Frame Your Impact, Not Just Your Effort

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High performers often fall into the “invisible work” trap: they deliver consistently, solve problems, and get results, but their contributions go unnoticed. Doing great work is essential, but it’s not enough to advance your career. What separates those who get recognized from those who don’t? How you communicate your impact.

Why Communication Matters

Executives and leaders aren’t looking at hours worked or tasks completed. They care about outcomes that affect the business. Your goal is to help others see the value you create, so your work leads to opportunities, promotions, and influence. In a recent session of WIT Technology Uncorked, one thought-leader shared that framing work in terms of business impact is a game-changer: instead of saying, “I implemented a new access management tool,” say, “This new tool reduced login issues by 40%, saving the team 10 hours a week and improving productivity.”

Use Storytelling to Make Your Work Memorable

How you tell your story matters as much as what you did. Use a simple narrative:

  • Beginning: What problem or challenge existed?
  • Plot: What actions did you take?
  • Takeaways: What measurable impact did your work have?

Visibility Is Key – Inside and Outside Your Organization

It’s not enough for your manager to notice you. Influence comes from multiple angles: peers, other teams, HR, and executives. Share your wins across teams. Build an external presence through LinkedIn posts, speaking engagements, or writing articles.

Practical Steps You Can Take

  • Write a 3-line impact story for each major project
  • Highlight the business results in updates or meetings
  • Explain how your work benefits others, not just what you did
  • Build an external presence through LinkedIn posts, talks, or articles

High performance will get you far, but strategic storytelling and visibility take you further.

Working Hard is Not a Promotional Strategy

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If you’re the “reliable doer” on your team – the one who always delivers, works late, and gets it done – you’re valuable. But that alone won’t get you promoted. In a recent session of WIT Technology Uncorked, one message was clear: Performance builds trust. Visibility builds opportunity.

Many women hit a point where they realize: others are getting promoted, their work is being credited to someone else, or they’re praised but not advanced. Why? Because promotions aren’t based solely on effort. They’re also based on perceived impact. Research shows that women are promoted at lower rates at the first step to manager, even when performance is strong.

What Actually Moves You Forward

  • Build advocates. Promotions are often decided in rooms you’re not in. If no one there understands your impact, your name won’t come up.
  • Learn the business. Technical skill is expected. Business fluency is differentiating. Talk about outcomes (revenue, risk reduction, efficiency) not tasks.
  • Communicate in benefits, not busyness. Saying “I worked all weekend” doesn’t land. Saying “This reduced processing time by 30%” does.
  • Create opportunities. If the next role doesn’t exist, build a case for it. Line up support before the big meeting.

Hard work makes you dependable. Strategic visibility makes you promotable. If you feel stuck, the answer isn’t to work harder. It’s to make sure the right people see your impact.

Celebrating Our Champions of Possibility

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On January 15, WIT hosted our Champions of Possibility event – a special evening dedicated to celebrating those who make our mission possible. The event was a joyful gathering filled with connection, reflection, and celebration of the incredible impact our community has created over the past year.

Multiple Ways to Make a Difference

After a happy hour where attendees had a chance to reconnect and meet new people in the WIT community, guests explored our Impact Stations, where they learned more about the programs WIT volunteers and partners make possible, opportunities to become part of the WIT Community Giving Circle, and WIT merchandise available for purchase.

Inspiring Stories of Impact

Kerri Sauer, Managing Director at Sia Partners (and our 2025 Woman of the Year: Mid-Sized Business), shared her personal experiences with WIT and spoke to the power of community, connection, and the impact WIT has had on her journey.

Ryan Radding, Senior Vice President of Financial Services U.S. and Canada at Salesforce, highlighted Salesforce’s partnership with WIT, sharing why investing in community and supporting women in technology is a priority for the organization.

Become Our Next Champion of Possibility!

Thank you to all who attended and celebrated with us! Your commitment and enthusiasm are the heartbeat of WIT. Learn more about how you can get involved, whether as a volunteer, partner, or supporter.

Woman of the Year – Large Enterprise: Leading Transformation at Scale

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The 2025 Woman of the Year: Large/Enterprise Business category honors women who are shaping the future of technology within major organizations, driving enterprise-wide innovation, and creating impact that resonates across industries and communities.

Kateau James — Global CIO, McKinsey & Company (Winner)

Leading technology for 40,000+ colleagues worldwide, Kateau has reimagined how McKinsey works, collaborates, and innovates. From a global SharePoint rollout to modernizing mobile ecosystems, she has transformed operations while enabling colleagues to work more efficiently across regions. A standout milestone was embedding AI tools like M365 Copilot into daily workflows, saving teams up to three hours per week.

“Technology can change processes, but real impact comes when you help people grow alongside that change.”

Tina Nguyen — Core Services Portfolio Leader, Honeywell (Finalist)

Tina drives enterprise platforms that support a $15B global business. She led the implementation of Scaled Agile across software and field operations, improving outage planning and increasing successful service events by 26% in one year. Through automation and AI integration, Tina improved field report completion from 23% to 90%.

“Transformation happens when you focus on both the tools and the people using them.”

Ashlea Parrish (Mitchell) — VP Engineering, Enterprise Architecture (Finalist)

Ashlea has spent her career driving global technology initiatives. Formerly VP of Engineering at Equifax, she led the organization to 90% cloud-native operations, implemented secure automated pipelines, and orchestrated global M&A integrations.

“Leading technology isn’t just about systems or processes — it’s about creating space for people to innovate, grow, and succeed at every level.”

Woman of the Year – Mid-Sized Business: Driving Innovation in Tech

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The 2025 Woman of the Year: Medium/Mid-Sized Business category honors leaders who are shaping technology and business through innovation, transformation, and leadership.

Kerri Sauer — Managing Director, Sia Partners (Winner)

Kerri’s career has always been about more than technology — it’s about people, teams, and solving problems that matter. When a major FinTech client faced challenges in US Payments, EMV technology, and Agile transformation, Kerri stepped in to build a specialized team of Payments experts. She coached leaders on Agile practices, streamlined critical payment systems, and helped prevent fraud in the EBT network — ensuring nutrition reached vulnerable families across multiple states.

“Driving meaningful change in technology isn’t just about delivering solutions — it’s about building teams and creating lasting impact for the people and communities we serve.”

Chintan Patel — Chief Information Officer, National DCP (Finalist)

Chintan thrives at the intersection of technology and people. Leading a multi-year modernization of National DCP’s warehouse and transportation systems, she transformed how operations support 10,000+ Dunkin’ franchisees across 40 countries. AI-driven routing replaced manual planning, saving millions of miles, hours, and fuel.

“Transformative technology comes from understanding both the human and operational sides of the business.”

Paula Wagner — Chief Information Officer, Mansfield Energy (Finalist)

Paula’s leadership transforms IT into a strategic growth engine. At Mansfield Energy, she modernized infrastructure, launched the company’s first Procurement and Product offices, and implemented AI-powered tools to improve performance and operations.

“Transforming IT isn’t just about technology — it’s about enabling people, culture, and business to grow together.”

Woman of the Year – Emerging Business: Innovation and Equity in Tech

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The 2025 Woman of the Year: Small/Emerging Business category honored leaders who are making an extraordinary impact through entrepreneurship, innovation, and creating opportunities in technology.

Shana Sanders — Founder & CEO, We Create Tech (Winner)

Shana’s journey combines creativity, education, and technology. As the Founder and CEO of We Create Tech, she leads a fast-growing nonprofit dedicated to closing the opportunity divide in STEAM through culturally relevant tech education. Over the past year, Shana expanded from serving 200 youth to 700+ students, providing hands-on STEAM training across all six Google Career Certificate areas, and launched TechRise — a digital ecosystem offering certifications, internships, and advisor connections.

“Leading We Create Tech has been about building pathways, lifting others, and creating opportunities where they didn’t exist before.”

Allison Giddens — CIO, Win-Tech, Inc. (Finalist)

Allison’s career is a testament to long-term dedication, leadership, and innovation in a small business setting. Over nearly two decades, she grew from assistant to co-owner and now serves as CIO of Win-Tech, Inc., a small aerospace manufacturer. In June 2025, Allison led Win-Tech through a successful Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 third-party assessment — making them one of the first small manufacturers to achieve this milestone.

“Leading Win-Tech is about more than business outcomes — it’s about opening doors for others, inspiring future engineers, and building systems that support growth.”

Celine Vignal — Founder, Seesaw Health (Finalist)

Celine’s journey is driven by innovation, science, and a personal commitment to women’s health. As the founder of Seesaw Health, she leads a pioneering health tech company at the intersection of biosensing, behavioral therapies, and women’s wellness.

“Building Seesaw Health has been about transforming personal experience into actionable innovation.”

Woman to Watch: Leading with Vision and Impact

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The 2025 Woman to Watch category honored leaders who are driving innovation, shaping strategy, and inspiring others in technology.

ZsaVette Eze — Vice President of Technology, Synchrony Financial (Winner)

ZsaVette’s journey in technology spans more than 15 years across fintech, cloud, and enterprise transformation. One of her proudest milestones came while leading the launch and operational scale of Amazon Pay Later at Synchrony Financial. As the single-threaded owner, she aligned technology, compliance, fraud prevention, and customer experience across two Fortune 100 companies — resulting in a product that supported $967M in net earnings and exceeded EPS expectations by nearly 40%.

“Leading initiatives like Amazon Pay Later has not only proven my leadership but also reinforced the importance of visibility, strategic thinking, and mentoring others to succeed.”

Manjula Ganta — Senior Director of Product Development, ADP (Finalist)

Manjula’s career in technology spans 25 years in Human Capital Management. At ADP, she leads technology teams managing HR, Payroll, Talent, and Portal products across a $500M portfolio. She led a large-scale digital transformation of ADP’s Payroll product, moving from legacy on-premise to cloud-based solution, supporting over 600 clients and generating $8.6M in cost savings.

“Driving large-scale transformation requires more than technology — it’s about empowering teams to innovate confidently.”

Francine Marquis — AI Program Manager, Google Cloud (Finalist)

Francine is revolutionizing AI accessibility while creating opportunities for underrepresented communities. She architected Google Cloud AI’s Trusted Tester Program, expanding it from an internal pilot to a 5,000+ customer ecosystem — exceeding projections by 10x in just 1.5 years.

“The best innovations emerge when diverse voices shape technology from the ground up.”

Single Mother of the Year: Strength, Resilience & Leadership

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The 2025 Single Mother of the Year category honored women who balance motherhood, career growth, and personal development while overcoming significant challenges.

Kassundra Evans — IT Analyst, Cybersecurity & GRC (Winner)

Kassundra’s journey into technology began with a leap of faith. She relocated across the country with her one-year-old son, stepping into the unknown with only determination and hope. Since then, she has completed the WIT Single Mothers Program, secured her role as an IT Analyst in cybersecurity and GRC, and is working toward her CompTIA Security+ certification. Her long-term goal is to become a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

“Every accomplishment has been deeply meaningful — not just for me, but for my son. I’ve built a life that shows him what happens when you refuse to give up.”

Cheliya Green — Armed Service Technician, Loomis (Finalist)

Cheliya’s career combines precision, problem-solving, and a growing passion for cybersecurity. As an Armed Service Technician, she manages a high-stakes route handling cash pickups, transport, and ATM refills. A graduate of the WIT Single Mothers Program, Cheliya credits WIT with giving her clarity, confidence, and a path forward.

“WIT helped me gain the confidence and direction to pursue a career in cybersecurity, where I can make a real impact.”

Laura Newberry-Henderson — Investigation Specialist, Amazon (Finalist)

Laura’s path has been shaped by resilience and determination. As a mother and Investigation Specialist at Amazon, she balances family life while advancing a career in digital forensics and cybersecurity. She completed the WIT Single Mothers Program in the top half of her cohort and earned her bachelor’s degree after ten years of starting and stopping due to life circumstances.

“I want my children to see that staying committed to your goals, even when life gets hard, can lead to real achievement.”

Young Professional of the Year: Celebrating Rising Leaders in Tech

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The 2025 Young Professional of the Year category honored emerging leaders making an impact in technology through innovation, mentorship, and career achievement.

Sarah O’Brien — Data Scientist, Southern Company (Winner)

Sarah’s journey into technology began in high school, where a Business and Technology class sparked her interest in coding. At Georgia State University, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Data Science, graduating magna cum laude. She became a mentor for RISE in Computing and contributed to HackHERs, GSU’s first all-female hackathon. Today, as a Data Scientist at Southern Company, Sarah leads AI innovation and inclusive learning initiatives.

“These achievements have helped me grow as both a leader and an advocate for women in STEM, showing that persistence, skill, and mentorship can open doors for the next generation.”

Anjie Adeyemo — Lead of Advanced Analytics, AT&T (Finalist)

Anjie’s journey into tech began with a single conversation: a professor encouraged her to pursue a minor in data analytics. Today, Anjie leads Advanced Analytics in Global Supply Chain at AT&T. She also mentors students, volunteers with Girls Who Code, and shares her authentic journey at conferences and panels.

“I’ve always been soft-spoken, but over time I’ve found my voice through speaking engagements and mentoring others.”

Vivian Milender — Product Manager II, Cox Automotive (Finalist)

Vivian’s passion for technology began early. A pivotal moment came during a UGA WIT event, where she discovered early-career rotational programs. Vivian joined Cox’s LEAD Program, excelling as an Associate Product Owner and now Product Manager II, driving innovation in how vehicles are bought and sold nationwide.

“Strong mentorship and early exposure shaped my path, and now I aim to open doors for others.”

Sports Technology and Leadership: Insights from Our Virtual Forum

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On January 21, 2026, WIT hosted a virtual forum exploring how technology is transforming women’s sports and how female leaders are shaping the future of athletics. The discussion was moderated by Marie Mouchet and brought together three accomplished panelists:

  • Joni Taylor, Texas A&M basketball coach and five-time USA Basketball gold medalist
  • Tiffany Daniels, SEC Associate Commissioner for Competition and former University of Georgia player
  • Danielle Donehew, Executive Director of the WBCA, trained engineer, former Pat Summitt staffer, and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Leadership, Representation, and the Future of Sports Tech

Each speaker shared experiences of being “the only woman in the room,” especially early in their careers. Over time, their approach shifted from trying to fit in to confidently asserting expertise and leadership. Women must not only use technology in sports, but lead its development and application.

Technology in Athlete Performance

The panel highlighted how wearables and data are revolutionizing training and player safety. Joni Taylor shared how tools like the KINEXON track player movements, workloads, and recovery. Transparent sharing of this data allows athletes to monitor progress and learn from their performance.

AI and Smarter Competition Management

Tiffany Daniels discussed how AI systems such as Fastbreak.ai have streamlined complex scheduling for conferences. These tools consider factors like home/away balance, rest periods, travel distances, and television requests to optimize schedules while reducing human error.

Visibility and Growth of Women’s Basketball

The conversation explored the growing audience and commercial value of women’s basketball. From a single televised NCAA final in 1982 to hundreds of games today, viewership continues to rise. Danielle Donehew stressed that fan engagement is critical to sustaining the sport’s growth.