As technology continues to shape every industry, more women are carving out space and redefining what leadership in tech looks like. From innovation to cybersecurity to marketing, their journeys reveal a consistent theme — success in tech isn’t about perfection or knowing all the answers, it’s about curiosity, courage, and connection.

Gulf Business spoke to several female leaders across the global tech ecosystem to explore their biggest lessons and advice for the next generation of women entering the field.

Jessica Constantinidis, innovation officer – EMEA, ServiceNow

Key lessons learned

Growth only happens when you step into the unknown. My guiding question has always been, “What’s the worst that can happen?” If no one gets hurt and no bridges are burned, then it’s worth trying. That’s how I took my first steps in IT and into leadership roles that once felt beyond reach.

I’ve also learned the importance of challenging the status quo. Sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission when driving change. Networking has been just as essential — visibility and value go hand in hand. If nobody knows you, nobody can speak for you.

Continuous learning is part of my daily rhythm. I spend 30–40 minutes each day exploring new technologies and recently completed two new diplomas. For me, success isn’t about a final destination but the curiosity and courage it takes to keep moving forward.

Advice for women entering tech
Don’t wait for the “right” moment — it doesn’t exist. Take the leap, even if it feels inconvenient. Talk to people in the field, ask questions, and seek mentors inside and outside your organisation. Tech rewards curiosity and persistence, not perfection. The worst that can happen? You learn something new and try again.

Alona Geckler, SVP of business operations and chief of staff, Acronis

Key lessons learned
Resilience and adaptability are essential in tech, especially in cybersecurity where change is constant. Early in my career, I had to adapt quickly to new technologies and shifting priorities — embracing change became my biggest growth driver.

Mentorship and networks have also been central to my journey. At Acronis, we created the WiT Mentorship programme to connect high-potential women with senior leaders. Structured support like this builds confidence and opens doors that otherwise remain closed.

Finally, diversity and inclusion require intention. The UAE is ahead of the global average, with women representing 30 per cent of the tech workforce, but only 20 per cent in leadership. Closing that gap demands continued, focused effort.

Advice for women entering tech
Step forward before you feel ready. Most growth happens outside your comfort zone. Build your network early, find mentors, and be intentional about where you work — choose organisations that value inclusion. Tech needs your perspective, so claim your space and shape the culture as you rise.

Read: 44 women leaders share advice to power your success

Sue Azari, eCommerce industry lead, AppsFlyer

Key lessons learned
Visibility matters as much as ability. I used to think hard work would speak for itself — it doesn’t always. You have to speak up and ensure your work is seen.

Imposter syndrome never fully disappears, but confidence grows when you act despite it. Real leadership comes from putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and asking questions, even when you’re unsure.

Advice for women entering tech
Networking is as important as technical skill. Most of my best opportunities came through connections, not job boards. Show up at events, engage with your community, and don’t hesitate to ask for mentorship. Tech moves fast, so stay curious, keep learning, and support others as you rise — community is your biggest asset.

Kerrie Jordan, chief marketing officer and SVP of product, Epicor

Key lessons learned
Learning never stops in tech. What’s cutting-edge today can be outdated tomorrow. Staying sharp means surrounding yourself with people who challenge your thinking. The best leaders I’ve seen are lifelong learners who never stop asking questions.

Advice for women entering tech
Focus on five traits that define successful tech leaders:

1. Intellectual curiosity – understand the why behind the technology.

2. Clear communication – cut through the buzzwords and articulate real value.

3. Empathy with accountability – balance compassion with results.

4. Mentorship – find someone who challenges and advocates for you.

5. Resilience – setbacks happen; what matters is how you recover.

Master these, and you’ll have the foundation to lead and thrive.

Chrystal Taylor, technical evangelist, SolarWinds

Key lessons learned
Never underestimate enthusiasm and the willingness to learn — in yourself or others. Don’t let imposter syndrome talk you out of opportunities. Even if things don’t work out, every experience teaches you something valuable.

Non-technical skills matter too. The lessons you learn from any part of life — parenting, event organising, customer service — all apply in tech.

Advice for women entering tech
Find your people. Every workplace has its mix of detractors and supporters — focus on those who lift you up. Remember, technology is shaped by people, and diverse experiences make it stronger. Enthusiasm, adaptability, and community will take you further than you think.

Lauren Wortmann, VP Applications, Middle East & Africa at NTT DATA

Key lessons learned

Growth happens outside your comfort zone. I learned to take on roles before I felt fully ready, trusting that skills can be built along the way. Each new challenge strengthened my confidence and expanded my capability.

Moving across marketing, sales, partner management, digital advisory, and cloud leadership gave me a 360° view of clients, technology, and business operations. Intentional role choices help build depth, relevance, and adaptability.

Leadership is not only about driving results — it’s about creating positive impact. Uplifting teams, empowering partners, and contributing to communities are as important as business outcomes. One wants to be known for and take visible ownership of initiatives to develop skills required for the next level — whether in people leadership, financial discipline, or commercial responsibility.

Advice for women entering tech

For women entering leadership roles, my advice is to lead with intentionality — both in how you manage your professional impact and how you balance your personal life. Leadership often demands long hours, travel, and emotional labour, so establishing clear boundaries and prioritising self-care is essential. Choose quality over quantity; rest and recovery are performance enablers, not luxuries. Model sustainable habits by unplugging, delegating, and saying no when necessary.

As a working mother, I’ve learned the value of being deliberate about where I invest my time, energy, and attention, and of building strong support systems. I also encourage new leaders to take the first 90 days to truly listen — to peers, staff, and the broader organisation — and to resist the urge to act too quickly.

Listen more than you speak, seek to understand the culture and dynamics at play, and only then design thoughtful plans and actions that reflect your own informed perspective.

Meriam ElOuazzani, senior regional director, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, at SentinelOne

Key lessons learned

Leading in cybersecurity has taught me that transformation happens at the intersection of technology and trust. Early in my career, I learned that building strong relationships. With partners, distributors, and customers isn’t just about transactions. It’s about creating ecosystems where innovation thrives.

The most valuable lesson? Adaptability is non-negotiable. The dynamic nature of channel management prepared me to navigate changing market conditions and emerging technologies. In a field where threats evolve at machine speed, static thinking is a liability. I’ve learned to embrace complexity, streamline workflows, and leverage technology to drive productivity across diverse teams.

Another critical insight: representation matters, but excellence speaks louder. As a woman in a male-dominated field, I’ve discovered that bringing fresh perspectives and strategic insights isn’t about fitting in. It is about standing out through operational excellence and collaborative leadership.

Finally, I’ve learned the power of elevating others. Success isn’t measured solely by individual achievements, but by the innovative, diverse environments we cultivate. Leadership means empowering teams to adapt, innovate, and succeed together in an industry that never stops evolving.

Advice for women entering tech

Embrace your unique perspective. It’s your competitive advantage. Build relationships authentically, stay curious about emerging technologies, and don’t wait for permission to lead. Seek mentors, but also be one.

The tech industry needs diverse voices, and yours matters. Lead with confidence, adapt continuously, and lift others as you climb.

Nisha Chandy Kumar, CEO of buzzParade Technologies

When I stepped into the world of tech, I did not come with a playbook. I came with a purpose. From the very beginning, I have believed that success does not come from following the rules, but from questioning them.

have built my career around one unwavering principle: the customer always comes first. Every decision, innovation, and disruption begins with a simple question: ‘How does this make life better for the end customer? ’

My journey has been anything but conventional. I am a rule breaker by nature, persistently curious, always seeking originality and never afraid to challenge what has been done before. That mindset has shaped the genome at buzzParade, where we build transformative tech that connects brands and people in smarter, more meaningful ways.

Resilience has been my greatest teacher. In an industry where challenges come fast and unpredictably, I have learned that determination and hard work are not optional. They are survival tools. There have been moments when the path felt uphill and daunting, but my commitment to the vision and my loyalty to my team have kept me anchored. Every obstacle became an opportunity to innovate, to think differently, to build stronger.

What made me successful is not just eagle-eyed focus or single-minded determination. It is a refusal to accept limits. I have never believed that women have to fit into existing moulds of leadership. We create our own. I have learned that being authentic, even when it means being unconventional, is where real strength lies.

Advice for women entering tech

To every woman aspiring to lead in tech, my advice is – be relentless, be curious, and never lose sight of why you started. Do not wait for doors to open. Build your own entrance. Challenge the expected. Write your own rules. And most importantly, keep your focus where it matters most, i.e. on the people your innovation is meant to serve.

Because when we lead with courage and customer obsession, we do not just disrupt the norm, we redefine what is possible.

Bigger picture

Across each of these stories runs a shared message: success in tech is not about being the smartest in the room, but about showing up, learning continuously, and building meaningful connections.

The women shaping today’s technology landscape are doing so with curiosity, courage, and community — and they’re proving that those qualities are just as vital as technical skill in driving the industry forward.

Over the past 15 years, Shurooq has redefined Sharjah’s economic landscape. With an almost Dhs8bn investment portfolio spanning over 50 projects, the authority has transformed the emirate from a manufacturing- and trade-driven economy into a diverse hub for sustainable growth. Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, CEO of Shurooq, outlines how the authority’s strategy is positioning Sharjah as a benchmark for balanced development.”Shurooq’s investments are designed to generate long-term value across sectors that contribute to Sharjah’s social and economic resilience.”

Shurooq’s model blends the strategic vision of government with the agility of private enterprise. Through public–private partnerships and alliances with global firms such as Eagle Hills, Diamond Developers, GHM, and The Lux Collective, it has accelerated the development of large-scale real estate, eco-luxury hospitality, and sustainable urban projects. Its investment promotion arm, Invest in Sharjah, attracts high-value capital in growth sectors including green manufacturing, logistics, and cultural tourism. Cultural heritage remains a cornerstone of Shurooq’s development vision. Projects such as the Heart of Sharjah have converted historic neighbourhoods into active commercial and cultural hubs. “We see heritage as a growth asset,” Al Qaseer explains. “It adds depth to our destinations and value to our economy.”

Sustainability and innovation

For Shurooq, sustainability is an operational framework. All developments undergo environmental and social impact assessments from planning through delivery. The 7.2-million-sq ft Sharjah Sustainable City exemplifies this approach through solar-powered homes, smart mobility systems, and wastewater reuse.

Across the Sharjah Collection of eco-retreats, Al Faya, Kingfisher, Moon Retreat, and the soon-to-launch Nomad, Shurooq integrates renewable energy, minimal-impact designs, and eco-materials. Partnerships with Beeah Group and other green technology leaders embed waste management, energy efficiency, and circular-economy practicesacross operations.

Investing in people and enterprise

More than 600 small and medium enterprises operate within Shurooq’s destinations, benefitting from access to new markets and visibility. From retail and food services to logistics and tourism, SMEs form a vital part of the authority’s value chain. “Every development we create is designed to generate opportunity,” says Al Qaseer. “We want local entrepreneurs to grow alongside our destinations.” Since establishing Invest in Sharjah in 2016, the emirate has attracted over Dhs96.7bn in foreign direct investment, resulting in 617 projects and more than 46,000 jobs. The focus now lies on sectors shaping the global economy, renewable energy, advanced logistics, agri-tech, and cultural tourism.

Creating places that connect

Under the vision and guidance of Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the leadership of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Shurooq has built a development philosophy around “place-making”, creating destinations that bring people, culture, and nature together.

From Al Noor Island and Al Montazah Parks to the House of Wisdom, each project demonstrates how integrated design can drive civic engagement and cultural vitality. In the eastern region, projects such as Nomad in Kalba and Najd Al Meqsar in Khorfakkan are redefining eco-tourism and coastal hospitality. Meanwhile, Mleiha National Park, within the UNESCO-inscribed Faya Palaeolandscape, connects archaeology, ecology, and adventure, showing how heritage and progress coexist.

“Our role is to ensure that progress and preservation move in tandem,” concludes Al Qaseer. “That is how we build economies that endure.”

When people see a driverless car, whether it be a racing car or a taxi, they often assume the technology is doing all the work. The machine is in control and humans are out of the picture.

The problem is not just one of perception. As autonomous vehicles become more common, the story we tell about them matters. If we view autonomy as something automatic or inevitable, we risk underestimating the human effort it still requires. That effort is not only technical. It is strategic, emotional and deeply collaborative.

I come to this space from a traditional motorsport background, with over 16 years working across some of the most competitive racing environments in the world. That perspective has shaped how I view this shift. In conventional racing, teams protect their data. Knowledge is rarely shared, competitive advantage is everything and the culture rewards secrecy, speed and control.
Autonomous development challenges that mindset. It depends on shared progress. Teams often help one another, even when they are direct competitors.

I have seen top developers sit with newer teams to troubleshoot software or recalibrate systems. They do it not out of charity, but because they understand that autonomy only succeeds when the whole field can perform. If only one car completes a race, that is not a victory. It is a failed experiment.

Every lap completed by a driverless car is the result of months of human effort. Engineers, coders and technicians work late into the night solving problems that have no manual. These systems are still prototypes, held together by relentless testing and collaboration. Nothing about this work is automatic.

That collaborative spirit does not make the work easier. If anything, it introduces new pressures. These teams are made up of specialists with different ideas about how to solve the same problem. Some want to push harder, while others argue for a safer approach. Reaching consensus under tight deadlines demands more than technical skill, it requires leadership, communication and trust.

Still, the progress is remarkable. I have seen autonomous cars complete sub-one-minute laps around the north track at Yas Marina Circuit on tyres that had already clocked more than 800 kilometres. In traditional racing, a set of tyres used aggressively might last 60 to 80 kilometres before falling off in performance. These autonomous systems adjust continuously, learning with every turn. They are not held back by instinct, fatigue or hesitation. But this is not about replacing drivers. Motorsport remains a sport, and human performance will always be central to its appeal. Autonomy offers something different.

The same tools that allow a driverless car to manage grip or react to changing track conditions can help human teams prepare better strategies, monitor tyre degradation or model risk with greater accuracy. Engineers working in autonomy today are building systems that could quietly make racing more efficient, more sustainable and more competitive. Events like the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) are helping to test these possibilities in real-world conditions, under pressure and at speed.

None of this happens without people. Every decision an autonomous vehicle makes is shaped by human judgement, testing and design. These systems are not independent of us. They are built through human insight, creativity and care.

Removing the driver does not remove the human. It simply shifts their role, from operating the vehicle to developing the systems that guide it.

At a time when investors are seeking meaningful growth in a shifting global economy, SkyKapital has emerged as a trusted bridge between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, with a special focus on West Africa, a region overlooked yet brimming with potential. From its headquarters in Paris and growing hub in the UAE, following the establishment of an office at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the firm is redefining how cross-border capital can be mobilised to drive sustainable development.

Earlier this year, that effort was recognized when the firm received the Lifetime Excellence in Francophone Markets Award, from HM Government. For Karim Noujaim, founding partner of SkyKapital, the award is not just a milestone, it is a reaffirmation of the company’s mission to bridge capital and opportunity through a model rooted in partnership, inclusion, and sustainable growth.

“This recognition reflects years of collaboration and belief in the power of purposeful capital,” Noujaim says. “It proves that when investment is designed for impact, everyone benefits, from investors to local and regional communities.”

A bridge built on partnership and purpose

SkyKapital operates with a simple yet ambitious premise: to connect global capital with high-impact projects that foster sustainable economic growth. Its work focuses primarily on West Africa, a cluster of markets that, despite their vast potential, remain underserved by global investment flows.

“What we do differently,” explains Noujaim, “is that we don’t just facilitate capital movement, we design ecosystems. Our approach is grounded in public-private partnerships, on-ground collaboration, and financial structures tailored to local realities. That’s how you turn opportunity into sustainable growth.”

The company’s work spans key sectors, including large-scale infrastructure, sustainable urban development, consumer markets, banking and insurance, and critical mining. Its core expertise lies in transaction and financing structuring, including for sovereign, and cross-border M&A. Thanks to the firm’s trusted relationships at the highest institutional levels, its insights often inform national investment priorities and help shape the financial frameworks that drive long-term development.

The francophone frontier: Opportunity beyond the obvious

The Francophone markets of Africa represent one of the most dynamic investment frontiers in the world; collectively, they are home to over 400 million people, abundant natural resources, and a rapidly expanding middle class. Yet they remain underexplored by mainstream investors, often due to perceived risks, regulatory complexity, or linguistic barriers.

SkyKapital has made it its mission to change that narrative. By leveraging its structuring expertise, institutional relationships, and deep market understanding, the firm helps investors navigate these challenges and uncover opportunities aligned with sustainable development goals. Today SkyKapital is involved in a number of transformative transactions to create sizeable opportunities in the region for international investors.

“Francophone Africa isn’t a risk story, it’s a growth story,” says Noujaim. “These are markets with strong fundamentals, young populations, and increasing openness to innovation. The key is understanding how to engage with them respectfully and strategically.”

Connecting continents: The UAE’s emerging role

From its new office in Abu Dhabi, SkyKapital is also advancing the country’s broader ambition to position itself as a global investment bridge between capital and high-growth regions. As the UAE continues to attract institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds seeking diversification, firms like SkyKapital serve as conduits to emerging markets, translating capital into impact.

“The UAE is uniquely positioned to lead the next chapter of South–South investment,” Noujaim notes. “It combines global connectivity with regional credibility. Investors here understand that sustainable growth doesn’t come from isolation, but from collaboration.”

As regional investors increasingly look South for growth and diversification, SkyKapital’s model of connecting capital from the region to high impact opportunities in Africa is gaining traction. On the other hand, large investors are also increasingly investing in the UAE.

This alignment with the UAE’s economic vision is no coincidence. SkyKapital’s model mirrors the country’s strategy of leveraging innovation, financial openness, and international partnerships to shape a more interconnected global economy.

The SkyKapital method: Innovation meets inclusion

What sets SkyKapital apart is its ability to de-risk complex markets through collaboration. The firm’s strength lies in its ability to bring together multiple stakeholders and design frameworks that ensure financial viability and social inclusion.

“We see ourselves as facilitators,” says Noujaim. “Our job is to make sure every party, from investors to policymakers, finds alignment in purpose and performance. That’s where true impact happens.”

This hybrid investment approach has earned SkyKapital recognition not only for its outcomes but for its methodology. The firm’s projects are often cited as case studies in sustainable urbanisation and cross-border cooperation, setting benchmarks for how capital can be deployed responsibly in developing economies.

A forward vision for emerging markets

Looking ahead, SkyKapital aims to consolidate its presence across key growth corridors, particularly where digital transformation, infrastructure, and sustainable finance intersect. The firm sees Africa not as a frontier to be conquered, but as a partner in shaping the global economy of the future.

As the 2025 edition of Abu Dhabi Financial Week approaches, where Noujaim will again join global leaders to discuss cross-border investment, SkyKapital’s story serves as a case study in how ambition, innovation, and collaboration can turn emerging markets into engines of shared prosperity, and reminds us that the most transformative investments are not those that follow the trend, but those that build the bridge.

MakeMyTrip, the UAE’s online travel platform, has launched a new initiative designed to make year-end travel planning easier and more rewarding for residents across the Emirates. The company has unveiled the ‘Big Deal Sale’, a comprehensive campaign that brings together top airlines, hotel brands, banking partners, and consumer brands to deliver exceptional value on flights and hotel stays both within the UAE and abroad.