Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 25 Women Chief Innovation Officers of 2024. As strategic risk-takers, Chief Innovation Officers (CINOs) embrace change and challenge the status quo to propel their companies forward. Renowned for their collaborative approach, CINOs harness the power of diverse perspectives within their teams, fostering an environment where new ideas can flourish. Their innovative strategies not only drive growth but also inspire a culture of creativity and resilience across their organizations.
Among these leaders is Annie Bloomquist, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of the Sleep Number Corporation. Bloomquist leads all aspects of the company’s innovation pipeline, including sleep health research, digital engagement, and value-driving acquisitions that add consumer relevance to Sleep Number’s product line.
Next, we honor Heather Durkac, Chief Innovation Officer of Gaggle, a leading provider of student safety management solutions for K-12 districts. Durkac leads the vision, decision-making, and operations development for the $35 million organization, which is dedicated to monitoring student interactions on school-provided technology and protecting children from harmful online content.
Lastly, we recognize the accomplishments of Sangeeta Cook, Chief Innovation Officer of Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of the nation’s first dedicated cancer hospitals. Throughout her career, Cook has led the structuring, negotiating, and executing of more than 200 deals for oncology, diabetes, and immunology disruptive technologies, with a total value exceeding $2.5 billion.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 Women Chief Innovation Officers of 2024.
2. Lauren Knausenberger
Chief Innovation Officer, SAIC
Lauren Knausenberger is Chief Innovation Officer of SAIC, a premier Fortune 500 technology integrator driving the nation’s technology transformation, with annual revenues of $7.4 billion and approximately 24,000 employees. In her dual-responsibility role, Knausenberger leads innovation strategy across the company’s solutions and services portfolio and ensures that SAIC’s transformation capabilities are mission-relevant, agile, and aligned with the needs of customers.
Before joining SAIC in October 2023, Knausenberger was the chief information officer of the US Department of the Air Force, where she was responsible for three directorates for enterprise information technology, data and artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, respectively, supporting 20,000 cyber operations and support personnel around the globe. She provided oversight of the Air Force’s IT investment strategy, from networks to cloud computing, enterprise policies, data management, digital transformation, information resources management, innovation initiatives, information assurance, and related matters.
Before joining the AirForce, Knausenberger was an entrepreneur and investor helping to grow companies involved with US national security. Before that, she held positions of increasing responsibility at American Management Systems and CACI. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Decision and Information Sciences from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
3. Elizabeth Hagerman
Chief Innovation Officer & Executive Director, UW Health
Elizabeth Hagerman currently serves as Chief Innovation Officer for UW Health and as Executive Director of UW Health’s Isthmus Project, an innovation initiative in partnership with the UW School of Medicine. Hagerman is responsible for operations of the Isthmus Project, which provides a place for UW Health clinicians, staff, School of Medicine and Public Health faculty, and others to seek support for their ideas and projects that aim to achieve better health outcomes or to solve problems facing UW Health patients, providers, and the health system.
Hagerman’s experience includes a series of industry and academic roles focused on biotechnology, product development, and commercialization, as well as collaborations between industry and academia. She was most recently the chief innovation and strategy officer at Conexus Indiana, whose mission is to lead innovative collaborations among industry, academic, and public partners. Before that, Hagerman served as vice president of Rose-Hulman Ventures, a leading university model for offering prototyping and product development services to companies while providing engineering internships to undergraduate students. She began her career at Baxter Healthcare in the regenerative medicine business with roles in R&D, business development, and medical affairs.
Hagerman earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a Master’s degree and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California-Los Angeles.
6. Lucibeth Mayberry
EVP & Chief Innovation Officer, CoreCivic
Lucibeth Mayberry is the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of CoreCivic, a diversified, government-solutions company with the scale and experience needed to solve tough government challenges in cost-effective ways. In her role, Mayberry oversees both the CoreCivic Properties and CoreCivic Community divisions. Her responsibilities include directing the development, construction, and financing of criminal justice properties, M&A activity, energy, and maintenance management for approximately 17 million square feet of real estate nationwide, and the operation of all community corrections sites for the CoreCivic Community segment. She also leads the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work as an executive sponsor, and works closely with the women’s business resource group.
Before her role was expanded, Mayberry served as executive vice president of the Real Estate division. Throughout her tenure with the company, she has served in a variety of leadership roles, including senior vice president of real estate; vice president and deputy chief development officer; and vice president of research, contracts, and proposals. She joined CoreCivic in May 2003 as senior director of state partnership relations and was promoted to managing director of state partnership relations in 2004.
Before joining CoreCivic, Mayberry served as a senior associate of the Taxation and Estate Planning Practice Group at the Nashville-based law firm Stokes, Bartholomew, Evans, and Petree. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, a JD from Vanderbilt University, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida.
7. Annie Bloomquist
EVP & Chief Innovation Officer, Sleep Number Corporation
Annie Bloomquist, Sleep Number setting 25, serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of the Sleep Number Corporation. The Sleep Number team members are part of a passionate, purpose-driven culture that supports improving the health and well-being of society through higher-quality sleep.
Recognized as a leader of meaningful innovation who continually envisions transcending products and experiences that deliver quality results, Bloomquist has been instrumental in driving Sleep Number’s mission and delivering meaningful value to all stakeholders. She is driven by the belief that sleep is a critical component of health, and she is dedicated to delivering solutions that enhance overall well-being. She leads all aspects of the company’s innovation pipeline, including sleep health, research and development, digital engagement across multiple technology platforms, and value-driving acquisitions that add consumer relevance to Sleep Number’s product line. Bloomquist serves as the primary liaison for key strategic scientific research partnerships, such as the Sleep Number Scientific Advisory Board, Mayo Clinic, and American Cancer Society.
After joining the company in 2008, Bloomquist served in a breadth of leadership roles overseeing general management, product development, sourcing, merchandising strategy, commercialization, and user experiences. She was the senior vice president and chief product officer from June 2012 to December 2020 and chief merchandising officer from June 2011 to June 2012. She joined Sleep Number in May 2008 as Vice president and general merchandise manager after holding leadership roles at Target Corporation. Bloomquist serves on the board of advisors to Rockler Companies and is an active member advocating for women in technology, having served on the Makers Conference Board of Directors. She graduated from St. Olaf College with an undergraduate degree.
10. Darcy Gruttadaro
Chief Innovation Officer, NAMI
Darcy Gruttadaro is the Chief Innovation Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Gruttadaro is leading the innovation team in their work advancing NAMI’s strategic goals by addressing the mental health needs of youth and young adults; developing and highlighting effective justice diversion initiatives; and focusing on cross-cultural innovation and engagement. She also leads the efforts around workplace mental health with
Before returning to NAMI in 2022, Gruttadaro directed the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health. In that leadership role, she expanded the center’s national reach through new strategic partnerships and by creating a broad array of high-impact tools, training, and resources for public and private organizations in diverse industries. Gruttadaro is pleased to be returning to NAMI, where she previously served in multiple senior-level roles, including leading NAMI’s work on the mental health needs of youth, young adults, and their families and serving as Director of Public Policy.
Gruttadaro started her career practicing law at the Harris Beach law firm, concentrating her practice on healthcare, mental health, and related issues. She graduated from Western New England University School of Law with a JD and from Clarkson University with an undergraduate degree in business, management, marketing, and related support services.
11. Sangeeta Cook
Chief Innovation Officer, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Today, Sangeeta Cook is the Chief Innovation Officer of Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of the nation’s first dedicated cancer hospitals. Cook is responsible for developing and managing partnerships with the industry for Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple Health. She oversees technology transfer, intellectual property, licensing functions, new research business development, spin-off companies, and related business ventures.
Cook has worked in translational science and medicine for over 20 years and previously worked for the City of Hope in Duarte, California, for nine years. There, she took on multiple roles of increasing leadership, most recently as executive director of business innovation. During her tenure, she led the institution in structuring, negotiating, and executing more than 200 deals for oncology, diabetes, and immunology disruptive technologies across several stages of drug development, from discovery to preclinical testing to phase 1 and 2 trials, for a total value of more than $2.5 billion. As part of a City of Hope senior leadership team, she also spearheaded corporate development efforts of in-house technologies, where multiple technologies were licensed through multimillion-dollar initiatives to enable first-patient dosing in clinical trials.
Cook graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and holds a Doctorate in Molecular Biology from the University of Southern California. She later went on to earn MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School, with dean’s honors and distinction. Cook is also a registered patent agent, having worked both in-house and in boutique law firm settings.
13. Aubrey Bishai
Chief Innovation Officer, Vinson & Elkins
Aubrey Bishai is the Chief Innovation Officer of Vinson & Elkins (V&E). The firm is a trusted adviser to clients in the most important industrial and digital industries. Bishai is focused on ensuring the effective implementation of significant projects and tools that impact the services of V&E. She leads a department responsible for project management, research, and competitive intelligence and firm intelligence technologies.
Bishai joined V&E in 2010 with a background in communications and proposal management. During her tenure, she has held several senior business development and marketing roles, including as global director of marketing services. Bishai has developed proposal processes, conducted client and industry programming, project-managed technology infrastructure implementations, and launched digital strategies and analytics.
Bishai is passionate about law firm strategy, efficient processes, emerging technology, collaborative teams, and top-notch client service. She graduated from Whitworth University with a Master’s degree in International Management and from Messiah University with an undergraduate degree in international business and Spanish.
View the complete list of awardees.
16. Fahimeh Sasan
Chief Innovation Officer, Kindbody
Fahimeh Sasan is the Chief Innovation Officer of Kindbody. She first joined the team in 2018. Kindbody is a leading fertility clinic network and global family-building benefits provider for employers offering the full spectrum of reproductive care from preconception to postpartum through menopause.
Previously, Sasan was a chief medical officer at Egg Banxx, a division of the Fertility Authority. She is a board-certified and practicing OB/GYN who completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and is an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Sasan is also a member of the Business Group on Health’s Evidence-Based Benefit Design Committee. As a practicing clinician for more than 17 years, she is dedicated to helping employers deliver comprehensive care with a focus on risk reduction and providing an exceptional, personalized experience. Kindbody’s employer clients have direct access to Sasan from thought leadership and strategy to the smallest detail to ensure Kindbody exceeds their expectations.
Sasan and her team provide fertility services, gynecology, low-risk and high-risk prenatal care, and wellness support, offering patients a single door for all of their fertility healthcare needs.
17. Britney Cole
Chief Innovation Officer, Blanchard
Britney Cole is the Chief Innovation Officer of Blanchard. Blanchard sits at the intersection of leadership development, human-powered learning experiences, and team performance. With over 40 years of experience, they enable leaders at all levels to become learners who better themselves as they better others, bringing about meaningful change not only in their current roles or careers but also throughout their lives.
Cole leads a team of passionate and creative professionals who are dedicated to creating and launching new leadership and personal growth solutions that make a meaningful difference for leaders and learners of all kinds. With over 20 years of experience in the corporate learning and development industry, she has a deep understanding of the skills and strategies that enable individuals and organizations to achieve their goals and thrive in the future of work.
Before joining Blanchard, Cole was a director of innovation at GP Strategies Corporation. Before that, she was a GRE/GMAT teacher at Kaplan. Earlier in her career, she worked with Nalco Water as a technical sales representative. Cole graduated from the Learning Design and Technology Program at San Diego State University with a Master’s degree in Educational and Instructional Technology and from Colorado State University with an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering.
18. Jill Murray
President & Chief Innovation Officer, Lackawanna College
Jill Murray became the ninth president of Lackawanna College in July 2020. She is proud to be the first woman to hold the office of president at Lackawanna, bringing a breadth of experience to her presidency.
Murray previously served as the college’s executive vice president and chief innovation officer. From 2008 to 2012, she worked as the college’s vice president of academic affairs, where she was responsible for developing and overseeing all of Lackawanna’s academic curricula. She is the catalyst behind Lackawanna College’s National Champions esports program and assisted with the formation of the Level Up program, which earned the college recognition as one of The World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2021 by Fast Company. The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized Lackawanna College as one of the fastest-growing colleges in 2021. In addition to dramatically increasing the student population, Murray has helped improve student retention and graduation rates, expand online learning options, and led the creation of innovative and relevant academic programming and support services, as well as implemented and championed a robust strategic planning process. She led Lackawanna’s partnership with AACOM and local community health organization to establish a first-of-its-kind clinical education consortium and the innovative merger with Peirce College, which will solidify Lackawanna as the largest open enrollment private, nonprofit institution in Pennsylvania.
Murray holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (University of Scranton, 1989), a Master of Arts in Philosophy (SUNY at Albany, 1991), and a PhD in Human Development (Marywood University, 2006). She is a lifelong resident of Scranton, PA, and a graduate of Scranton Central High School, which now serves as Lackawanna’s main academic building, Angeli Hall. She is active in the regional community and has received numerous professional and civic accolades.
20. Gabriela Bunea
Chief Solar Innovation Officer, GAF Energy
Gabriela Bunea creates world-changing technology and believes in combining solar energy generation with sustainable building materials. As Chief Solar Innovation Officer at GAF Energy, she leads the company’s research and development efforts.
Under Bunea’s leadership, GAF Energy launched Timberline Solar, which incorporates the world’s first nailable solar shingle into traditional roofing materials and processes. This innovative product is designed to provide homeowners with a durable and long-lasting roofing solution that also generates clean, renewable energy.
Bunea brings more than 20 years of extensive technical experience and leadership in the solar and microelectronics industries to GAF Energy. She holds more than 80 patents and has authored numerous publications on solar cell materials and technologies.
21. Jennifer Wolford
Chief Innovation Officer, Operation HOPE
Jennifer Wolford is the Chief Innovation Officer of Operation HOPE. She first joined the team in 2020 as chief operation officer. Operation HOPE is the leading global provider of financial dignity education and economic empowerment programs for low-income or moderate-income youth, individuals, and families in underserved communities.
As a transformational executive with vision and imagination, Wolford has an accomplished background of achieving audacious goals and leading innovative digital solutions that translate live interactions into online scale. She has a consistent track record of growing organizations through high-performing teams dedicated to operational excellence with extensive expertise in business strategy, people management, and organization development, particularly in the technology and professional services arena.
Wolford started her career in collegiate athletics as a basketball coach and later transitioned to work in operations in the tech industry in Atlanta. Switching sectors in 2003, she was one of the founding members of the Georgia State Senate Budget & Evaluation office for the Georgia General Assembly. Beyond government and tech, her experience ranges from customer experience in live, online instructor-led training and call center operations to accounting, finance, and operations in manufacturing. She received her BBA in Finance from The University of Georgia and her MBA from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Georgia.
23. Amy Manning-Boğ
Chief Innovation Officer, MRIGlobal
Amy Manning-Boğ is the Chief Innovation Officer of MRIGlobal, a world leader in applied science and technology research. Manning-Boğ is responsible for leading the identification and translation of MRIGlobal proprietary intellectual property into commercialization opportunities through licensing, royalties, and new business venture start-ups. She also leads MRIGlobal’s translational development team.
Manning-Boğ has built her career on being a scientific leader and executive in discovery research and translation with a history of achievement in strategic planning, operations, and financial goals in small and mid-sized companies. She has led from concept to development of many innovative, novel therapeutics, including biologics, small molecules, and gene-modifying agents across multiple domains, including neuroscience, oncology, and metabolic diseases. She has a strong track record of leading and contributing effectively in multidisciplinary and team-based environments that are fast-paced, collaborative, and scientifically rigorous.
Manning-Boğ is an advocate for protecting voting rights and has served as a mentor for young women in the Cristo Rey Academy program in the San Francisco Bay Area. She joined MRIGlobal in 2022, following seven years with Atreca, Inc. While there, she served in various roles, contributing to key decisions regarding platform strategy, pipeline development, and program advancement for internal studies and external-facing collaborations with large pharmaceutical companies. Manning-Boğ graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with an interdisciplinary PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and from Missouri State University with an undergraduate degree in biology.
24. Heather Durkac
Chief Innovation Officer, Gaggle
Heather Durkac is the Chief Innovation Officer of Gaggle. She first joined the team in 2007 as an account manager and trainer. Gaggle is the pioneer in helping K-12 districts manage student safety on school-provided technology.
Durkac currently leads the vision, decision-making, and operations development for a $35 million organization that provides a high-demand service protecting children and school systems from harmful online content. She is responsible for overall operations, with direct authority over product development, safety, business analytics, and new initiatives focused on tele-therapy and crisis line services.
Previously, Durkac was an account manager at GE. Earlier in her career, she worked with State Farm Bank as a supervisor. Durkac earned a Master of Arts in Communications-Organizational Development/Training and Development and an undergraduate degree in communication, public communication, and human relations from Western Illinois University.
View the complete list of awardees.