Women role models in IT - Building Gender Balanced Business

In 2007, Fortune magazine ranked Ann Livermore number 13 in its annual “Most Powerful 50 Women” list. Fortune concluded that in just three years she had transformed HP’s Technology Solutions Group from an underperforming unit into the leading source of revenue “contributing $37.7 billion, or 36%, of HP’s total.”

The Solutions Group covers storage and servers, software and services. Livermore had worked her way up at HP, having joined in 1982. She held a number of management positions in marketing, sales, research and development before becoming a corporate vice president in 1995.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Stanford MBA (1997).

Other directorships: United Parcel Service

Linda Sanford’s career was moulded at IBM where she worked in the 1990s as a general manager of its S/390 Division, developing, manufacturing and marketing large-enterprise systems. Since then she ran IBM Global Industries, which is responsible for nurturing and maintaining relationships with top clients, a division that generates almost 70% of IBM’s revenue.

As Senior Vice President and Group Executive of the Storage Systems Group, Sanford increased IBM’s market share taking it from fifth to second place in two years. Today, she is in charge of ensuring the company’s internal IT infrastructure and processes are in excellent working order, so IBM can deliver what it calls “on demand” services to its customers.

Education: Master of Science in Operations Research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Other positions: Chairman of The Business Council of New York State, Inc. Sanford also serves on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for New York City, ITT Industries, St. John’s University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As senior vice president of e-commerce for the pharmacy retail chain Walgreens, Sona Chawla is at the heart of the web retail revolution. The task set to her and her team is to drive sales and develop a powerful online retail presence. She has plenty of experience in internet development behind her having worked for Dell as Vice President of its Global Online Business and prior to that, she was Executive Vice President of Online Sales, Service and Marketing for the financial services company, Wells Fargo.

Education: BA in Maths and Computer Science from Wellesley (Mass.) College and a Master of Science degree in Finance and Strategy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management (Cambridge, Mass., 1994).

With more than twenty years experience in engineering and management positions at Caterpillar, Utley is now responsible for the company’s R&D activities. Caterpillar is a multibillion global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines.

Education: Master of Science in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts.

Other positions: Member of the Society of Women Engineers and Society of Automotive Engineers. She also serves on the Bradley University College of Engineering and Technology Advisory Council. Utley also serves on the Board of Directors for Peoria NEXT (an organisation that is dedicated to advancing technological development in Peoria, Illinois, where Utley is based).

At the US aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Linda Gooden is responsible for a $8.4 billion business which employs over 50,000 people worldwide. As Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services (IS&GS) she provides technology services to governments embracing information technology solutions, mission services, logistics services, energy and homeland security support, business process services, and global peacekeeping and nation-building services.

Gooden started at Lockheed Martin working in its data systems and information systems businesses. Before reaching her present executive position, Gooden proved her mettle building up a new multibillion dollar IT business at Lockheed Martin.

Education: Degree in Computer Technology from Youngstown State University and post-baccalaureate studies at San Diego State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, University College.

Adriane Brown was promoted to her present position in 2005 where she runs Honeywell’s $4.5 billion transportation systems business. This includes turbochargers which improve vehicle performance, fuel economy and emissions as well as consumer products such as filters and brake pads.

Before joining Honeywell in 1999 as Vice President and General Manager of Aircraft Landing Systems, she was Vice President and General Manager of the Environmental Products Division for Corning Inc, where she had worked for 19 years.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health from Old Dominion University and Master’s degree in Management, as a Sloan Fellow, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Other positions: She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Jobs for America’s Graduates, and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, and the Arizona Women’s Forum, a chapter of the International Women’s Forum.

Sherry Aaholm has worked at the heart of IT and business throughout her career. Before joining FedEx in 1999, Aaholm managed IT in the logistics and transportation field working for GeoLogistics Americas as Vice President of IT. As Executive Vice President of Information Technology for FedEx Services, Aaholm is responsible for providing strategic direction for the IT operations infrastructure and the core operating company applications across the corporation, which includes FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight and FedEx Kinko’s.

Education: Attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Other positions: Aaholm serves on the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association’s Greater Southeast Affiliate and The Arc of the Mid-South.

Linda Mills runs Nothrop Grumman’s $4.5 billion IT, engineering and business solutions business which includes homeland security solutions, secure wireless, cyber and physical security and IT and network infrastructure. Most recently, Mills headed up the company’s “Civilian Agencies” business group, which provides technology services to federal government agencies.

Before becoming Nothrop Grumman’s Vice President for Operations and Processes, Mills led the strategy, planning and execution for Six Sigma to increase customer satisfaction.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Santa Clara and a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois.

Other positions: Mills has served on the boards of the Fairfax (Va.) Symphony Orchestra and the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and is a member of various professional organizations including the Association of Computing Machinery and the Institute of Electrical Engineering.