Genomineerden RightBrains Awards 2025
RightBrains heeft in twee categorieën zijn genomineerden bekendgemaakt. In 2025 zijn er acht leiders genomineerd in de categorie Digital Leadership & Diversity Award en in de categorie Digital Talent Award zijn er tien genomineerden. Op 6 november worden de winnaars bekend gemaakt tijdens het RightBrains Celebration Event 2025.
Computable helpt RightBrains met de zoektocht naar leiders in het digitale werkveld die actief bezig zijn om diversiteit in de organisatie te stimuleren en naar young professionals in het digitale werkveld die een voorbeeld zijn voor de nieuwe generatie vrouwen. De winnaars worden bekendgemaakt tijdens de negende editie van de RightBrains Awards. Dit jaar vindt het event plaats op 6 november bij Randstad Digital in Diemen. De middag staat onder leiding van Geke Rosier, oprichter van RightBrains en winnaar van de Dianne Bevelander-prijs in 2022. Ook dit jaar is het weer mogelijk om te stemmen op de genomineerden van de RightBrains Awards. Dit kan tot en met dinsdag 30 september 2025.
Publieksstemming bepaalt voor 25 procent wie er gaat winnen. De overige 75 procent wordt bepaald door een vakjury, met daarin Kay Formanek (auteur diversiteit en inclusie en ceo Diversity and Performance), prof. dr. Erik Beulen (hoogleraar informatiemanagement aan de Universiteit van Tilburg), Raymond Hannes (expert op het gebied van ondernemerschap en innovatie), Hanneke Takkenberg (hoogleraar klinische besluitvorming bij cardio-thoracale interventies aan het Erasmus MC en uitvoerend directeur van het Erasmus Centrum voor Vrouwen en Organisaties) en Sander Hulsman (voormalig hoofdredacteur van Computable en eigenaar van SparQle Media).
Genomineerden
Dit zijn de genomineerden van de RightBrains Awards 2025 (klap open voor onderbouwing):
Digital Leadership & Diversity Award
Angelina Best (CEO Levi9 Technology Services)
Angelina Best, ceo of Levi9 Technology Services, leads with a powerful mix of vision, empathy, and decisiveness. Under her guidance, diversity at board level has flourished, with women now in the majority across leadership teams. She actively mentors women in tech, supports inclusive hiring, and fosters a culture of psychological safety and growth. Her human-centred leadership has driven employee satisfaction, attracted top clients, and secured Levi9’s position as a trusted digital partner.
Laura Brandwacht (Partner Data & AI Transformations Rewire)
Laura Brandwacht, partner data & ai transformations at Rewire, leads the company’s Data & AI upskilling offering and is the driving force behind the AI Leadership Programme for Women. She actively champions gender diversity and empowers women to thrive in a male-dominated field. By combining high standards with empathy, Laura fosters inclusive leadership. Her programme has boosted female promotion rates and more than doubled the percentage of women hired at Rewire.
Anka Gajentaan (Chief Information Officer Transavia)
Anka, former managing director at Randstad Digital Netherlands and now with Transavia, exemplifies digital leadership by combining strategic decisiveness with empathy and collaboration. Her authentic leadership has improved team performance by 20%, driven by her commitment to diversity and mentoring women in tech. By leading with both strength and care, Anka has created inclusive environments where people thrive — simply by doing, not preaching. She is an inspiring force in digital transformation.
Britt Hoppenbrouwers (Country Managing Partner Netcompany Nederland)
Britt Hoppenbrouwers, country managing partner at Netcompany Nederland, leads with a bold and inclusive vision of digitalisation. She advocates for public-private collaboration and a responsible, people-focused digital future. As a role model for women in tech, she champions diversity, confronts bias, and empowers others through visibility and voice. Under her leadership, the Dutch division achieved 34% revenue growth, driven by diverse leadership, transparency, and smart project execution.
Mel Jacobs (Chief Information Officer ABN Amro Bank)
Mel Jacobs, chief information officer at ABN Amro, is a powerful role model for women in tech leadership. She leads with authenticity, warmth, and confidence—staying true to herself while creating space for others to thrive. Mel uses her natural empathy, positivity, and openness to foster connection and inclusion. Her presence alone challenges the norm, proving that success doesn’t require conformity, but courage, character, and clarity of purpose.
Sonali Sahgal (Head Strategic Large Deals Europe Tata Consulting Services)
Sonali Sahgal, a senior leader at TCS Europe, has driven digital transformation across key sectors in the Netherlands. Rising from a programming trainee to TCS’s first female Sales Director in the region, she’s broken barriers in male-dominated roles. Known for her resilience, empathy and strategic focus, Sonali leads with purpose and humility. She continues to inspire women in tech, all while unlocking growth and innovation for both clients and her teams.
Dana Spataru (Partner Deloitte)
Dana Spataru, partner at Deloitte, leads the Cyber Security team with vision, integrity, and impact. She guides clients through complex digital and cyber transformations while championing gender diversity and inclusion. Dana empowers her team with a rare balance of strength and empathy, creating a culture where people thrive. Her leadership has resulted in stronger team performance, innovation, and greater female representation across a highly international, results-driven environment.
Norian Wasch (Director of Procurement & ESG Eurofiber Group)
Norian Wasch, director of procurement & esg at Eurofiber, is a visionary digital leader who unites technology, sustainability, and inclusion. With a calm, values-driven approach, he empowers diverse teams to innovate and grow. Norian leads by example, building a culture of equity, psychological safety, and strategic impact. His ability to balance empathy and structure makes him a role model for future-ready leadership in the digital infrastructure space.
Stem nu!
Digital Talent Award
Valentine Couture (Founder WICCA)
Valentine Couture is a staff security engineer at GitLab and founder of WICCA, promoting gender diversity in cybersecurity. She co-organises WICCON, an inclusive conference with a predominantly female line-up. Valentine combines technical expertise with authentic, equality-driven leadership, inspiring change without hierarchy. Under her guidance, WICCA grew to 1,500 members, helping many women enter cybersecurity and advising organisations on inclusive hiring, significantly boosting diversity and innovation in the digital sector.
Selen Demir (Android Developer Akbank)
Selen Demir is an Android developer at Akbank, helping build secure, high-performance mobile banking apps. She bridges tech and business through an MBA and is a leader in communities like Women Who Code and Women in Tech Netherlands. As a #IamRemarkable facilitator, she empowers women and nonbinary individuals. Selen combines engineering excellence with inclusive leadership, shaping both innovative products and a more diverse digital industry.
Deborah Esotu (Strategy and Innovation Consultant Tata Consulting Group)
Deborah Esotu, strategy and innovation consultant at Tata Consulting Group and ai & sustainability portfolio management lead at Equans, spearheads innovation in AI and sustainability. She successfully led the First AI Digital Accelerator, accelerating AI adoption and generating €200,000 in new business within a year. Skilled in portfolio strategy, pipeline management, and business development, Deborah drives sustainable technology advancements. She is also a passionate advocate for inclusion, mentoring emerging talent and leading initiatives such as the Equans AI Hackathon to foster lasting organisational impact.
Deepa John (Senior Account Director (Existing Business) Storyteq)
Deepa leads Business & Customer Success in Amsterdam, overseeing enterprise client onboarding and driving digital adoption. She connects strategy, service, and tech to grow Storyteq’s Creative Automation product. Deepa is a decisive, energetic leader who inspires her team and bridges client needs with technology. She fosters an inclusive culture, empowering women in a male-dominated industry. Deepa transformed her team by adding account directors, enabling growth and scaling clients and talent in a complex, fast-paced environment.
Mathilde Lemang (Chair Steering Committee WIQD & Head of Integration QphoX
Mathilde leads integration at QphoX and chairs the We in Quantum Development (WIQD) Advisory Board. She has driven WIQD’s shift to a more inclusive vision, fostering community, collaboration, and cross-startup engagement in the quantum ecosystem. Mathilde’s resilience and emotional intelligence allow her to connect diverse people and champion inclusion in a male-dominated field. She has transformed QphoX’s culture through inclusive hiring and open team environments, attracting diverse talent and strengthening equity across the quantum community.
Maudy Luhulima (Solution Consultant One Fox)
Maudy Luhulima made a bold career shift from ICT and privacy law to developer and now works as a consultant at One Fox. With experience in OpenText AppWorks and Microsoft PowerApps, she brings rare depth by combining legal expertise with tech skills. Her ambition, communication strengths and sharp intellect make her stand out. Maudy’s inspiring switch reflects courage, adaptability, and growing female representation in development.
Emily van Putten (Cyber Security Expert & Founder Beleeve)
Emily van Putten is a standout digital talent who champions inclusive progress through technology. As a cybersecurity expert and founder of Beleeve, she combines deep technical knowledge with a people-first approach. A passionate mentor and public speaker, she actively drives gender diversity in tech. Emily’s vision, empathy and leadership make her a powerful force for positive change, building safer, more inclusive digital futures where everyone has a seat at the table.
Lizzie Reeves (SDR Manager APAC, UKI, and EMEA Solace)
Since joining Solace in 2021, Lizzie Reeves has rapidly progressed from sales development representative to sdr manager for APAC, UKI, and EMEA. Known for her ambition, empathy, and tech-savviness, Lizzie combines strategic thinking with deep curiosity to simplify complex technologies. She champions diversity by mentoring women and building inclusive teams. Her leadership, adaptability, and resilience make her a standout talent in the digital technology space.
Eline Schuurs (Project Lead Storyteq)
Eline leads the Amsterdam project management team, bridging clients, tech, and customer success. She excels in translating business needs into tech solutions while coaching her team. Decisive and empathetic, Eline creates a safe, inclusive environment where diverse perspectives thrive. She transformed her department from reactive operations to a commercially growing service centre, driving team growth and individual development—an inspiring role model in a male-dominated digital field.
Chantal Stekelenburg (Founder WICCA)
Chantal Stekelenburg is a security analyst at the Belastingdienst and founder of WICCA (Women in Cybersecurity Community Association). Through events like WICCON, HackerHotel and WHY2025, she actively promotes knowledge sharing and the visibility of female talent in cybersecurity. Chantal leads with empathy, determination and vision. She has grown a community to nearly 1,500 members, creating safe, inspiring spaces where new careers begin. As a digital leader, she shows how to make the sector future-proof and inclusive.
Stem nu!
Winnaars RightBrains Awards (2017 – 2024)Digital Leadership & Diversity Award2024 Anke den Ouden (CEO Microsoft Nederland)2023 Yvonne van Rees Vellinga-Leenders (Group Director People & Facilities Eurofiber)2022 Tamara Oosterman (Executive Vice President Service Quality Center KPN)2021 Benji Coetzee (Digital Director VodafoneZiggo)2020 Martine van Iperen (Senior Development Manager en Member of the CTO Management Team Exact)2019 Candice Dillon (CIO VodafoneZiggo)2018 Corry Wouters (Corporate Director Ewals Cargo Care)2017 Mimoent Haddouti (Global Head First Line Risk & Security Rabobank)Digital Talent Award2024 Véronique Van Vlasselaer (Analytics en AI Lead Zuidwest- en Oost-Europa SAS)2023 Claudia van der Veer (Data-trainee Yacht)2022 Anastasia Khomenko (Data Scientist KPN)2021 Lisanne Smink (Product Owner Business Intelligence and Analytics Van Lanschot Kempen)2020 Lisanne Brons (Technical Sales Manager Modern Work & Security Microsoft)2019 Erida Kaja (Domain Architect Voice Services Eriks)2018 Lotte de Haas (Product Owner OmniCRM KPN)2017 Laura Helgering (IT Engineer ABN Amro)
computable
09-07-2025 07:00