FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 7, 2022
Women Leaders in Data and AI (WLDA) Announces Finalists for 2022 WLDA Awards Gala
Honoring Women, Men, and Companies Making Strides in Data, AI, Inclusion, and Innovation.
Colonia, NJ, USA – Women Leaders in Data and AI (WLDA), an organization supporting women leaders in data and AI for an impactful future, has announced the individual finalists for the 2nd WLDA Awards. The WLDA awards celebrate inspiring individuals and companies who are creating, leading, and demonstrating innovation and inclusion in the fields of data and AI.
WLDA was created to help shine a spotlight on women in the data and AI industry. A recent study by Deloitte demonstrated that women leave the AI field at high rates due to a stalled career and lack of support. WLDA highlights people and companies focused on making a difference across these fields.
“I launched WLDA to create a platform where women leaders in data and AI can prosper and find the support that they need to build an inclusive, scalable world for women and to create space for other women to join them,” said Asha Saxena, Founder & CEO of WLDA.
“Now it’s possible more than ever to lift women and to recognize them, along with their allies, for their work and support,” she added. Along with these incredible women, these awards allow us to celebrate men and corporations who empower and encourage their women colleagues.
The winners will be announced on November 3rd in New York City during the WLDA Awards Gala, where we will be celebrating leaders and influencers in technology, data, and AI roles, across industries.
For more information or to purchase tickets to the WLDA Awards Gala, please visit 2022-GALA.
Awards Categories and Finalists:
Best Motivator
- Melissa Drew – Associate Partner, Digital Transformation Executive Advisor, IBM
- Maria C. Villar – Head of Enterprise Data Strategy and Transformation, SAP
- Cindi Howson – CDSO, ThoughtSpot
Changemaker in the Field of Data
- Maria C. Villar – Head of Enterprise Data Strategy and Transformation, SAP
- Besa Bauta – CDO, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
- Kirsten Dalboe – CDO, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Cindi Howson – CDSO, ThoughtSpot
Changemaker in the Field of AI
- Sarah Karthigan – GM Data & Insights, Strategy & Innovation, Chevron
- Julia Bardmesser – SVP, Head of Data, Architecture and Salesforce Development, Voya Financial
- Seth Dobrin – Founder, Quantm AI
- Miriam Vogel – President and CEO, Equal AI
Corporation of the Year
- Accenture
- PwC
- Chevron
- L’Oreal
- Synchrony
- Visa
Rising Star
- Jigyasa Grover – Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Twitter
- Alanna Roesler – People Analytics Change Leader, Schneider Electric
- Claire Bolin – Operations Research Analyst PAQ, Department of the Air Force Chief Data Office
- Chandra Donelson – Deputy CDO, HQ U.S. Army G-2
WLDA Woman Leader of the Year
- Jacqui Van Der Leij-Greyling – Global Head of Tax Technology, eBay
- Dara Meath – Divisional CIO, Conair
- Eileen Vidrine – Senior Strategic Advisor for Data to the Federal CIO, Office of Management & Budget/Executive Office of the President (detailed from Department of the Air Force)
Executive Champion of the Year
- Sandy Carter – SVP and Channel Chief, Unstoppable Domains
- Lee Barett – Managing Director, Accenture
- Michael Kingston – Managing Director, Portfolio CIO Americas, The Carlyle Group
AI Leader of the Year
- Rama Akkiraju – VP AI/ML for IT, NVIDIA
- Sonia Gupta MD – CMO, Change Healthcare
- Shilpi Agarwal – Founder and Chief Data Ethics Officer, DataEthics4All
Data Leader of the Year
- Adita Karkera – CDO, Deloitte
- Ellen Nielsen – CDO, Chevron
- Eileen Vidrine – Senior Strategic Advisor for Data to the Federal CIO, Office of Management & Budget/Executive Office of the President (detailed from Department of the Air Force)
ABOUT WLDA
Women Leaders in Data and AI, is a woman-run membership and mastermind circle organization for women leaders in data and AI. Our mission is to bring women together to lead at the forefront of innovation of data and AI to create an impactful future.
The organization supports women leaders and provides one-of-a-kind opportunities to learn from their F1000 industry peers, find tech solutions, and solve tough data challenges while helping them develop personally and professionally.
Our events are designed to provide intimate and confidential, facilitated conversations in platforms where women leaders find support from one another, helping provide the inspiration they may not find elsewhere.
ABOUT ASHA SAXENA
Asha Saxena is the Founder and CEO of Women Leaders in Data and AI (WLDA), an exclusive mastermind group for women leaders in data and AI, helping them succeed both personally and professionally. She is also a professor at Columbia University in NYC, teaching graduate students healthcare consulting and entrepreneurship, and is a partner with CEO International, where she coaches CXO leaders.
As a serial entrepreneur, she has built and sold three successful businesses. Most recently, she has served as CEO and Chairperson of Future Technologies Inc., a data management firm that provides warehousing, analytics, and intelligence services. She was also the CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of ACULYST, providing best-in-class healthcare analytics services through a pre-built model that integrates clinical, financial, and operational data. Asha has served on several for-profit and nonprofit boards and is a contributor and international speaker on various technology, data, AI, and women-related issues.
Apply for your exclusive membership now and learn more about us at wlda.tech.
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Copyright © 2022 Women Leaders in Data and AI. All Rights Reserved.
Contact:
Asha Saxena
Women Leaders in Data and AI
55 Cambridge Drive
Colonia, NJ
Email: asha.saxena@WLDA.Tech
