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