Ursula Soritsch-Renier | Chief Digital and Information Officer, Member of the Executive Committee | Saint-Gobain
Ursula Soritsch-Renier’s journey into the world of technology was not something she had planned from a young age. She did not grow up with a clear vision of becoming a doctor, lawyer, or any other profession. Instead, her entry into tech happened almost by coincidence. During her college years, she took computer science classes and found herself fascinated by the field. What intrigued her the most was not just the technical aspects of bits and bytes but the creativity involved in molding technology to solve problems and create an impact. This realization led her to pursue further steps in this direction. Her studies combined an unusual mix of economy, philosophy, and computer science, making her academic journey unique. When she attended a job trade fair, Unilever offered her a position in a marketing-related role. However, she quickly realized that this was not what she wanted. She was drawn to the creativity and problem-solving aspects of technology rather than traditional marketing roles. This inclination shaped her career choices going forward. At EliteX, we are proud to have Ursula Soritsch-Renier as part of the edition: Top 05 Extraordinary Women in Tech, 2025.
Her interest in technology was sparked further during her college years when a professor announced an opportunity for students to test different software applications. Always a curious person, she volunteered for the job. Through this experience, she analyzed various software applications, assessing their pros and cons. Eventually, she joined a startup that had impressed her the most during her software testing. Though the startup did not grow into a major tech giant and eventually went bankrupt after expanding to 28 employees, it provided her with invaluable experience. She was involved in all aspects of the business, from programming to trade shows and even financing. This hands-on exposure gave her a deep understanding of different facets of technology and business.
“Construction won’t stop, so it’s our responsibility to make it sustainable.”
Recognizing the importance of further education, she decided to pursue a master’s degree. Being young and female in the tech industry at the time made it challenging to be taken seriously. This motivated her to strengthen her academic credentials, and she chose to specialize in philosophy and computer science. Her reasoning was clear—technology is not just about coding or systems; it is about people and how they use technology to shape the world. She was particularly intrigued by how the internet influences democracy, politics, and society. Her passion for science fiction also played a role in shaping her perspective on technology and its limitless possibilities.
Her first major role after completing her master’s was at Philips Electronics as a project manager. During that time, the company was undergoing major changes, including outsourcing much of its operations. She was based in Vienna, which became a key hub for printed circuit board production in Europe. As production processes became more complex, she played a critical role in implementing manufacturing execution systems. At that time, such systems were not yet commonly referred to by that name, but they were essential in optimizing production and automation. Working alongside quality teams, she helped improve efficiency, including significantly reducing product changeover times. The ability to create tangible improvements in production through technology was an exciting and rewarding experience for her.
Currently, Ursula Soritsch-Renier serves as the Group Chief Digital and Information Officer. She is part of the executive committee and has a seat at the table where key business decisions are made. What she loves most about her role is the ability to leverage technology to achieve business ambitions. In today’s world, no process happens without technology, and understanding how to enable and accelerate digital transformation is critical. She operates in a massive 50-billion-euro business environment, where speed, cost, and quality are key factors.
One of her primary focuses is establishing common technological foundational architectures and promoting reuse and adaptation. A significant portion of her work involves building a robust data platform that can be utilized across different teams—whether for customer data, vendor data, or industrial data. Instead of rebuilding systems from scratch, she emphasizes the importance of reusing and adapting existing solutions. This philosophy extends to artificial intelligence as well. With an AI portal in place, her organization reuses and adapts AI algorithms for different purposes. By leveraging AI for supply chain forecasting, they can apply similar algorithms to different datasets and markets, thereby achieving efficiency and impact. In her role, she has the advantage of overseeing multiple aspects of digital transformation, including IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, data management, and AI. This comprehensive oversight allows her to drive large-scale initiatives, such as making 1,000 factories more energy-efficient and process-efficient. She finds this aspect of her job extremely rewarding.
“Being yourself, being persistent, and having passion—that’s the way to go.”
As a woman in tech, she acknowledges that challenges exist, but she does not see them as insurmountable. Everyone faces challenges in their careers, regardless of gender. While she did not feel extreme discrimination, she did face moments where she was not taken seriously, especially as a young woman in a technical field. In such situations, competence, persistence, and diplomacy were her key strategies. Rather than focusing on those who resisted change, she chose to work with those who were open to new ideas and innovation. By collaborating with the right people, she was able to drive meaningful change and create new realities within organizations.
She considers her biggest achievements to be the impact she has created on people and businesses. Seeing tangible improvements in efficiency and productivity, as well as the ability to tap into collective knowledge, brings her the most satisfaction. Her role requires extensive travel, as she believes that real change happens when she is out in the field, engaging with people directly. Visiting different sites and seeing firsthand the positive impact of her work reinforces her commitment to digital transformation.
When asked about the future of technology, she remains open-minded. While many smart people speculate on various possibilities, and science fiction presents different visions of the future, she does not claim to predict what will happen in five, 50, or 100 years. However, one thing is certain—technology will continue to grow in importance. From the early days of computing in the 1960s and 70s to today, technology has become an indispensable part of every business and daily life. Organizations cannot function without it; financial processes, invoicing, sales, and online presence all rely on technology.
She believes this increasing dependence on technology brings great responsibility. IT professionals must carefully consider how they shape digital transformation and its impact on businesses and society. She actively participates in peer discussions to explore the evolving role of technology and its implications. As technology continues to advance, she remains committed to ensuring it is used effectively and responsibly.
Ursula Soritsch-Renier has been leading a major business transformation over the past four years. In the initial phase, her focus was on shaping and structuring the digital function within the company. The organization previously operated in a highly decentralized manner, with each country managing its own business processes. However, as digital strategies require a more unified approach, she worked on creating a company-wide digital IT strategy. This shift allowed the organization to operate on a single global network, fostering better collaboration, financial consolidation, and opportunities for cross-selling and upselling.
Over the past three years, she and her team have worked on four foundational enablers to support the company’s digital transformation. The first was setting up a public cloud infrastructure that could scale across the entire organization. Today, 80% of the company’s cloud-native development projects find 100% of the required capabilities ready to be used and applied on the cloud platform. The second foundational enabler was a robust data strategy, including data governance, a data platform, and an AI marketplace. Because of these efforts, the company was able to quickly adopt generative AI when it emerged. By early 2023, the organization had a cloud setup ready for its data scientists. A hackathon was launched in April, and by September, the team had identified key AI-driven projects to pursue. As a result, the company now runs multiple chatbot applications and nearly 20 generative AI-based tools.
One significant AI application developed by her team addresses the challenge of creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the company’s many factories. Traditionally, documenting these procedures was a manual and time-consuming process. With the new AI-powered tool, employees can simply record a video of a task being performed while explaining each step. The system then extracts video frames and automatically generates the SOP in multiple languages within seconds. This innovation has simplified operations and significantly increased efficiency. The third foundational enabler was the development of reusable digital platforms, ensuring that the company could streamline and standardize its digital processes. The fourth was transforming the digital and IT functions themselves, improving project management, IT service management, and incident handling. These efforts have created a solid foundation, enabling the company to embark on a larger business transformation.
To support this transformation, the company has established a team of 25 full-time business process owners who are defining future workflows. The shift from a product-based company to a solutions-based business is now in progress. This transformation is aligned with the company’s overall business ambitions, with IT playing a critical role in enabling growth. The implementation of SAP S/4HANA and other supporting systems is being driven by business needs rather than technology upgrades alone. Unlike traditional IT renewals that focus solely on system upgrades, this initiative is a complete business transformation that aligns with future goals and ambitions.
“We are not just upgrading; we are transforming to enable growth.”
Staying updated with the latest technology trends is a continuous effort for Ursula Soritsch-Renier. Every day, she gains insights through interactions with suppliers, technologists, colleagues, and industry experts. She actively reads articles, participates in peer discussions, and attends conferences when possible. However, she believes that attending a single event is not sufficient to stay informed, as the tech industry evolves rapidly. Instead, she values continuous learning and collaboration with specialists to build an enterprise architecture that makes sense for the company. The constant evolution of IT is one of the aspects that drew her to the field. Unlike some other functions technology is in a state of extreme change, making it an exciting and dynamic career.
For young women aspiring to enter the tech industry, she emphasizes the importance of being authentic. Pretending to be someone else is unsustainable in the long run, so it is crucial to understand personal strengths and weaknesses. Passion and persistence are key to success, along with staying focused on doing what is best for the company. She believes that when decisions are driven by logic and the company’s best interests, office politics become less of a barrier. Having a thick skin and being persistent is essential for anyone pursuing a career, but staying true to oneself is the most powerful approach.
She also recognizes that the tech industry suffers from a public perception problem. Many people assume that IT roles are limited to programming, which is far from reality. The industry offers a wide range of career paths, including cybersecurity, project management, business process analysis, and more. Women often hesitate to enter the field because of these misconceptions. In Europe, the number of women enrolling in computer science programs remains low, although countries like India have a higher percentage of female students. However, in India, there is still a significant disparity between entry-level female employees and women in leadership positions. The U.S. performs slightly better than Europe in this regard, but the industry still has a long way to go. She believes that the solution lies in better communication about the diverse career opportunities within IT and encouraging more women to take on leadership roles with bottom-line responsibilities.
Reflecting on her own journey, she does not regret any past decisions. While she faced challenges and had moments of doubt, those experiences shaped her into the leader she is today. She once received other job offers and occasionally wondered how her career would have unfolded had she accepted them. However, she considers herself fortunate to be in her current role, working alongside an inspiring leader and contributing to a company with a meaningful purpose. As part of the construction materials industry, she acknowledges the sector’s responsibility in addressing climate change. The construction industry accounts for 40% of global carbon emissions, and her company is committed to making sustainable construction a reality. Digital innovation plays a crucial role in achieving this goal, whether through AI-driven efficiency improvements, augmented reality applications, or waste reduction initiatives.
Looking ahead, she remains deeply invested in her company’s future. With 165,000 employees across 76 countries and a revenue of $50 billion, the past three years have felt like just the beginning of her journey. She is currently engaged in discussions about the company’s 2030 strategy, which excites her immensely. If she can successfully implement the impact-driven initiatives outlined in this strategy, she will consider herself truly successful.
“Digital is global—all on one network, we collaborate together.”
Balancing professional and personal life in such a demanding industry is a personal journey. She believes that work-life balance is different for everyone and changes over time. When her son was younger, she would work on emails while attending his basketball games, choosing her own way to balance work and family. She believes that individuals must take control of their own schedules and find the balance that works for them. For her, nature is essential for maintaining well-being. She enjoys hiking, being outdoors, and connecting with nature as a way to recharge. Physical activity and spending time in natural surroundings help her maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.
Through her leadership, Ursula Soritsch-Renier continues to drive digital transformation, embrace innovation, and advocate for diversity in technology. She remains committed to shaping the future of her company while inspiring others to embrace the opportunities that technology offers.
“Construction won’t stop, so it’s our responsibility to make it sustainable.”
