Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, is pleased to announce the inclusion of Vice President of Engineering Annie Kao in the Girl Geek X List of Top 60 Women Leading Engineering Teams. The ranking of top engineers joins companion lists of top chief technology officers (CTOs), product designers, and architects as a predictor of industry leaders likely to land on the FORTUNE 500 list of top CTOs.

As Vice President of Engineering for Simpson Strong-Tie, Kao is responsible for engineering strategy, management and innovation across all product lines at Simpson Strong-Tie.

“I’m honored to be included in this group of entrepreneurs and innovators who are raising the bar for leadership in technology and engineering,” says Kao. “As Vice President of Engineering for Simpson Strong-Tie, I’m always looking for creative opportunities to help our partners succeed in the fast-changing world of building codes and engineering innovations, and it’s incredible to see our industry recognized alongside some of the most renowned global technology and engineering companies.”  

In addition to her work at Simpson Strong-Tie, Kao is very active in her professional and local communities. She is a former director for the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC), is a founding member of the SEAOSC Women in Structural Engineering Committee, and served on the Board of Trustees for Harvey Mudd College. Kao is also actively involved in the fields of resilient construction and seismic retrofitting and in 2019 received the Barc Simpson Community Hero Award recognizing outstanding volunteer contributions by Simpson Strong-Tie employees in their communities.

Kao regularly comments on issues of resilient construction, seismic retrofitting, and structural engineering.