Top 14 Women in Project Management to Follow in 2026
The women in project management you should follow aren't just sharing career advice—they're shaping how delivery actually works. From Agile execution to stakeholder alignment, their insights meet the real pressures you face. If you want perspectives that sharpen your thinking and push your practice forward, this list is your starting point.
Top 14 Women in Project Management
Below are the profiles of the top women in project management, covering who they are and the impact they've made in this space.
Asya Watkins
Asya Watkins is founder and CEO of Women Of Project Management, an author, speaker, and advisor with more than two decades of experience spanning project delivery, strategy, and leadership.
Watkins built Women…
Asya Watkins is founder and CEO of Women Of Project Management, an author, speaker, and advisor with more than two decades of experience spanning project delivery, strategy, and leadership.
Watkins built Women Of Project Management to create professional development, education, mentorship, and community for women in the profession. She also wrote The Little Black Book of Project Management Advice and has contributed to project management education and leadership initiatives.
Susanne Madsen
Susanne Madsen is an executive coach, trainer, and author specializing in leadership for complex projects and founder of Susanne Madsen International and the Project Leadership Institute.
Drawing on nearly 30 years of…
Susanne Madsen is an executive coach, trainer, and author specializing in leadership for complex projects and founder of Susanne Madsen International and the Project Leadership Institute.
Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, Madsen helps project professionals strengthen self-awareness, emotional intelligence, team leadership, and decision-making. Her books include The Power of Project Leadership and The Project Management Coaching Workbook.
Elizabeth Harrin
Elizabeth Harrin is a senior healthcare project manager, author, trainer, and speaker with 20+ years of experience leading IT, transformation, business change, and process improvement projects.
Through Rebel’s Guide to Project Management,…
Elizabeth Harrin is a senior healthcare project manager, author, trainer, and speaker with 20+ years of experience leading IT, transformation, business change, and process improvement projects.
Through Rebel’s Guide to Project Management, her books, training, and Project Management Rebels community, Harrin translates hands-on delivery experience into practical guidance on managing projects, people, workloads, and stakeholders.
Laura Barnard
Laura Barnard is founder of PMO Strategies, author of The IMPACT Engine, and creator of the IMPACT Engine System, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in PMO and strategy…
Laura Barnard is founder of PMO Strategies, author of The IMPACT Engine, and creator of the IMPACT Engine System, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in PMO and strategy delivery.
Barnard’s work challenges PMOs to move beyond reporting, templates, and delivery metrics and connect projects with measurable business outcomes. Her IMPACT Engine approach centers PMO leadership on strategy execution, prioritization, decisions, and organizational value.
Eileen Roden
Eileen Roden is Director and Co-Founder of House of PMO and a PMO trainer and author with more than 25 years of experience across project, programme, portfolio, governance, and PMO capability development.
…
Eileen Roden is Director and Co-Founder of House of PMO and a PMO trainer and author with more than 25 years of experience across project, programme, portfolio, governance, and PMO capability development.
Roden turns PMO practice into frameworks, training, and professional development, including work as lead author of the PMO Competency Framework and P3O. Her focus on governance, capability, and portfolio management helps PMO practitioners strengthen how organizations support project delivery.
Lindsay Scott
Lindsay Scott is Director and Co-Founder of House of PMO and a longtime PMO practitioner, recruiter, coach, and event curator whose career has centered on PMO careers, skills, roles, and professional development.
…
Lindsay Scott is Director and Co-Founder of House of PMO and a longtime PMO practitioner, recruiter, coach, and event curator whose career has centered on PMO careers, skills, roles, and professional development.
Scott brings the people side of project delivery into focus through career coaching, training, events, and analysis of PMO roles and industry trends. Her work with House of PMO and PMO Learning helps practitioners build skills while strengthening the wider PMO profession.
Caterina La Tona
Caterina La Tona is a governance and transformation executive, former chair of the PMI Board of Directors, and global volunteer leader with PMP and PfMP credentials and chartered director status.
La Tona…
Caterina La Tona is a governance and transformation executive, former chair of the PMI Board of Directors, and global volunteer leader with PMP and PfMP credentials and chartered director status.
La Tona has paired corporate transformation work with extensive service to the project management profession. Her PMI leadership has centered on governance, strategy, organizational transformation, and advancing the profession, giving her a broad view of projects at both enterprise and professional-association levels.1
Tamara McLemore
Tamara McLemore is a corporate consultant and project leadership coach, with 20+ years of experience leading IT projects and preparing professionals for the PMP exam through training and coaching.
McLemore combines hands-on…
Tamara McLemore is a corporate consultant and project leadership coach, with 20+ years of experience leading IT projects and preparing professionals for the PMP exam through training and coaching.
McLemore combines hands-on project experience with training and coaching for professionals moving into project management or pursuing PMP certification. Her background includes complex IT initiatives at Delta Air Lines and work across corporate and government environments.
Katherine Ajk
Katherine Ajk is the founder of Katherine Ajk Consulting, bringing more than 20 years of experience leading transformation, operations, portfolio management, and strategic execution across sectors.
Ajk works at the intersection of…
Katherine Ajk is the founder of Katherine Ajk Consulting, bringing more than 20 years of experience leading transformation, operations, portfolio management, and strategic execution across sectors.
Ajk works at the intersection of strategy and execution, with experience in large-scale transformation, complex portfolios, operational excellence, and PMO modernization. PMI also cites her work across life sciences, technology, and nonprofit organizations and her focus on measurable business outcomes.
Laurel Sim
Laurel Sim is President and Managing Partner of Taleo Project Services, with two decades of management consulting experience spanning project, program, portfolio, and executive leadership.
Sim progressed from project and program management…
Laurel Sim is President and Managing Partner of Taleo Project Services, with two decades of management consulting experience spanning project, program, portfolio, and executive leadership.
Sim progressed from project and program management into executive portfolio leadership, bringing a strategic approach to complex client initiatives. Her work with Taleo and professional service to PMI connect hands-on delivery, portfolio oversight, consulting, and development of the project profession.
Crystal Richards
Crystal Richards is Principal and Owner of MindsparQ, a project management trainer with more than 20 years of experience across government, healthcare, nonprofits, and corporate environments.
Richards designs training for professionals who…
Crystal Richards is Principal and Owner of MindsparQ, a project management trainer with more than 20 years of experience across government, healthcare, nonprofits, and corporate environments.
Richards designs training for professionals who often inherit projects without formal project management preparation. Her teaching spans predictive, agile, and hybrid delivery, certification preparation, and the practical skills people need to manage stakeholders, timelines, budgets, and outcomes.
Sierra Hampton-Simmons
Sierra Hampton-Simmons is Vice President of Certifications and Learning Innovation at IMA, after leading certification and product architecture work at the Project Management Institute.
At PMI, Hampton-Simmons helped lead the evolution of…
Sierra Hampton-Simmons is Vice President of Certifications and Learning Innovation at IMA, after leading certification and product architecture work at the Project Management Institute.
At PMI, Hampton-Simmons helped lead the evolution of the PMP certification and the launch of PMI Study Hall. Her broader work spans certification strategy, digital product development, learning experiences, and workforce transformation—areas that shape how project professionals build and demonstrate capability.
Marquise Vilsaint
Marquise Vilsaint founded Your Favorite Project Manager, applying project management and coaching to help solopreneurs clarify priorities, build structure, and move important projects forward.
Vilsaint translates project management into approachable planning and…
Marquise Vilsaint founded Your Favorite Project Manager, applying project management and coaching to help solopreneurs clarify priorities, build structure, and move important projects forward.
Vilsaint translates project management into approachable planning and execution practices for entrepreneurs dealing with competing priorities and overwhelm. A PMP-certified practitioner and past Women Of Project Management speaker, she combines formal PM methods with practical coaching around focus and momentum.
Dr. Deepa Bhide
Dr. Deepa Bhide is an independent healthcare IT and project management consultant with 20+ years of experience blending medical practice and research with technology, training, and project delivery.
Dr. Bhide brings a…
Dr. Deepa Bhide is an independent healthcare IT and project management consultant with 20+ years of experience blending medical practice and research with technology, training, and project delivery.
Dr. Bhide brings a clinician’s perspective to project management, exploring how PM practices apply to healthcare delivery, digital health, patient safety, and AI. Her writing for PM World Journal connects project methods with the realities of healthcare systems and patient care.
Selection Methodology
I selected the leaders on this list based on their relevance, demonstrated expertise and impact, professional credibility, and ongoing contributions to the field.
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I look for evidence such as leading meaningful initiatives or delivering notable results within their organizations, developing influential ideas or practices, publishing research or educational resources, speaking or teaching, and other contributions that demonstrate impact within their work or the broader field.
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