Women leaders at Norfolk Southern attended the ABL Super Tuesday Conference. Left to right: Phyllis Love, Kim Spicer, Banita Hyman, Lisa Holloman Annelle McQuerry, Marty Thomas.

Banita Hyman, Norfolk Southern’s Senior Director Infrastructure and Cloud Services, was named to the Atlanta Business League’s 2023 100 Most Influential Black Women list. The 100 honorees are African American women business and civic leaders in Atlanta. Honorees have demonstrated a commitment to their fellow citizens and are significantly involved in community and civic activities.

Work that makes a difference

From her start as an intern to leading a technology team today, Hyman has enjoyed a decade-long career at Norfolk Southern.

In her current role, Hyman leads the development of end-to-end strategy and migration plans to support Norfolk Southern's cloud infrastructure. She focuses on devising and executing innovative technology solutions, building cross-functional teams, and leading transformative cultural initiatives to enhance workforce engagement. Her direction has been instrumental in multiple award-winning projects, underlining her vital contributions to Norfolk Southern.

“Banita is a visionary within our organization, constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and leadership,” said Fred Ehlers, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Norfolk Southern. “Her unwavering commitment to Norfolk Southern and instrumental empowerment of women is inspiring.”

Making room for everyone

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of Hyman’s community service. Within Norfolk Southern, she has organized various engagement initiatives such as speaker series and book clubs to promote open and honest discussions around DEI themes.

“I’m passionate about intentionally diversifying our organization and making sure that diversity leads to inclusion. It’s important to use the diverse perspectives and voices in our company to make a positive impact on our workforce,” said Hyman.

Outside the workplace, she is focused on developing the next generation of technology leaders. She is empowering women in STEM fields through an informal high school internship program. Hyman partners with local-Atlanta high schools to mentor young women with a passion for careers in related fields.

Hyman’s mentorship philosophy revolves around starting as early as possible. “I want to strengthen the pipeline of women who are coming into STEM careers, and I feel strongly that if we wait to start at the college level, it may too late,” she said. “I try to be as active as possible at high schools to give girls experience with technology at a young age.”