Suzannah Radack – Leading People at the Edge of Innovation

Her career reflects a steady progression from early curiosity about business to leadership roles that combine strategy, empathy, and long-term vision. We at CIO Global, are proud to introduce Suzannah Radack as one of the Promising Women in Business, 2026.

Her professional journey began shortly after graduating, when she joined Google soon after its IPO in 2004. What started as an early career opportunity became a 15-year chapter that shaped her understanding of how large, complex organizations grow and evolve. At Google, she worked across several functions including customer service, marketing, and human resources. These varied roles allowed her to see the business from multiple perspectives and helped her develop a well-rounded leadership style grounded in both people and performance.

Failure, when met with accountability and grace, becomes a powerful teacher.

One of the most defining moments in her early career came when she was sent to India at the age of 25 to help set up a sales team for AdSense. At the time, Google was still in its early growth phase, and employees were often given significant responsibility. The assignment pushed her far outside her comfort zone. She had limited knowledge of the local culture, little experience in hiring, and no prior exposure to managing a team in a new country. She struggled with imposter syndrome and questioned whether she was capable of meeting expectations. Instead of giving up, she sought out mentors, learned quickly, and focused on solving problems one step at a time. Within eight months, she successfully met her objectives. That experience became a lasting lesson in trusting her ability to adapt, learn, and lead in unfamiliar situations.

As her career progressed, Suzannah moved to London, where she led customer acquisition strategy for Google’s European advertising business. This role further expanded her global perspective and reinforced the importance of understanding cultural differences in leadership and business decision-making. In her final role at Google, she took on one of her most impactful responsibilities – setting standards and improving effectiveness for more than 18,000 managers across the company. This work deepened her interest in leadership development and reinforced her belief that strong managers are critical to organizational success.

Although she initially planned to pursue law school, an early mentor encouraged her to consider business as a more flexible and creative path, especially for women. That advice proved influential. While in graduate school, Suzannah took several business courses and discovered that she genuinely enjoyed the challenge and problem-solving nature of the field. Business, for her, became similar to a strategy game – defining goals, building plans, and executing them with focus and discipline.

Her most significant achievement to date has been helping to found SandboxAQ. The company spun out of Google in early 2022 and began with no employees. Working closely with CEO Jack Hidary, Suzannah helped define the company’s culture, hire the founding team, and build the systems needed to support employees around the world. From payroll to people operations, she played a central role in laying the foundation that allowed the company to grow quickly and responsibly.

At SandboxAQ, her work goes beyond traditional human resources. Her team is responsible for bringing together top scientists and experts across disciplines and creating the cultural conditions needed to achieve technical breakthroughs. The company’s work spans areas such as drug discovery, materials design, aeronautical navigation, and cardiac care. One of the most meaningful areas of impact involves developing a cardiac device that can help doctors diagnose heart attacks more quickly and accurately. The company is also working on accelerating drug development, which could lead to new treatments for conditions that currently have limited options.

Suzannah believes that what sets SandboxAQ apart is its flexible approach to work. Employees are encouraged to work where they thrive, allowing the company to attract exceptional talent from around the world. This global, cross-disciplinary model supports collaboration and innovation in ways that traditional structures often cannot.

Balancing work and personal life is an ongoing practice for her, especially as a single mother to two children aged 12 and 14. Rather than striving for a strict work-life balance, she prefers the idea of work-life integration. This mindset allows her to be present where she is most needed and adapt as priorities shift. Motherhood has also strengthened her patience and perspective, qualities that influence how she leads and supports others.

Throughout her career, Suzannah has learned the importance of accountability. She believes that taking responsibility for mistakes builds trust and respect, while also recognizing that it is unhealthy to carry responsibility for things beyond one’s control. Grace, both for oneself and others, is a principle she values deeply.

She draws motivation from having a clear vision of success and regularly revisiting that vision as circumstances change. Over time, she has come to see failures and disappointments as essential sources of growth. Many of the most difficult moments in her career ultimately led her toward greater fulfilment and clarity.

Suzannah credits much of her development to supportive mentors and managers. Early influences included her managers at Google (Kim Scott, Russ Laraway, Christina Wire, Scott Sheffer, Sandeep Menon, Michelle Donovan, Steve Maxwell), as well as mentors Ann Jablon, Robin Hulkower, and Sheila Cavanaugh, all of whom modelled what it looked like to build meaningful careers while maintaining rich personal lives. Their examples reinforced her belief that ambition and balance do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Looking ahead, her goal is to help SandboxAQ scale into one of the most impactful companies in the world. Beyond her current role, she remains open to creative pursuits, including writing and developing video game concepts designed for women. For Suzannah Radack, growth has always come from staying curious, open-minded, and willing to embrace new possibilities.

Building the right culture is as important as building the right technology.