CDO Magazine proudly announces the Global Data Power Women 2026, recognizing an exceptional group of women executives who are driving enterprise transformation through data, analytics, and AI.

Selected through a combination of peer nominations and editorial research, this year’s honorees represent a global cohort of senior leaders operating at the intersection of strategy and execution, where data and AI are no longer experimental, but foundational to how organizations perform, compete, and grow.

Enterprise Impact Across Industries

The 2026 cohort spans industries central to the global economy, including financial services, healthcare and life sciences, retail and consumer goods, manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, media, travel and hospitality, and the public sector.

Organizations represented include Netflix, JPMorganChase, CVS Health,Pfizer, Mastercard, Procter & Gamble, American Express, GE Aerospace, The Walt Disney Company, Morgan Stanley, Verizon, HSBC, and Caterpillar, alongside public institutions such as the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC).

Together, these organizations reflect where data and AI are delivering measurable impact, from customer experience and operations to risk, governance, and enterprise transformation.

Senior Leadership at Enterprise Scale

Honorees hold roles including Chief Data Officer, Chief Data & AI Officer, Chief Analytics Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Technology Officer, as well as Senior Vice President and Global Head positions across data, analytics, AI, governance, and transformation.

They lead enterprise data platforms, operationalize AI, and govern data at scale, embedding intelligence into decision-making, workflows, and customer experiences across complex global organizations.

A Global Cohort

This year’s honorees are based across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and India, with representation in major global hubs including New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, San Francisco, Dallas, London and Southampton, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, Geneva and Bern, Lyon, Sydney, and Bengaluru.

Their global footprint reflects how leading organizations are scaling data and AI capabilities across regions while navigating regulatory, operational, and market complexity.

Execution as the Differentiator

What distinguishes this year’s honorees is a relentless focus on execution.

Across industries, these leaders are :

• Scaling AI and advanced analytics from pilots to enterprise deployment
• Building trusted, governed data foundations that enable speed and innovation
• Delivering measurable outcomes across growth, efficiency, and risk
• Shaping how executives, boards, and industries understand AI’s role
• Investing in talent, mentorship, and the next generation of leadership

“We’re past the era where data and AI were experimental. What distinguishes this year’s cohort is not ambition, but execution. These leaders are embedding data and AI into the core of how their organizations operate, make decisions, and compete. They are defining what enterprise leadership looks like in the age of AI,” said Molly Baab, CDO Magazine Chief Operating Officer.

The result is a clear shift: data and AI leadership defined not by potential, but by performance, scale, and sustained business impact.

Recognizing Global Leadership

The Global Data Power Women 2026 recognition celebrates both individual achievement and the collective momentum of a global executive community advancing how organizations leverage data and AI to compete, innovate, and grow.

Join us in celebrating and congratulating these exceptional leaders shaping the future of data and AI.