The Portuguese Women in Tech (PWIT) Awards have announced this year’s winners, honoring women who are driving progress in Portugal’s technology sector and Portuguese women making an impact abroad.
Now in its eighth edition, the program recognizes excellence across engineering, product, data and AI, business operations, marketing and sales, tech consulting, customer experience, digital transformation, people and culture, and community leadership.
The awards are part of the broader PWIT platform, which supports women already working in tech and encourages more girls and women to explore careers in science and technology.
Each category is powered by a corporate partner and highlights one standout professional whose work reflects advancement for the industry.
This year’s winners across the ten award categories are listed below:
Best Engineer in Portugal (powered by Dashlane)
Liliana Pereira – Software Engineer at Coverflex
Liliana Pereira works on the development of Coverflex’s employee benefits platform, helping companies modernize the way they manage compensation and flexible benefits.
Best Business Operations & Innovation Expert (powered by Rumos)
Maria Amélia Doria – Digital Transformation Lead Consultant at PwC Portugal
Maria Amélia Doria contributes to national and international initiatives while developing new talent and accelerating their integration and value creation in projects at PwC Portugal, as part of the globally leading professional services network.
Best Product Manager (powered by Constellation Tech Hub)
Patrícia Gomes – Product Director at Doutor Finanças
Patrícia Gomes guides the development of products at Doutor Finanças, a fintech focused on financial well-being that helps thousands of people every year make more informed decisions, especially in the areas of mortgages, consolidated credit, and insurance.
Best Data, Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Expert (powered by NTT Data)
Patricia Milheiro – AI Agency Strategy Director at Devoteam
Patricia Milheiro specializes in AI strategy at Devoteam, an AI-driven tech consulting firm focused on cloud platforms, cybersecurity, data, and sustainability.
Best Revenue, Growth, Marketing & Sales Expert (powered by Bosch)
Célia Brás – Head of Global Digital Marketing at Zühlke
Célia Brás oversees global digital marketing efforts at Zühlke, a technology and innovation consulting firm that supports companies in embedding modern technologies into their business and product development.
Best Tech Consulting Expert (powered by Devoteam)
Maria Cunha – Tech Director at Deloitte
Maria Cunha is a tech director at Deloitte, a global professional services firm offering audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk, tax, and legal services.
Best People, Culture & Talent Acquisition Expert (powered by Neotalent Conclusion)
Nicole Morgado – Director HRBP Portugal at Checkmarx
Nicole Morgado leads HR strategy, focusing on engagement, streamlined processes, and workforce plans that align talent with business goals at Checkmarx, which helps enterprises manage application risk without slowing development.
Best Digital Transformation Lead (powered by PwC)
Adriana Percontini – Lead Project Manager at Zühlke
Adriana Percontini manages end-to-end technology projects, coordinating multidisciplinary teams on IoT and other tech initiatives and overseeing delivery, budgets, and Stage-Gate project phases at Zühlke, a consulting firm focused on engineering and innovation.
Best Community Lead (powered by Doutor Finanças)
Vânia Gonçalves – Founder of Geek Girls Portugal
Vânia Gonçalves is the founder of Geek Girls Portugal, a community created to increase the visibility of women in technology and bring them together through regular meetups, with a mission focused on engagement, inspiration, and empowerment through events, workshops, school outreach, and mentoring.
Best Customer Experience Expert (powered by FES Agency)
Inês Loureiro – Head of Customer Care at Infraspeak
Inês Loureiro oversees customer care at Infraspeak, a facilities management platform that streamlines operations by connecting teams, improving visibility, and enabling intelligent automation.
Driving change for women in Portugal’s tech ecosystem
Founded in 2016 by Liliana Castro and Inês Santos Silva, Portuguese Women in Tech works to increase representation and visibility for women in the industry, with a mission that combines supporting women already in tech and inspiring more girls and women to enter the field.
Over the years PWIT has published stories of women in tech and startups, organized workshops, run the PWIT Hackathon, and distributed educational booklets in schools with partners like ScaleUp Porto and EDP.
It has also launched mentorship programs, a book club, and a female founders program, and developed tools and resources such as Speakers List, Salary Transparency Project, Pioneers Report, and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Playbook.
Portugal Startup News 