SU alumna named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Technology for 2023 by professional women’s network
Penelope Merced, MidCap Financial chief technology officer and a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) program of Silliman University, has been named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Technology for 2023 by Women We Admire (WWA), a membership organization of the women executives and leaders across the U.S. and Canada.
WWA published the list on their website last August 28, 2023.
The following paragraphs describing Merced and her career are from the WWA list:
“Penelope Merced is distinguished by her ability to influence, lead, think strategically, establish business partnerships, and execute. She successfully leads organizations through the ever-evolving digital landscape by aligning technology initiatives with strategic objectives and providing a cohesive long-term vision. With over two decades of technical leadership experience, Penelope is a strategic digital designer who can keep a dozen balls in the air and knows how all those balls fit in the long-term digital vision. Her unique blend of analytical skills, technical knowledge, and business acumen allows her to Integrate technology, business processes, and people to drive business agility and innovation.
Penelope currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at MidCap Financial, driving digital transformation initiatives that generate tangible value for MidCap and pioneering innovative technology strategies. She has headed their IT department since 2016 and has established the five core domains of IT from the ground up, infrastructure and operations, cybersecurity, data management, application services, and business systems. Her priorities include enterprise data management and data analytics capabilities, cybersecurity risk management, and business process optimization.
Prior to MidCap, Penelope led an enterprise strategic consulting team at Dataprise while serving as a CIO consultant to numerous businesses in Washington, DC. Before that, she held various IT leadership positions at an IT consulting firm in Manhattan, New York. She has a master’s degree in management of IT from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Silliman University. When asked about factors that make an IT organization successful, she responded: ‘It’s the people. As leaders, we must continuously create a positive work environment conducive to growth and progress. Lead with fairness and clarity, set the tone and direction for the workplace, understand group dynamics, and ensure that everyone works together as a cohesive unit.’”
The WWA’s Top 50 list recognizes women who have “demonstrated remarkable innovation, resilience, and determination in a field traditionally dominated by men” and those whose leadership in their industry has “pioneered groundbreaking technologies, spearheaded transformative initiatives, and fostered inclusive work environments.”
(Photo from the Women We Admire website)
