in 2025
The women on the Forbes’ Tech list in 2025 share common traits:
- Leadership at global-scale tech companies
- Influence over AI, hardware, software, and infrastructure
- Control of critical financial and operational decisions
- Long-term impact on how technology is built and deployed
Why the Forbes’ Tech List in 2025 Matters
This list reflects where power in tech truly sits—not just with founders, but with executives who control strategy, finance, and execution. It also highlights the growing presence of women in the highest levels of global technology leadership.
Key Takeaways
- The Forbes’ Tech list in 2025 features women leading the world’s biggest tech firms
- AI, semiconductors, cloud, space, and social media dominate the list
- Financial and operational leadership is just as influential as founding companies
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