Anita M. Sands

Dr. Anita Sands is a global business leaders, public speaker and advocate for the advancement of women. She currently serves as an Independent Board Director for three Silicon Valley public companies – Symantec Corporation, Service Now, and Pure Storage, and as an advisor to Grand Central Tech, a leading NYC technology incubator. She is also a member of the Digital Advisory Board at Box. An active angel investor, and advisor to various start ups, she has a particular interest in technologies that are disrupting the world of Enterprise IT.

She earned both her Ph.D. in Atomic and Molecular Physics and bachelor’s degree in Physics & Applied Math from Queen’s University Belfast, and a Masters in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where she was a Fulbright Scholar.

Prior to her latest career pivot into technology, Anita spent a decade in the financial services sector, specializing in transformation and technology led innovation. She was the youngest ever-Senior Vice President at the Royal Bank of Canada where she served as the Head of Innovation and Process Design. At the age of 33, she was appointed as Chief Operating Officer for UBS Wealth Management Americas, responsible for technology, operations and corporate services.

Anita has been honored on many occasions for her contribution to technology leadership and the advancement of women and was recently acknowledged by the National Association of Corporate Directors as one of only 39 directors under the age of 40 serving on the boards of publicly traded companies in the US. Anita holds a diploma in piano from the London School of Music, and has travelled to all seven continents, including on an expedition to Antarctica. She is a former all-Ireland public speaking champion and a frequent commentator on digital transformation and women’s leadership.


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