One thing that struck us as we read over these applications was the sheer number of years each woman has been involved in high tech. Perhaps the experience began with the thrill of starting up her own solution provider business. Or maybe it culminated in landing that top-level management position at a vendor or distributor. But, at some point, many of these women worked in a male-dominated industry. Today, according to a majority of them, that playing field is much more level.

What also stood out: a sense of community aimed at promoting themselves and each other. To join and help encourage that effort, we have created a community where we hope women will get involved, comment on common issues and hopefully solve problems. This community can be found at Channelweb Connect within the Women in the Channel Group at community.crn.com.

Congratulations to all the women on our list for their amazing achievements.

Patricia Atchison

Senior Director, Marketing -- Channel, Midmarket and Strategic Partners

Symantec

Years in position: 4

Years in channel: 15

Goals for this year: "In the coming year I plan to develop more tools, programs and incentives to help partners drive ROI more quickly and sell more comprehensive solutions to their customers. Other priorities include taking advantage of social media tools to better engage and communicate with our partners and creating a broader ecosystem between Symantec's channel partners and global strategic alliances."

Executives you admire: Anne Mulcahy, who "turned Xerox around from nearly going bankrupt to a return to profitability. Mulcahy has shown dedication and tenacity in her 24 years at Xerox and has made a successful effort to turn crisis into motivation."

Female role models: Anne Mulcahy

Wendy Bahr

Senior Vice President

Cisco

Years in position: 1.5

Years in channel: 4

Goals for this year: "Driving Cisco to value proposition through the introduction of architectural plays: borderless network, virtualization and collaboration, which positions partners as the business process innovators for the customers. We are getting our partners close to the customers to address business solution needs and further helping to expand our partner's services offerings to map to these solutions."

Executives you admire: Anne Mulcahy, formerly of Xerox. "Her leadership during a difficult period in their history was impressive."

Female role models: "My mother and grandmothers taught me that the only limits you have are the ones you place on yourself."

Tracy Balent-Hamrac

Vice President, Channel Sales, Americas

CA

Years in position: 1

Years in channel: 20

Goals for this year: "Our key focus will be enabling partners, product innovation and managed service offerings. We will enable value-added resellers by delivering enhanced sales/marketing tools, the delivery of qualified leads and by aligning our corporate account directors and solutions strategists with our partner's sales reps."

Executives you admire: Jack Welch, "for his innovative leadership qualities, demand for quality, knack for making tough decisions and driving the organization and employees to outperform the market."

Female role models: Madeleine Albright: "Having lived around the world, I respect her diplomacy and powerful decisions she made as U.N. Ambassador and first female Secretary of State." Also, "my mother, who taught me everything is possible."

Lori Barrington

Director, Global Channel Program Operations

APC by Schneider Electric

Years in position: 3

Years in channel: 12

Goals for this year: Top priorities include the implementation of a partner relationship management tool that will enable two-way automated communication with partners. Within that is the introduction of a partner-to-partner online community that will enable partners to collaborate as well as give realtime access to APC's subject matter experts.

Executives you admire: Aaron Davis, Chief Marketing Officer, Schneider Electric, and Theo Epstein, General Manager, Boston Red Sox

Female role models: Anne Mulcahy, formerly of Xerox

Maria Battaglia

Senior Vice President, Marketing

OnForce

Years in position: 1

Years in channel: 1

Goals for this year: "I would like to demonstrate the value OnForce brings to the channel by establishing a philanthropic program that reflects and extends OnForce's culture; foster relationships with larger service providers; and continue to grow the channel program to open doors for OnForce service professionals."

Executives you admire: Beth Comstock, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of GE, (Battaglia's former manager at NBC)

Female role models: "My Irish grandmother, who worked during a time when most women didn't and supported her family. She had several qualities that I always looked up to; she was strong, fair and kind, and never lost her feminine edge. She instilled in us the idea that by leading an honest life, everything would fall into place."

NEXT: Becky Beane