Breaking Barriers: Female Tech Execs Reshaping HR

The business world is undergoing a slow but steady revolution. With female execs now running 11% of Fortune 500 companies – and an all-time high – it seems that women are increasingly taking charge in the C-suite roles of top enterprises. Amid this revolution, this new wave of female execs is bringing with it an energizing spirit of innovation, utilizing their unique perspectives and talents to drive their industries forward in new and exciting ways. One key example of this is the realm of HR, which forward-thinking female execs are redefining in the post-pandemic age. In this piece, we'll cast the spotlight on some standout examples, highlighting how their progressive mindsets and tech-driven innovations are shaping the future of work.

Eynat Guez, co-founder CEO of Papaya Global

Eynat Guez, the CEO of payments giant Papaya Global, is a singular figure in many ways. For one, she boasts the impressive achievement of making her company the first female-led enterprise from Israel to achieve unicorn status by reaching a $1 billion valuation. That's incredible enough in itself, but the work she's doing with Papaya is equally impressive.

Guez has risen to prominence as a trailblazer and leader in HR tech with the growth of Papaya Global. Masterminded by Guez, the company has developed an end-to-end platform designed for managing global payroll operations and workforce compliance. This innovative piece of software allows employers to simplify onboarding and payroll processes, enabling companies to manage internationally distributed workforces with ease while ensuring legality at all times.

In a world irrevocably changed by the advent of the pandemic, where remote work has become an integral part of global business, Guez has demonstrated a clear vision for the future and masterminded a purpose-built solution that empowers companies to embrace a new era of work. 

Stacey Epstein, CMO at Freshworks

Having served in various leadership roles in her career, Stacey Epstein has built a strong reputation in the HR tech space. As CEO of Zinc, she oversaw the development of mobile-first communications tools for non-desk employees – solutions which helped facilitate the transition to remote work for thousands worldwide. 

Epstein has continued her impressive work since her time at Zinc, serving a stint as CMO of ServiceMax and, as of 2021, holding the position of CMO at Freshworks, an SaaS company specializing in cloud-based customer and employee-service solutions. Throughout her career, she has championed the needs of frontline workers, promoting the development of technologies that empower employees and not just HR and execs. 

Since joining Freshworks, Epstein has led the company to huge success, including overseeing a $1 billion IPO on the Nasdaq. Her approach to communications, which emphasizes accessibility and usability in everyday operations, has clearly resonated, and her success has made her a true trendsetter for females in both HR and tech.  

Sarah Franklin, CEO at Lattice

Sarah Franklin is another standout figure driving innovation in HR. She boasts a depth of expertise and experience in both marketing and product aspects of HR tech, including holding positions as president and chairwoman advisory at Salesforce. 2024 saw her make another huge step in her career when she took the position as CEO of HR platform provider Lattice.

Franklin has played a key role in driving product strategy throughout her tenured career, and she has continued that trend at Lattice. Since taking the reins, the company has undergone a notable shift, adopting a more employee-centric approach that emphasizes engagement as being at the core of performance management. 2024 and 2025 have seen significant enhancements to the platform, with updates designed to leverage AI to enhance talent management, performance reviews, and compensation processes.

Franklin has shown great ambition in the implementation of cutting-edge AI, but has retained the core beliefs that have brought her such renown thus far, ensuring that people-centric values remain at the heart of what Lattice does. Her success, as well as her commitment to synthesizing innovation and employee well-being, has made her a powerful voice in the tech and HR realms.

Female visionaries are building a bright future for HR

Women have long played key roles in HR, but leadership has not always reflected that. Now, though, women are increasingly emerging not just as cogs in the machine, but thinkers and leaders who are driving the field forward. In the process, they are also making a name for themselves in the traditionally male-dominated software space. 

As global trends and employee expectations shift, companies are increasingly being required to adapt their operating practices and embrace more agile, people-centric approaches, and this is where female execs like Guez, Epstein, and Franklin are proving themselves to be true innovators. By developing employee-first HR platforms that facilitate seamless payroll, internal communications, and performance management, these leaders are putting the “human” back into human resources, shaping the future of global industries in the process.