Virginia Business Names Appian Chief People Officer Susan Charnaux a 2026 Women in Leadership Awards Recipient

Honorees have demonstrated remarkable leadership while making an impact in Virginia

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Appian (Nasdaq: APPN) today announced that Virginia Business has selected Susan Charnaux, Chief People Officer at Appian, as a 2026 Women in Leadership Awards recipient.

The Women in Leadership Awards celebrate top women executives for their professional accomplishments, civic engagement, mentorship, and advancement. The honorees have consistently demonstrated remarkable leadership and integrity while making an impact in their communities and Virginia.

Selected by the Virginia Business leadership team, the full list of winners is published in the October issue of Virginia Business and online at VirginiaBusiness.com.

"The 2026 Women in Leadership honorees are exemplary executives who are making significant contributions to their organizations and communities as trailblazing mentors who are encouraging future generations of professional women to pursue their own paths and ambitions," said Richard Foster, associate publisher and editor of Virginia Business. "We at Virginia Business are pleased to recognize these transformational leaders."

"I am honored to be recognized alongside women whose leadership is strengthening the Commonwealth of Virginia," said Charnaux. "At Appian, we believe top talent is essential to our business growth, and our Virginia headquarters has been the right place for us to find that talent. We are committed to investing in our people at every stage of their careers and creating an environment where they solve hard problems, do impactful work, and take ownership of their growth from day one."

Charnaux brings more than 20 years of experience in professional services to her role as Appian's Chief People Officer. A member of the executive leadership team, she oversees talent acquisition, learning and development, and human resources, connecting Appian's culture and talent strategy to business growth. Her leadership has focused on strengthening early-career hiring, onboarding, employee development, and preparing Appian's workforce to succeed in an AI-enabled workplace.

In recognition of the Women in Leadership honorees, Virginia Business will host an awards banquet on October 6 at the Science Museum of Virginia's Dewey Gottwald Center in Richmond. For more information about the event, visit virginiabusiness.com/event/womeninleadership.

About Appian

Appian provides AI automation for the most important business processes at the world's largest organizations.

On the Appian Platform, customers build AI-powered processes that accelerate work, reduce cost, and manage risk. Our platform is known for its unique power, reliability, and scale. We've been automating processes for more than 25 years and have proven expertise in enterprise operations. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

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About Virginia Business

Virginia Business is the only publication in Virginia dedicated to covering economic activity in every sector and region of the commonwealth. The magazine has established a reputation as a must-read for those who want to stay abreast of commercial events in Virginia and attracts a diverse group of readers, including business leaders who hold managerial and financial positions and fill a host of C-suite positions. Virginia Business hosts several annual events to recognize excellence and provide leadership opportunities and facilitates thoughtful discussion with market leaders through its webinar series. Its Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing and more. Virginia Business is part of BridgeTower Media, the authoritative voice for insights and marketing solutions across 40+ brands in five key sectors across the United States. For more information, visit VirginiaBusiness.com.

2026 Women in Leadership Awards

Shaza Andersen*, Trustar Bank

Nupur Sidhu Bal*, Bowen Ten Long Nupar

Melissa Ball, Ball Office Products

Terry Banez, Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce

Kanama Bivins, Norfolk Airport Authority

Sage Bolte*, Inova Health Foundation

Katy Brown, Barter Theatre

Diane Cafritz, CarMax

Chris Chandler, AdvantaStaff

Susan Charnaux, Appian

Ellen Cole, SI - Special Investigations Limited Company

Robin Cooke, TowneBank

Jenni  Lee Crocker, Alliant Insurance

Kim Davis*, Friends of Southwest Virginia

Kimmy Duong, Kimmy Duong Foundation

Rebecca Fallen, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

Stephanie T. Ford, Warren Whitney

Susan Frank, UDig

Natalie Grubbs, Atlantic Union Bank

Stephanie Heinatz, Consociate Media

Kellea W. Hogan, Framatome

Marsha  K. Hudgins, Hudgins Contracting

Angela Inge, Capital Square

Laura K. Ipsen*, Ellucian

Amanda Jarratt, City of Virginia Beach

Jane Kamensky, Monticello/The Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Tracy Keller, Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast

Ha Koehler, On Point Communications

Stephanie Landrum, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership

Jennifer S. Lehman*, Hantzmon Weibel

Wendy Lewis, KPMG

Angie Loew, Breeden Construction

Candice McAuliffe, Sentara Health

Katherine McGrady, CNA

Dr. Thuy-Anh Melvin*, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group | Kaiser Permanente

Jennifer Montague, Columbia Gas of Virginia

Tammy Neale*, Virginia Housing 

Nicole Newsome*, Qantm Creative

Dolly Oberoi*, C2 Technologies

Shannon O. Pierce*, Virginia Natural Gas

Susan Pilato*, PC&A Business Environments

Joy Polefrone, Alliance for Building Better Medicine

Linda Rabbitt*, Rand Construction

Kelsey Robertson, TECHnista

Maria Tedesco*, Atlantic Union Bank

Olivia Trivisani Bowker, Amivero

Stela Turelli, Busch Vacuum Solutions/Busch LLC

Cathy Underwood*, Branch

Julia Vaughn, Zeiders Enterprises

Amber Vegas, AmeriTribe

Jennifer Wakefield*, Greater Richmond Partnership

Karen  A. Wilson, Bank of America 

*Denotes multiyear winner

SOURCE Appian