The Top 50 Miami Women Leaders of 2026
The Greater Miami metro (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach) runs on global trade, tourism, real estate, finance, healthcare, and a fast-growing innovation economy. And it’s increasingly being shaped-strategically, culturally, and economically-by women leading at scale.
Miami’s leadership “signature” looks different than most major metros. It’s more international by default, more brand-driven (hospitality, sports, luxury, consumer), and more operationally complex (ports, logistics, healthcare systems, and high-growth, high-volatility sectors). The women on this list are the ones setting direction-allocating capital, building institutions, expanding access, professionalizing fast-growth teams, and making the region more competitive.
A note on approach: this is an editorial ranking based on visible scope of responsibility, measurable footprint (people, budgets, customers), and demonstrated regional influence.
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#1 Daniella Levine Cava
Running Miami-Dade is closer to running a major enterprise than a typical municipal role: she oversees a large metropolitan government serving nearly 3 million residents, with tens of thousands of employees and a multibillion-dollar budget. That scale matters because decisions on transit, resilience, housing, permitting, seaport/airport priorities, and workforce partnerships ripple across every major employer in the county. In practice, her influence shows up in whether Miami can stay livable for its workforce while continuing to attract business investment.
#2 Eileen Higgins
As Miami’s first female mayor, Higgins sits at the center of the city’s next era: service delivery, trust in government, and affordability. With experience representing a diverse county district before taking the city’s top job, she has made “equity gap” problem-solving a defining theme-an approach that resonates in a city where economic growth and cost-of-living pressures collide daily. Her impact is felt in the “rules of the road” that shape small business confidence, development outcomes, and resident retention.
#3 Hydi Webb
PortMiami is one of the region’s most powerful economic engines, and Webb leads its growth strategy across cruise and cargo. In a metro built on being a gateway-tourism, trade, logistics, and global business-her role influences jobs, supply chains, and the region’s competitiveness as a hub for the Americas. When PortMiami expands or modernizes, it’s not just a port story; it becomes a hospitality, trucking, warehousing, and workforce story across South Florida.
#4 Christine Duffy
As the first female president of Carnival Cruise Line, Duffy has led major growth and modernization initiatives-new ship introductions, capacity expansion, and high-profile onboard innovations. In a Miami-based cruise ecosystem (ports, suppliers, hospitality partners, and tourism infrastructure), the cruise business is “regional GDP-adjacent.” Her leadership affects not only the brand’s global performance, but also the strength of Miami’s position as a cruise capital and travel-industry headquarters city.
#5 Rebecca Fishman Lipsey
Influence isn’t only corporate-philanthropy is one of Miami’s quiet power centers, shaping what gets funded, piloted, scaled, and sustained. As CEO of The Miami Foundation, Fishman Lipsey helps direct philanthropic capital and partnerships toward community outcomes-often convening across business, government, and nonprofit sectors. In a metro facing affordability, climate, and inequality pressures, that convening-and-capital role can change what’s actually possible.
#6 Symeria Hudson
United Way is a “backbone” institution: it connects corporate partners, civic agencies, and community organizations to deliver measurable outcomes. Hudson’s influence shows up in how effectively South Florida builds pathways for residents-especially around education, financial stability, and health-related initiatives that businesses ultimately rely on for a durable workforce. In a metro that imports talent but must also grow it locally, this kind of leadership is economic strategy in disguise.
#7 Madeline Pumariega
Miami Dade College is one of the region’s most important workforce engines, and Pumariega leads it as its first female president-and as an alumna who understands the student journey. Her impact is clearest where education meets employment: aligning programs with employer needs, tightening job pathways, and keeping education accessible for the people who power the local economy (healthcare, logistics, hospitality, finance, and tech).
#8 Caroline O’Connor
Sports leadership is business leadership-brand, revenue, partnerships, real estate/venue operations, and community presence. As president of the Marlins, O’Connor is one of the most senior women in Major League Baseball team leadership, and her role shapes how a major franchise engages corporate partners, grows attendance and fan experience, and invests in community initiatives. In Miami, where culture and commerce are deeply intertwined, that platform carries outsized influence.
#9 Alexandra Villoch
Villoch sits at the intersection of healthcare and community capital. Leading Baptist Health Foundation-and also overseeing key community and government relations functions-she helps mobilize philanthropic support and external partnerships that strengthen one of the region’s most important sectors: health. In a metro where healthcare is both a major employer and a daily quality-of-life determinant, this role has meaningful ripple effects across workforce retention and community wellbeing.
#10 Kim Griffin-Hunter
Professional services leaders often influence a region through talent pipelines and boardroom-level advising. As Deloitte’s managing partner in Miami, Griffin-Hunter oversees a large local practice and helps set priorities around growth, client service, and community impact. In a market full of fast-scaling firms and complex cross-border finance, that kind of leadership shapes how companies professionalize-governance, controls, strategy, and talent development.
#11 Paula Ferreira
Miami’s status as a hub for Latin America isn’t just cultural-it’s financial. Ferreira leads Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions business for Latin America, a role that touches capital markets, catastrophe risk, and resilience planning across the region. Reinsurance decisions influence what gets built, what gets insured, and how quickly economies recover after shocks-making her work highly consequential for Miami’s hemispheric business ecosystem.
#12 Ileana Musa
Private banking leadership in Miami often means cross-border complexity: international clients, multi-jurisdiction wealth structures, and sophisticated lending and cash management needs. Musa leads sales for Morgan Stanley’s Private Bank, a role that sits at the center of how high-net-worth and business-owner capital moves-often influencing investment, philanthropy, and business formation in the region.
#13 Effie D. Silva
General counsel influence is frequently underestimated: legal, risk, compliance, and government affairs shape what a company can do and how confidently it can grow. Silva leads major corporate functions at Fresh Del Monte, including risk and government affairs, tying her work directly to governance, supply chain integrity, and regulatory navigation-capabilities that matter deeply in a trade- and logistics-heavy metro like Miami.
#14 Louise Bang
Marriott’s Caribbean and Latin America region is one of the world’s most tourism-intensive corridors-and Miami is a strategic command point for that travel economy. Bang leads commercial strategy across sales and marketing, influencing demand generation, loyalty, and revenue performance. In a market where hospitality is both a headline industry and a major employer, that role carries substantial regional weight.
#15 Vicki Freed
Freed leads a major commercial and service organization at Royal Caribbean-an ecosystem role that includes sales execution and support for the travel-trade community. In practical terms, her influence reaches thousands of advisors and partners whose businesses are tied to South Florida’s cruise economy. That combination of revenue responsibility and industry network leadership makes her one of Miami’s most influential executives in travel.
#16 Marcella Gravalese
Healthcare access is operational, not abstract-and Gravalese’s role is built around scaling it. She leads ambulatory medical group operations across parts of Palm Beach and Broward, focusing on integrating care teams, expanding sites of care, and improving access and patient experience. In the Miami metro, where population growth and aging demographics increase demand, operational healthcare leadership is community infrastructure.
#17 Joy Dettorre
Dettorre’s portfolio is global, but its relevance is sharply local: Miami’s next phase depends on talent attraction and retention across highly diverse communities. As IBM’s Global Head of DEI, she oversees large-scale programs and systems that shape how talent is developed and supported-an influence that increasingly defines which employers win the talent market.
#18 Cristina Miller
Miami’s innovation economy isn’t only software-it’s applied tech in hospitality, entertainment, gaming, and customer experience. Miller leads Intermedia Touch, operating in digital signage and technology solutions, while also showing up as a civic business leader through chambers and entrepreneur networks. Her influence is in how she connects “tech execution” with community visibility-helping normalize women-led growth companies in a city still defining its tech identity.
#19 Kathleen Cannon
Broward is essential to the Greater Miami economic engine, and Cannon leads one of its most important community institutions. Her influence is built through partnerships-corporate, civic, and nonprofit-mobilizing resources toward resilience and opportunity across the county. In a multi-county metro, this kind of leadership determines whether growth is shared or fragmented.
#20 Olga Lykova
Partnership leaders sit at the growth lever of modern tech companies-distribution, ecosystems, and platform strategy. Lykova leads North America partnerships at monday.com, a role that helps define how companies scale through alliances and integrations. In Miami’s emerging tech scene, leaders who bring mature partnership playbooks are shaping the “how” of growth for the next generation of companies building here.
#21 Gayle Catropa
With decades of human-capital leadership, Gayle Catropa shapes the workforce strategy that keeps Perry Ellis International’s portfolio of brands competitive in a fast-moving consumer marketplace. Her focus on culture, talent development, and organizational resilience helps a major Miami-based employer grow with consistency through change.
#22 Natalie Stute
Leading people strategy at CentralSquare Technologies, Natalie Stute aligns talent, culture, and leadership development to support a company that powers essential public-sector services. Her ability to scale and integrate teams strengthens operational execution and helps Miami’s tech ecosystem deliver reliable solutions to communities.
#23 Brandi Vosberg
Brandi Vosberg oversees complex health-and-wellness operations at Walmart, helping expand accessible pharmacy, vision, and clinical services across Central and South Florida. By driving consistent execution at scale, she improves customer outcomes while translating operational excellence into meaningful growth for one of the region’s largest employers.
#24 Shannon Chapman
Shannon Chapman elevates enterprise service management at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, turning process discipline and smart automation into smoother operations for a vast distribution business. Her work strengthens service reliability and efficiency, creating the kind of behind-the-scenes performance that fuels growth and customer confidence in a high-volume market.
#25 Simone Arnold
At Fiserv, Simone Arnold leads product management at the intersection of payments, risk, and merchant enablement, where small improvements can ripple across enormous transaction volumes. Her strategic, customer-first approach helps modernize how businesses get paid, reinforcing Miami’s position as a fintech and commerce hub.
#26 Kimberly Bryson
Kimberly Bryson helps businesses navigate growth with thoughtful financial guidance and relationship leadership at Bank of America, one of the world’s most influential institutions. By connecting companies to the right capital and expertise, she supports job creation and investment across South Florida’s entrepreneurial economy.
#27 Gatha Sadhir
Gatha Sadhir leads global technology for Jazwares, enabling a Berkshire Hathaway company to scale securely and operate with speed across a complex consumer-products supply chain. Her leadership modernizes systems and data capabilities that power innovation, resilience, and customer experience from Miami to global markets.
#28 Jessica Murphy
Jessica Murphy drives high-performance property operations for RangeWater Real Estate in Florida, balancing resident experience with disciplined asset management across a large multifamily footprint. Her operational leadership strengthens housing quality and stability, supporting the region’s growth with well-run communities and strong returns for stakeholders.
#29 Judy Webb-Hapgood
Judy Webb-Hapgood leads supply chain strategy for the University of Miami and UHealth, where reliability, cost stewardship, and speed directly affect patient care and research excellence. Her ability to optimize complex procurement and logistics systems protects continuity and strengthens one of South Florida’s most important anchor institutions.
#30 Meghan (Lockwood) Rexer
Meghan (Lockwood) Rexer sits at the critical intersection of go-to-market execution and people leadership at CoreX Corp, helping a growth company build both revenue momentum and a high-performing culture. By aligning strategy, messaging, and talent, she accelerates scale while ensuring the organization is built to sustain long-term impact.
#31 Vicky Osejo
Vicky Osejo leads IT execution for Sensormatic Solutions at Johnson Controls, helping keep retail and supply-chain technologies reliable, secure, and ready for innovation. Her operational discipline enables teams and clients to make smarter decisions faster, reinforcing Miami’s role in the global retail-tech landscape.
#32 Lani Kane-Hanan
Lani Kane-Hanan shapes the end-to-end experience strategy at Shipt, where customer trust is earned through consistent service, intuitive digital journeys, and fast problem resolution. Her leadership turns experience into a growth engine—building loyalty, strengthening brand reputation, and raising the bar for Miami’s consumer-tech ecosystem.
#33 Robin Ganzert
Robin Ganzert has expanded American Humane’s reach by pairing mission-driven leadership with operational rigor, fundraising strength, and national visibility. By translating advocacy into scalable programs and partnerships, she delivers measurable impact while showing how values-led organizations can thrive in Miami’s business community.
#34 Valeria Sorrentino
Valeria Sorrentino leads arrivals and departures planning for FIFA World Cup 2026, a high-stakes operational role that demands coordination across airports, agencies, and global stakeholders. Her expertise in complex event logistics helps ensure Miami delivers a world-class experience, creating economic lift and lasting reputation benefits for the region.
#35 Helen Rankin
Helen Rankin drives new development at HRS Hospitality & Retail Systems, opening doors for technology partnerships and deployments that modernize how hotels and retailers operate. Her business-development leadership strengthens Miami’s position as a gateway for international commerce by bringing sophisticated hospitality and retail systems into the market.
#36 Angela Andrade
Angela Andrade leads cross-enterprise transformation for Citi’s Latin America operations, where simplifying complexity can unlock speed, compliance strength, and better client outcomes. Her change leadership helps a global institution operate more effectively across borders, reinforcing Miami’s status as a strategic financial bridge to the region.
#37 Anna Skidmore
Anna Skidmore elevates customer experience at FIGS by blending brand empathy with operational clarity, turning feedback into product and service improvements that deepen loyalty. Her leadership strengthens a fast-growing consumer brand and demonstrates how Miami-based executives can influence global customer expectations.
#38 Krystle Bach
Krystle Bach guides brand operations across Latin America for Authentic Brands Group, helping iconic names grow through disciplined licensing, partnership execution, and local-market excellence. Her work connects global brand strategy with regional realities, amplifying Miami’s role as a hub for international brand expansion.
#39 Julie Berry
Julie Berry brings trusted capital-markets expertise to CBRE, advising investors and owners on transactions that shape how South Florida grows and where capital flows next. Her leadership helps unlock deals with confidence and clarity, supporting development, jobs, and long-term regional competitiveness.
#40 Sangeeta Banerjee
Sangeeta Banerjee helps investors and advisors navigate 1031 exchange strategies with precision, pairing deep technical knowledge with practical guidance at IPX1031. By making complex real-estate transactions smoother and more compliant, she supports reinvestment and liquidity that keep South Florida’s property market dynamic.
#41 Wendi Monahan
Wendi Monahan leads sales for Oracle Consulting Services in state and local government, helping public agencies modernize systems that residents rely on every day. Her ability to align technology with mission outcomes drives meaningful transformation, strengthening the region’s public-sector capacity and digital infrastructure.
#42 Renata Kobylinski
Renata Kobylinski steers IT operations at JLL, ensuring the stability and performance of technology that supports complex real estate and facilities services. Her leadership keeps mission-critical systems running smoothly, enabling teams to deliver better client experiences and stronger operational results across the region.
#43 Sandra Sainz
Sandra Sainz brings rigorous investment leadership to Sonen Capital, directing private-market strategies that seek strong performance while reflecting thoughtful stewardship. By channeling capital into well-selected opportunities and building investor confidence, she helps elevate Miami’s growing influence in impact and private investing.
#44 Santuzza Timiraos
Santuzza Timiraos advises international clients with a steady, nuanced approach to wealth strategy, balancing cross-border complexity with clear, relationship-based guidance at Raymond James. Her work helps families and entrepreneurs protect and grow assets responsibly, reinforcing Miami’s reputation as a global wealth-management center.
#45 Sarah Cornish
Sarah Cornish builds strategic alliances for Anaplan, expanding ecosystems that help organizations plan better, move faster, and operate with sharper financial and operational insight. Her partnership leadership accelerates adoption and innovation, contributing to Miami’s momentum as a destination for enterprise tech talent.
#46 Kyra Diaz
Kyra Diaz drives digital brand awareness and social strategy at Hotwire Communications, translating storytelling and data into campaigns that deepen engagement and accelerate growth. Her leadership shows how modern marketing can shape demand and loyalty in competitive markets, strengthening Miami’s creative and communications economy.
#47 Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen advances Best Buddies International’s programs across borders, scaling partnerships that create opportunity, inclusion, and employment pathways for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her program leadership blends mission and execution, delivering tangible community impact while building a stronger global footprint from Miami.
#48 Lauren Pace
Lauren Pace helps shape South Florida’s industrial real estate landscape at Colliers, advising on facilities that power logistics, trade, and last-mile delivery. Her deal expertise supports the region’s supply-chain growth and competitiveness, reinforcing Miami’s role as a gateway for commerce.
#49 Ana del Cerro-Fals
Ana del Cerro-Fals leads tax practice leadership for BDO in one of the country’s most dynamic markets, guiding teams that help businesses and individuals navigate complexity with confidence. Her combination of technical excellence and client stewardship supports smart growth, compliance, and investment across South Florida.
#50 Karen Mitchell Curran
Karen Mitchell Curran brings deep governance and professional-services leadership as Florida board chair, pairing strategic oversight with a seasoned understanding of risk, finance, and organizational performance. Her boardroom influence and track record in building high-performing teams make her a trusted force in shaping sustainable business outcomes across the region.
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