The Top 50 Philadelphia Women Leaders of 2026
Greater Philadelphia runs on “big systems”: healthcare and research, capital markets, logistics and energy, civic infrastructure, and a fast-growing innovation economy that now spans Philadelphia, the Main Line, South Jersey, and Northern Delaware. The women on this list are the ones with real levers-running major institutions, moving large budgets, directing investment and talent pipelines, and building cross-sector coalitions that shape what the region becomes next.
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#1 Cherelle L. Parker
Philadelphia’s mayor is the region’s most visible “operator-in-chief”-the role that sets priorities, drives budgets, and influences how safe, reliable, and investable the city feels for employers and residents alike. Mayor Parker’s agenda and execution capacity affect everything from downtown recovery and neighborhood investment to permitting confidence and the day-to-day basics that determine whether talent stays or leaves.
#2 Anna L. Paulson
Few seats touch more of the region’s economic life than the Philadelphia Fed. As president, Anna Paulson is part of the system that informs monetary policy and oversees critical parts of the financial architecture-banking stability, payments, and regional economic research-while also shaping how the Third District’s real-world labor and credit conditions are understood nationally.
#3 Ellen G. Cooper
Lincoln Financial is one of the region’s flagship financial institutions, and the CEO role matters here because it influences capital allocation, workforce footprint, and the long-range corporate commitments that anchor suburban business corridors. Ellen Cooper’s leadership is also a signal to the market about the Philly region’s depth in executive talent for complex, regulated industries.
#4 Kelly A. Munson
When employers talk about competitiveness, healthcare costs and access are always in the room. Leading Independence Health Group places Kelly Munson at the nexus of coverage, care access, and community health strategy across the region-an influence that shows up in hiring decisions, family stability, and long-run productivity.
#5 Madeline Bell
CHOP is both a world-class pediatric care provider and a major regional talent engine-clinicians, researchers, and specialized staff whose presence boosts the entire healthcare ecosystem. Madeline Bell’s leadership affects care access, research intensity, and workforce demand in a sector that is central to Greater Philadelphia’s identity and economy.
#6 Susan K. Urahn
Pew is a national institution headquartered in Philadelphia with outsized influence in public policy research and philanthropic strategy. Susan Urahn’s role matters locally because it helps determine which ideas and evidence get scaled-often shaping the civic “playbook” on issues like cities, governance, and community outcomes.
#7 Janice E. Nevin, MD, MPH
Because the Philadelphia metro stretches into Northern Delaware, ChristianaCare is a defining healthcare anchor for the region’s southern arc. As CEO, Janice Nevin shapes workforce scale, care delivery strategy, and cross-state health access-decisions that ripple into employers, families, and regional health capacity.
#8 Joanna McClinton
Even when your work is inside Philadelphia, the policy “switches” are often in Harrisburg-funding, regulatory frameworks, transportation and housing tools, and statewide workforce systems. As Speaker, Joanna McClinton has rare agenda-setting power over decisions that directly affect Greater Philadelphia’s economic trajectory.
#9 Jodie Harris
Economic development is where strategy meets shovel-ready reality: financing tools, land, and deal execution. Jodie Harris leads Philadelphia’s public-private development corporation, influencing which projects get capital, how neighborhoods participate in growth, and how the city competes for employers and investment.
#10 Chellie Cameron
A modern chamber CEO isn’t just a convenor-she’s a translator between business, government, and the civic sector. Chellie Cameron’s influence shows up in regional alignment: what issues become “must-solve,” what coalitions form, and how the region tells its story to investors and talent.
#11 Jami Wintz McKeon
Global law firms shape how capital moves and how complex organizations manage risk-especially in regulated sectors that dominate this region (finance, healthcare, infrastructure). As Chair, Jami McKeon sits at the top of one of Philadelphia’s most influential professional-services institutions, shaping strategy, talent, and the region’s reputation in high-stakes legal work.
#12 Karen Dougherty Buchholz
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast’s operational footprint and vendor ecosystem touch real estate, security, facilities, and corporate services at enormous scale. Karen Buchholz’s role is a behind-the-scenes power seat: decisions about the built environment, workplace strategy, and corporate infrastructure with ripple effects across local suppliers and jobs.
#13 Amma Boateng
Vanguard is one of the region’s most consequential financial institutions, and leadership tied to advice channels influences how millions of people access investing and retirement tools. Amma Boateng’s role sits at the intersection of product distribution, advisor relationships, and trust-key forces in a market where financial outcomes shape household stability.
#14 Tiffany Wilson
The Science Center is one of the region’s clearest bridges between research and commercialization. Tiffany Wilson’s leadership matters because it influences how the “eds-and-meds” powerhouse converts into startups, jobs, lab space demand, and new pathways for entrepreneurs in life sciences and health tech.
#15 Sharmain Matlock-Turner
UAC is a major fiscal sponsor and connector across nonprofits-often doing the unglamorous systems work that keeps services functioning at scale. Sharmain Matlock-Turner’s influence is practical: how programs get implemented, how partnerships hold together, and how community initiatives become durable instead of episodic.
#16 Sandra Dungee Glenn
Capital access is one of the region’s biggest determinants of who gets to build wealth and who gets to shape neighborhoods. Sandra Dungee Glenn’s work through The Collective is influential because it focuses on expanding pipelines for Black developers and reframing who gets financed, mentored, and connected into the deal ecosystem.
#17 Winnie Park
Running a public company headquartered in Philadelphia comes with real local impact: jobs, suppliers, and the region’s visibility as a business hub. Winnie Park’s leadership matters because retail is a fast-feedback industry-her strategy and execution can quickly change investment confidence, performance, and growth outlook for a major homegrown brand.
#18 Christy Brady
Controllers are the city’s accountability engine-independent oversight that impacts public trust, contracting confidence, and how effectively taxpayers’ dollars are used. Christy Brady’s work influences the operating environment for businesses that rely on predictable public systems and transparent governance.
#19 Valerie Smith
Elite colleges are quiet regional power centers: they shape talent pipelines, research partnerships, and civic leadership networks for decades. Valerie Smith’s influence extends beyond campus-into workforce development partnerships, regional credibility, and the long-run leadership fabric of the metro.
#20 Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman
The Zoo is part cultural anchor, part education institution, part tourism driver-and it’s an employer and community platform. Dr. Mogerman’s leadership matters because these institutions shape how the region is experienced by families, visitors, and donors, while also expanding access to science learning and civic pride.
#21 Wendy Cadge
As president of Bryn Mawr College, Wendy Cadge guides one of the region’s most influential academic institutions, shaping its strategic direction, student experience, and long-term financial strength. A respected scholar and proven leader, she elevates Bryn Mawr’s impact by expanding opportunities for women in leadership and deepening the college’s ties to Greater Philadelphia’s talent pipeline.
#22 Wendy Raymond
Wendy Raymond has steered Haverford College with the steady hand of a scientist and educator, protecting academic excellence while investing in the people and programs that differentiate a top liberal arts institution. Her leadership strengthens a major regional employer and cultural asset while preparing graduates who power Philadelphia’s civic, nonprofit, and business sectors.
#23 Cheryl A. McConnell
Cheryl A. McConnell brings a clear, outcomes-driven approach to Saint Joseph’s University, aligning academic innovation with student demand and employer needs in a rapidly changing higher-education market. By strengthening programs, partnerships, and institutional momentum, she expands the university’s role as an economic engine and talent producer for the Philadelphia region.
#24 Kimberley D. Harris
Kimberley D. Harris operates at the highest levels of corporate governance, guiding legal strategy and regulatory affairs for NBCUniversal and helping steer one of the world’s most complex media businesses. Her leadership safeguards innovation and growth at scale, demonstrating the kind of disciplined, high-impact counsel that underpins Philadelphia’s influence in communications and entertainment.
#25 Joanna Rotenberg
Joanna Rotenberg is helping shape the future of investor advice at Vanguard, scaling modern wealth management capabilities for millions of clients and keeping the firm’s mission of low-cost investing front and center. Her ability to blend digital innovation with trusted guidance strengthens Greater Philadelphia’s standing as a global center for asset management and financial services.
#26 Aileen Dagrosa
Aileen Dagrosa has built a career inside the Philadelphia Eagles organization, providing the legal and operational leadership that keeps a major sports enterprise resilient, compliant, and strategically nimble. Her steady stewardship supports a flagship brand that drives local jobs, tourism, and community investment—proof that smart governance is a growth advantage.
#27 Jen Kavanagh
Jen Kavanagh leads media and marketing for the Eagles with a modern playbook—original content, digital engagement, brand strategy, and fan experience that turn a team into a year-round platform. By expanding reach and community connection, she helps convert Philadelphia sports passion into durable economic and cultural impact for the region.
#28 Laura Swihart
Laura Swihart co-leads Dechert’s global finance practice, advising on sophisticated real estate finance and securitization work that fuels major deals and capital formation. Her expertise helps investors and businesses deploy capital efficiently, reinforcing Philadelphia’s reputation as a powerhouse market for high-level legal and financial innovation.
#29 Beth Moskow-Schnoll
Beth Moskow-Schnoll combines courtroom strength with strategic compliance leadership, guiding Ballard Spahr’s Delaware office and advising clients navigating high-stakes regulatory and enforcement risk. Her work protects institutions in finance and health care—industries central to the region’s economy—while elevating Philadelphia’s standing for trusted, sophisticated counsel.
#30 Kisha Hortman Hawthorne
Kisha Hortman Hawthorne leads complex operations for CHOP’s care network and behavioral health and crisis services, ensuring that essential pediatric and community care is delivered with reliability and scale. Her appointment to leadership on the Philadelphia Fed’s board underscores her broader economic influence, linking healthcare excellence with regional stability and growth.
#31 Suzanne S. Mayes, Esq.
Suzanne S. Mayes is a leading public and project finance attorney who helps structure the funding behind transportation, education, and civic infrastructure that communities depend on. By marrying technical mastery with firmwide leadership at Cozen O’Connor, she enables transformative projects and reinforces Philadelphia’s role as a center for complex dealmaking.
#32 Claire Greenwood
Claire Greenwood convenes senior business, civic, and higher-education leaders through the CEO Council for Growth to move big regional priorities from conversation to execution. Her work on economic competitiveness helps attract investment, expand opportunity, and build a stronger, more coordinated Greater Philadelphia economy.
#33 Dominique Casimir
Dominique Casimir oversees enterprise real estate strategy for Thomas Jefferson University and Health, stewarding a vast portfolio that shapes how the institution serves patients, students, and researchers across the city. By aligning development and asset management with long-term mission, she delivers outsized impact on Philadelphia’s built environment, healthcare capacity, and economic vitality.
#34 Anne Brooks
Anne Brooks drives commercial leadership at Iovance Biotherapeutics, helping bring innovative cancer therapies from breakthrough science to real-world patient access. Her ability to scale complex launches in a regulated industry strengthens the region’s life sciences momentum and underscores Philadelphia’s role in advanced biopharma.
#35 Donna L. Allie
Donna L. Allie built Team Clean from a small startup into a major employer, proving how disciplined service delivery and entrepreneurship can create lasting opportunity. By growing a successful woman- and minority-owned business that serves high-profile clients, she generates jobs and sets a powerful standard for inclusive economic growth in Philadelphia.
#36 Emily L. Bittenbender
Emily L. Bittenbender has helped redefine leadership in construction, guiding Bittenbender Construction through complex projects that shape civic and commercial spaces across the region. Her operational excellence and commitment to building teams and outcomes make her a driving force behind Philadelphia’s visible growth and long-term infrastructure strength.
#37 Elizabeth Campbell
Elizabeth Campbell provides enterprise-level legal and risk leadership for Cencora, helping a global healthcare services company operate with integrity across highly regulated markets. Her stewardship of compliance and resilience protects the supply chains that patients and providers rely on, amplifying Philadelphia’s influence in the healthcare and life sciences economy.
#38 Jackie Cuddeback
Jackie Cuddeback leads revenue strategy for the Philadelphia Phillies, turning partnerships, ticketing, and fan experiences into sustainable growth for one of the city’s most powerful brands. Her leadership strengthens the business of sports in Philadelphia, driving jobs, tourism, and community investment tied to the ballpark and beyond.
#39 Kim E. Fraites-Dow
Kim E. Fraites-Dow has expanded the reach and operational strength of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, building programs and partnerships that empower tens of thousands of girls with confidence and leadership skills. By pairing mission with strong management, she delivers lasting workforce and community impact for the region’s future leaders.
#40 Toya Lawson
Toya Lawson advances inclusive leadership through executive search, helping organizations identify high-impact talent and build stronger, more representative teams. By advising companies and nonprofits on critical hires, she directly shapes the leadership bench that drives Philadelphia’s long-term competitiveness.
#41 Marcia O’Connor
Marcia O’Connor built The O’Connor Group into a trusted HR and talent partner for growing organizations, helping employers solve people challenges with practical, high-touch expertise. Her work enables companies to hire, retain, and develop stronger teams—multiplying business performance and economic impact throughout Greater Philadelphia.
#42 Sandy L. Pfeffer
Sandy L. Pfeffer leads Deloitte’s Greater Philadelphia marketplace, overseeing thousands of professionals while driving client service, growth strategy, and corporate citizenship across the region. Her leadership elevates the capabilities of one of the world’s premier professional services firms, strengthening Philadelphia’s standing as a hub for finance, innovation, and community investment.
#43 Anne Prisco, PhD
Anne Prisco guides Holy Family University with a focus on student success and economic mobility, ensuring that education remains a practical pathway to better careers and stronger communities. By strengthening the institution’s strategic direction and partnerships, she expands Philadelphia’s talent pipeline and the university’s positive footprint as an employer and civic contributor.
#44 Barbara Wadsworth
Barbara Wadsworth leads operations for Main Line Health with a patient-centered lens, translating clinical excellence into safe, efficient care across hospitals and ambulatory settings. Her steady operational leadership improves outcomes and experience at scale, reinforcing healthcare as one of the region’s most important engines for employment, innovation, and community well-being.
#45 Joan Waters
Joan Waters has led COFCO through modern workplace change, positioning the firm to support how organizations design spaces that attract talent and improve performance. By growing a successful woman-owned enterprise and championing the region’s pro-growth business climate, she has delivered lasting impact across Philadelphia’s commercial and civic landscape.
#46 Maggy Wilkinson
Maggy Wilkinson built Athena Global Advisors into a multifaceted marketing and strategy firm known for delivering creative, accountable results for clients across industries. Her leadership blends brand-building with civic-minded momentum, helping elevate Philadelphia organizations and the city’s broader reputation through modern storytelling and innovation.
#47 Christine Conti
Christine Conti provides the financial and operational stewardship that allows The Philadelphia Foundation to deploy philanthropic resources with clarity, compliance, and long-term sustainability. Her leadership strengthens trust in the region’s giving ecosystem, enabling greater impact for nonprofits and community initiatives across Philadelphia.
#48 Anna Koulas
Anna Koulas leads the Drexel Solutions Institute in building high-value partnerships between industry and academia, translating real-world challenges into applied research and workforce-ready learning. By connecting employers with innovation and talent, she accelerates economic growth and reinforces Philadelphia’s position as a city where collaboration turns into measurable results.
#49 Dr. Neeli Bendapudi
Dr. Neeli Bendapudi leads Penn State’s vast land-grant enterprise, advancing research, teaching, and public service that deliver outsized economic and societal returns for Pennsylvania. Her focus on student success and institutional excellence strengthens the pipeline of talent and innovation that powers Philadelphia and the broader region.
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