“A Power Woman is someone who aims to be a role model for others,” says Cognizant’s CFO, Karen McLoughlin. “There are two critical qualities – one is confidence without being self-important, and the other is risk-taking without being reckless.”

McLoughlin is being honored with a 2018 Moves Power Women Award by New York Moves Magazine, a publication that advocates for women’s rights, social fairness and equal opportunity. The award, now in its 15th year, recognizes women who use their leadership roles to inspire their peers and future generations with their strength and determination. McLoughlin will be recognized at an event in New York on November 9 among a group of other leaders from organizations including Aflac, Capital One, Whole Foods, American Express, Eileen Fischer and MasterCard.

A champion of women in the workplace, McLoughlin is the executive sponsor of Cognizant’s Women Empowered (WE) program. WE is a global initiative committed to elevating the experience of work for women by recruiting them at every level in the organization, assisting with professional development, and providing networking opportunities. McLoughlin is also an avid supporter of education. In recent years she has been involved in scholarship programs at her high school alma mater, and with other organizations, including New Jersey SEEDS, a non-profit organization that prepares motivated, high-achieving, low-income students for admission to private schools and colleges across the country.

Prior to becoming Cognizant’s CFO in 2012, McLoughlin served as senior vice president, Enterprise Transformation and Financial Planning and Analysis. In that role, she was responsible for worldwide financial planning and analysis, enterprise risk management and enterprise transformation functions. Outside of Cognizant, she serves on the board of directors of Best Buy Co. Inc.

“It’s an honor to receive the Moves Power Women Award,” said McLoughlin. “I’m fortunate to be in a place where I can inspire and lead others not only though my role as CFO, but also through programs like Women Empowered that provide support and mentorship of women throughout the organization.”