The 2021 Women Leaders in Technology: Hiba Ahmad

Along the way she has faced personal challenges, learning that some men believe being extremely ambitious is unwieldy of a woman. And when talking about personal aspirations for growth, she has been questioned about her ambitions and even her experience. Her real-world challenges include being told directly by a manager, that "women work less than men and hence are paid less," learning It is extremely difficult to prove oneself surrounded by such mindsets. She notes, "These examples demonstrate that prejudiced mentality in technology consulting is a real challenge even in the 21st century."

Receiving much advice over the years, she tells of one parcel which stood out for her, was motivation from a manager, "Try to reach the escape velocity. Until you achieve it, be ready to bear the resistance. Keep going in the face of resistance and you will ultimately achieve the extraordinary." Hiba notes this is what she aims for. Q&A: What is your greatest personal or professional achievement?

"When I was working with Vodafone as a Solution Manager in the Enterprise Business, I led a regional team of 30 account managers (29 of them male) in a very challenging and fast-paced national program and ultimately came out as the national winners. Convincing the team to take up tasks outside of their regular work, having several successful account meetings and client consultations, holding regular check-point and best practices discussions, and devising innovative methods to achieve the revenue targets led to my team exceeding the target by 180% and achieved a huge turnaround of national rank from 11 to 2 within a span of 3 months and I received a national award for the accomplishment."