Rebecca Parsons

Dr. Rebecca Parsons is a computer scientist and technology leader who holds the title of Chief Technology Officer Emerita at Thoughtworks, following a tenure as CTO. Parsons has more than 30 years of experience in software engineering, leading the creation of large-scale distributed, services-based applications and integrating disparate systems. Before joining Thoughtworks, she served as an assistant professor of computer science at University of Central Florida, a director's postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and an IBM Fellow at Rice University. Prior to her graduate studies, Parsons held technology positions at Caterpillar Tractor Company, United Technologies Mostek, and Amdahl Communications.

Parsons earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science and economics from Bradley University, and both a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in computer science from Rice University. Her academic research included compilers, program optimization, distributed computation, programming languages, theory of computation, machine learning, and computational biology. Before assuming the CTO role, she served as vice president of innovation and worked as a developer and architect for many Thoughtworks clients. As CTO of the global software consultancy, Parsons supported organizations such as Amnesty International, the U.K. government, Target, and Starwood in enhancing their digital strategies.

Parsons has co-authored several books, including "Domain-Specific Languages," "The ThoughtWorks Anthology," and "Building Evolutionary Architectures." These publications have contributed to the fields of software architecture and agile development. In her role as CTO Emerita, Parsons continues to influence the company's technology strategy and participates in internal technical groups, while representing Thoughtworks at industry events. She is a frequent speaker at conferences including Collision Conference, Web Summit, YOW!, and Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.

Parsons received the Technical Leadership Abie Award, presented by AnitaB.org, recognizing a woman who led or developed a product, process, or innovation with significant impact on business or society. She has used her platform as CTO to support women seeking leadership roles in technology and describes herself as a scientist with a strong interest in programming languages. Parsons dedicates time to mentoring, speaking, and supporting the advancement of women in STEM fields. She has served on the board of CodeChix, advised Women Who Code, and served as chairwoman on the Agile Alliance Board of Directors for four years during six years of service to the organization.