Female thought leaders offer a valuable and different perspective shaped by their unique experiences and inherent strengths. When women lead, they tend to demonstrate greater emotional intelligence, connectedness with their teams and customers, and a more intuitive approach. This perspective is enhanced by women’s innate “superpowers” – their restraint, high emotional quotient, and ability to build strong bonds.

It would be a misconception, however, to think this undermines strong leadership or the capacity to drive innovative change. Women in leadership roles are proving their commitment to delivering transformative progress every day. They lead with unwavering integrity, insatiable curiosity, and a broader sense of social and environmental responsibility.

It is their abilities to nurture, collaborate, and find holistic solutions that make female leaders particularly effective champions of sustainable agendas. Never more so than in traditionally male-dominated STEM sectors, where their unique insights and people-centric approaches inspire others and create positive impact.

Admiral applauds the incredible women in industry who drive progress, set a great example for other women, and champion STEM subjects for young girls.

On International Women’s Day we celebrate five women who are leading the way.

1. Rachel Kyte – Professor of Practice in Climate Policy at Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University

Rachel Kyte has had prominent roles at the United Nations, World Bank, and in academia, including being the first woman Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Currently, she co-chairs the Voluntary Carbon Markets Initiative, serves on boards, and actively contributes to thought leadership through articles and interviews, and has delivered a TED Talk on sustainable cooling.

Linkedin: Rachel Kyte

2. Tekedra Mawakana – Co-CEO of autonomous driving company Waymo

Tekedra Mawakana is responsible for forging new territory in the transportation industry and has been highlighted as one of the top women driving mobility. Under her leadership, Waymo has focused on including many different communities in the autonomous driving conversation and is convinced that self-driving cars will reduce car ownership and drive a sustainable transit revolution.

In 2015, Tekedra was included in Washingtonian magazine’s list of 100 Top Tech Leaders and was included in Automotive News’ 2020 list of 100 Leading Women in the North American automotive industry. She is forthright in her views and contributes to many thought leadership pieces in print and online.

Linkedin: Tekedra Mawakana

 3. Giulia Chierchia – Executive Vice President for Strategy, Sustainability & Ventures at BP

With over a decade of experience in the energy sector, and having assisted several companies to shape their strategies for the energy transition, Giulia Chierchia is helping to pave the path to net zero, with the additional challenge of steering innovation to provide reliable, affordable and cleaner energy. She also promotes the inclusion of more women to senior roles within BP and is regularly interviewed and quoted in podcasts and the global press.

Linkedin: Giulia Chierchia

4. Vicki Hollub – CEO and President of Occidental Petroleum

Vicki Hollub had been with Occidental Petroleum for 35 years when she stepped into the role of becoming the CEO and President of the company. She made American corporate history by becoming the first woman to head a major American Oil company and is ranked number 48 in the Forbes 2022 list of Power Women. Vicki Hollub speaks at conferences, and her views on the future of the oil industry, climate change and the green agenda are often quoted in the press.

Linkedin: Vicki Hollub

5. Ibtissam Bensetti – Chief Talent & Organizational Development Officer OCP Group

Recognised as a Global Inspirational Woman in Mining in 2022, Ibtissam Bensetti is the first Moroccan national to be nominated. As a senior leader, she works on transformative programmes focused on operations around health, safety, environment and sustainability. She is determined to help women’s inclusion in the mining industry and has worked hard within the industry to address the diversity bias.

Linkedin: Ibtissam Bensetti