Dublin, 24th June 2025 – A new era of innovation, leadership, and inclusion in tech is being shaped by women across the EMEA region, and Microsoft is shining a light on their transformative contributions.
The Microsoft Power Women Awards 2025 have officially unveiled this year’s 20 inspirational winners, selected from an outstanding 368 nominations spanning 20 countries. This prestigious recognition celebrates exceptional female leaders who are not only driving digital transformation across industries but are also creating more inclusive, diverse, and equitable tech ecosystems.
Among this year’s standout achievers is Breda O’Callaghan, Managing Director at KPMG Ireland, who has been named the Ireland winner for her unmatched leadership in technology and her unwavering commitment to gender equity in the sector.
Breda O’Callaghan: Leading with Vision, Driving with Purpose
As the head of KPMG Ireland’s Technology practice, Breda O’Callaghan has long been recognized as a formidable force in tech consulting. Her career has been built on the foundation of technical depth, strategic foresight, and team-building excellence. She has led some of the most complex and large-scale transformation programmes across various sectors, earning her a reputation as a leader clients trust and teams admire.
But Breda’s impact goes far beyond digital delivery.
She is a passionate advocate for inclusion in the tech industry, having founded KPMG’s “Women in Technology” initiative and championed its gender equity programme. Her efforts have resulted in real, measurable change—helping to elevate, support, and mentor women at every stage of their consulting careers.
From Strategy to Action: Making Equity a Reality
Breda is not just vocal about the need for change—she creates it.
Her influence spans grassroots initiatives to executive strategy. Notably, she led STEM recruitment programmes aimed at encouraging young women to pursue careers in technology. She also played a leading role in TechFoundHer Innovation Labs 2024, which supported 35 female-led startups, offering mentorship, resources, and exposure for emerging women entrepreneurs.
It’s this balance of executive excellence and community-grounded activism that makes Breda’s leadership so impactful. By focusing both on the boardroom and the classroom, she is helping to build a truly representative tech industry—one where opportunity is not limited by gender, but unlocked by talent.
A Word from Microsoft and Breda O’Callaghan
Clare Hillis, Commercial Partner Lead, Microsoft Ireland, summed up Breda’s selection:
“We’re delighted to honour these trailblazing women shaping digital transformation and championing inclusion in tech. Breda stands out for her track record on delivering complex transformation projects for customers across Ireland and for her unwavering passion in supporting women in technology. We were massively impressed by the number of impactful initiatives she has led, to not only empower individuals, but to help create a more innovative and inclusive industry for all.”
Upon receiving the award, Breda O’Callaghan reflected on her journey and the continued importance of driving gender equity:
“I’m incredibly proud to be recognised by Microsoft through the Microsoft Power Women Awards. Working in and advocating for women in Tech has always been a passion and driving force in my career, and this award is a meaningful reminder of why that work matters. This recognition fuels my continued commitment to keep pushing for progress, championing inclusion, and helping build a future where every woman feels empowered to lead, innovate, and thrive in tech.”
Power Women 2025: A Platform for Growth and Global Impact
The Microsoft Power Women Awards is more than a recognition programme—it’s a platform. Winners will participate in the Microsoft Women’s Leadership Program at INSEAD Business School, led by renowned professor Jennifer Petriglieri. This advanced programme is designed to nurture long-term leadership growth, promote collaboration across borders, and equip these women to shape the next decade of tech innovation.
It’s part of Microsoft’s larger vision to not just recognise talent, but to invest in it, ensuring that the leaders of today are equipped to build the inclusive technologies of tomorrow.
A Global Network of Change-Makers
This year’s 20 awardees—selected from a wide cross-section of industries and geographies—are united by a shared mission: to make tech better, broader, and more inclusive. They represent a wave of leadership that doesn’t just talk about innovation, but lives it—embedding values of equity, empathy, and progress into the DNA of digital transformation.
The full list of 2025 winners will be profiled by Microsoft in a series of spotlight features over the coming months, celebrating the journeys, successes, and strategies that have positioned these women as pioneers in their fields.
Why This Recognition Matters Now More Than Ever
In 2025, as the global tech sector faces rapid change—driven by AI, automation, cybersecurity threats, and sustainability concerns—the need for diverse leadership is more pressing than ever. The Microsoft Power Women Awards serve as a call to action: recognising that gender parity is not a side initiative—it’s essential infrastructure for building resilient and innovative tech environments.
Women like Breda O’Callaghan aren’t just keeping up with that change. They’re leading it.
In Closing
The Microsoft Power Women Awards 2025 are a powerful reminder that behind every great innovation, there’s a leader driving it forward with vision, courage, and purpose.
And in Ireland, that leader is Breda O’Callaghan.
As Microsoft continues to celebrate the brilliant women advancing tech across EMEA, the message is clear: when women rise, the whole industry rises with them.