Inspiring Fifty is proud to announce the results of its yearlong search to find the most inspiring women within the European technology community. The not-for-profit organisation identifies, encourages, and showcases women in leadership positions within the technology sector, and is kicking off 2015 with its first annual pan-European Inspiring Fifty list.
The Inspiring Fifty: Europe initiative follows the success of the prior year’s Inspiring Fifty: Netherlands, a search to identify and showcase that country’s fifty most inspiring women in technology and business. Throughout 2014, Inspiring Fifty asked its extended network of professionals, journalists, and social media followers to nominate those women serving as role models and standing as an inspiration to others. What came back was an amazing list of women from across the technology spectrum, including entrepreneurs, business leaders, academicians, and policy makers.
“The response was simply tremendous; we were overwhelmed by the calibre, breadth, and diversity of the nominees,” stated Russell Buckley, one of the members of the organisation’s judging panel. “We were incredibly impressed by the achievements of all of our nominees, and it was a nearly impossible task to narrow it down to just fifty.”
Judges included business and technology influencers from across Europe and the US, including Shari Yoder Doherty, Partner at venture firm Atomico; Ellenore Angelidis, Diversity Director at Amazon; Nina Dos Santos, Business Anchor at CNN; Russell Buckley, serial entrepreneur-turned-investor and UK Government Advisor; and Inspiring Fifty founders Janneke Niessen and Joelle Frijters, both entrepreneurs and co-founders of European tech company Improve Digital.
“Many women in tech seeking female role models currently look towards the most visible, the headline-makers, like Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg and Yahoo’s Marissa Meyer,” says Janneke Niessen. “However, as amazing as those women are, we felt there was a need to showcase the many accomplished, and all-too-often overlooked women in technology closer to home.”
Hundreds of nominations came in, highlighting talent across every country in Europe. In the final fifty, 16 countries were represented: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK. The UK led other countries with seventeen finalists; France followed with nine, Germany with six, and the Netherlands with three.
“Given the amazing response to our call for nominations, it is clear that the European technology scene is not only thriving, but is home to some incredibly talented – and inspiring – women,” says Joelle Frijters, judge and programme co-founder.
The following list of the Inspiring Fifty: Europe 2015 finalists is arranged alphabetically, and by country. It in no way reflects any ranking or scoring by programme judges.
Most Inspiring Fifty | Title & Company | Country |
Sophie Vandebroek | CTO, Xerox and Xerox Innovation Group | Belgium |
Camilla Ley Valentin | CCO and Co-Founder, Queue-it | Denmark |
Linda Liukas | Author & Co-Founder of Railsgirls | Finland |
Amélie Faure | President, Augure | France |
Anne Bouverot | Director General, GSMA | France |
Catherine Barba | Founder, Catherine Barba Group | France |
Céline Lazorthes | CEO and Founder, Leetchi | France |
Geraldine Le Meur | Co-Founder, LeWeb | France |
Jennifer Schenker | Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Informilo | France |
Lindsey Nefesh-Clarke | Founder and Managing Director, W4, Women’s WorldWideWeb | France |
Lara Rouyres | Founder and CEO, Selectionnist | France |
Stephanie Hospital | Advisor, Board Member and Founder of One Ragtime | France |
Claudia Helming | Founder & CEO, DaWanda | Germany |
Colette Ballou | Founder & CEO, Ballou PR | Germany |
Kerstin Günther | SVP Technology Europe, Deutsche Telekom Group | Germany |
Stephanie (Steffi) Czerny | Managing Director, DLD Media | Germany |
Stephanie Kaiser | Head of Studio, Wooga | Germany |
Verena Delius | Co-Founder & CEO, Fox & Sheep | Germany |
Elaine Coughlan | Co-Founder and General Partner, Atlantic Bridge Capital | Ireland |
Louise O’Sullivan | Founder & CEO, ANAM Technologies Ltd. | Ireland |
Barbara Labate | Co-Founder, Risparmio Super (Super Saver) | Italy |
Paola Bonomo | Angel Investor and Independent Board Director | Italy |
Corinne Goddign-Vigreux | Co-founder and Managing Director, TomTom NV | Netherlands |
Marina Tognetti | CEO and Founder, Myngle | Netherlands |
Neelie Kroes | Dutch politician & Former VP European Commission | Netherlands |
Anita Krohn Traaseth | CEO, Innovasjon Norge (Innovation Norway) | Norway |
Kristin Skogen Lund | Director General, NHO | Norway |
Ola Sitarska | Co-Founder, Issue Stand and Makerland | Poland |
Maelle Gavet | CEO, Ozon Holdings | Russia |
Ana Maiques | CEO & Co-Founder, Neuroelectrics | Spain |
Stina Ehrensvärd | Co-Founder & CEO, Yubico | Sweden |
Gabriele Zedlmayer | Vice President & Chief Progress Officer, HP Worldwide | Switzerland |
Demet Mutlu | Founder & CEO, Trendyol | Turkey |
Alice Bentinck | Co-Founder, Entrepreneur First; Code First: Girls | UK |
Avid Larizadeh | General Partner, Google Ventures; UK Lead, Hour of Code | UK |
Belinda Parmar | Founder, Little Miss Geek; CEO, Lady Geek | UK |
Joanna Shields | Investor and Digital Advisor to UK Prime Minister | UK |
Judith Clegg | Founder and CEO, Takeout Consulting and The Glasshouse | UK |
Justine Roberts | Founder and CEO, Mumsnet and Gransnet | UK |
Karen Hanton | Investor and Former Founder of Top Table | UK |
Kathryn Parsons | Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Decoded | UK |
Laura Jordan Bambach | Creative Partner & Co-founder, Mr President and SheSays | UK |
Martha Lane Fox | Philanthropist and Entrepreneur; Co-Founded Lastminute.com | UK |
Nancy Cruickshank | Founder, MyShowcase.com | UK |
Natalie Massenet | Founder, Net-a-Porter | UK |
Nicola Mendelsohn | Vice-President EMEA, Facebook | UK |
Sarah Wood | Co-Founder, Unruly | UK |
Sherry Coutu | Entrepreneur, Non-Exec Director, Investor and Advisor | UK |
Dr Sue Black | Founder & CEO, Savvify; Mentor, Google Campus for Mums | UK |
Wendy Tan White | Co-founder and CEO, Moonfruit | UK |