CaixaBank and Microsoft present the WONNOW Awards to the best STEM female students in Spain

• Marta Sierra, pursuing a double degree in Data Science and Engineering and Telecommunications Technologies Engineering, has been recognized for having the best academic record, professional, personal, and social trajectory. She will receive a financial award of €10,000 and access to a Microsoft mentoring program

• 15 other students, also selected for their academic, professional, personal, and social excellence, will work for six months in key areas of innovation, technology, and digital transformation within the CaixaBank Group and will also have access to a Microsoft mentoring program
• In the 2025 edition, a total of 1,080 female students from Spanish universities submitted their applications
• Since its creation in 2018, nearly 6,000 students have participated in the WONNOW Awards, which are now fully consolidated in the university sphere

CaixaBank and Microsoft have honored the 16 best female students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degrees in Spain with the WONNOW Awards. These awards, now in their eighth edition, celebrate female excellence in STEM careers—fields where women remain underrepresented—with the goal of promoting gender equality.

Since their inception in 2018, a total of 5,922 students from across Spain have applied for the WONNOW Awards, a figure that confims the consolidation of these prizes in the academic world. In this latest edition, participation remained strong, with 1,080 applicants from Spanish universities.

The WONNOW Awards were presented at an event held at CaixaBank’s “all in one” office in Barcelona, attended by CaixaBank CEO, Gonzalo Gortázar, and Microsoft Spain president, Paco Salcedo.

In his remarks, Gonzalo Gortázar emphasized that these awards “recognize and reward the talent of women who choose scientific and technological careers, where female representation is still limited, but which are increasingly important for addressing the global challenges we face as a society”. He congratulated the winners for being “the best example for future female university students in science and technology” and highlighted that “more than a third of previous WONNOW Award winners are now part of our team”.

For his part, Paco Salcedo thanked all the candidates for their participation and noted that “parity and inclusion in the STEM sector are not just aspirations but necessities for the development and competitiveness of our society”. He added: “In the technology sector, the gender gap remains an urgent challenge: currently, only 29.8% of those employed in the ICT sector in Spain are women, and in the field of artificial intelligence, this percentage drops to 23%. That is why it is especially inspiring to see the talent, excellence, and determination of the WONNOW Award winners, who represent the future of innovation in our country. It is essential that artificial intelligence and technology be inclusive and gender-neutral, because only then can we build solutions that meet the needs of society as a whole. Investing in female talent in STEM is not only a matter of fairness but also of competitiveness and the future of Spain”.

According to the study Women Scientists in Figures 2025 , prepared by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, in the 2023–2024 academic year, only 28.1% of students enrolled in Engineering and Architecture programs were women. Ten years ago, in 2014–2015, the percentage was 25.6%, and it has been rising each year since then. However, it is still far from parity with male students.

Top Academic Records

In 2025, the student with the best academic record, as well as personal, professional, and social trajectory, was Marta Sierra Obea (Monzón, Huesca), who is pursuing a double degree in Data Science and Engineering and Telecommunications Technologies Engineering at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. She received a €10,000 financial award and access to a Microsoft mentoring program.

The other 15 students have been awarded six-month employment contracts with the CaixaBank Group in key areas such as Business, Finance, Risk, Digital Transformation & Advanced Analytics, Operations, and Sustainability, among others, and will also have access to Microsoft’s mentoring program. The winners are:

• Irene Lacabe Artázcoz (Navarra), Physics degree from Universidad de Zaragoza.
• Paula Esteban Carrillo (Madrid), pursuing a double degree in Biomedical Engineering and Telecommunications Systems Engineering at Universidad CEU San Pablo (Madrid).
• Marina Tombas Suñé (Alcover, Tarragona), Mathematics degree from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
• Eliani Álvarez Herrera (Cuba/Lleida/Barcelona), currently studying Computer Engineering in Information Technologies at Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche.
• Pinar Sacristán Matesanz (Madrid), double degree in Computer Engineering and Mathematics at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
• Ana Álvarez Clúa (Zaragoza), studying Industrial Systems Engineering at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid.
• Laura Pedro-Botet Ezquerra (Barcelona), degree in Engineering Physics from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and currently pursuing a Master’s in Data Analytics for Business at Universitat Pompeu Fabra – Barcelona School of Management.
• Lucía García Salido (Montilla, Córdoba), double degree in Computer Engineering–Information Technologies and Mathematics at Universidad de Sevilla.
• Júlia Villaró Cañizal (Solsona, Lleida), Mathematics degree and currently pursuing a Master’s in Fundamental Principles of Data Science at Universitat de Barcelona.
• Joana Gutiérrez Gallego (Barcelona), degree in Telecommunications Systems Engineering from La Salle–Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona.
• Alba Sánchez Reverté (Tarragona), double degree in Computer Engineering and Biotechnology from Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona; currently pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering jointly offered by Universitat de Barcelona and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
• Blanca Bareño Ferrer (Getxo, Vizcaya), degree in Telecommunications Technology Engineering from Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao; and double Master’s in Telecommunications Engineering and Networks & Telematics Services Engineering from Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Telecomunicación, Madrid.
• Ana Ruiz Martínez (Elche, Alicante), double degree in Physics and Mathematics from Universidad Complutense de Madrid; currently studying a Master’s in Big Data and AI at Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a Master’s in Quantum Computing at Universidad Nebrija.
• Virginia Herce Casado (Zaragoza), studying Applied and Computational Mathematics at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
• Jingjing Ye (China/Madrid), double degree in Mathematics and Computer Engineering from Universitat de Barcelona; currently pursuing a Master’s in Data Science at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

The winners of this edition join a long list of women recognized by the WONNOW Awards. Additionally, 28 previous winners continue to work at the CaixaBank Group.

CaixaBank’s Commitment to Diversity and Business Excellence

CaixaBank promotes the WONNOW Awards as a demonstration of support and recognition for female leadership. Diversity, meritocracy, equal opportunities, and talent recognition are pillars of the entity’s corporate culture, which had 43.4% female executives at the end of 2024 and aims to reach 45% by 2027.

As part of this strategy, CaixaBank fosters gender diversity through impactful initiatives both internally and externally, convinced that diversity adds value to teams, companies, and society.

In addition to academic excellence awards (WONNOW Awards), CaixaBank promotes various prizes and recognitions for female business leadership (CaixaBank Businesswoman Award and Award for Self-Employed Professionals), initiatives linked to sports (sponsorship of the women’s basketball team), and rural areas (AgroBank Chair: Women, Business, and Rural Environment, or the study of the gender gap in the agricultural sector by Closingap).

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates AI-powered platforms and tools to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers. The technology company is committed to making AI widely available and doing so responsibly, with the mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more every day.

Microsoft is a diverse company in every sense. Its mission as a company is inherently inclusive. Internally, it promotes a culture that enables employees to connect their energy and passion for technology with this mission. Diversity is key to achieving this.

The company is committed to digitalization and the development of digital skills as a central axis to reimagine Spain, aiming to leverage technology in an inclusive way that values diversity and talent regardless of gender.

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