Ann Riordan (17 July 1947 – 5 March 2021) was the first woman to become the first general manager of Microsoft Ireland.
Riordan attended the St. Louis High School but left at sixteen before sitting her Leaving Certificate.
However, almost immediately she discovered that the women in Alliance and Dublin Consumers Gas Company were not being paid the backdated cost-of-living increase which had been agreed with the Irish Transport and General Workers Union.
Riordan's employer told her they would be happy to see her back but that the unions this time were preventing it.
Since Wordplex was a start-up, Riordan was exposed to every aspect of business and soon returned to Ireland as the managing director of the company.