Mitra Best 
PwC
Excellence in Leadership
Most notably, Mitra Best is the first technologist to be admitted to the partnership at PwC in a pure technology role. "Other tech partners had always been consultants who later fell into technology. I was the opposite. I started as a technology professional at a consulting firm, which has a different DNA and career model than a software company. Since then, we have admitted several technologists—both women and men—to the partnership, joining me in building the future of tech-enabled consulting. I'm very proud of having carved the path to partnership in our organization for all technologists."
Best acknowledges a defining challenge has been the routine and persistent exclusion of women and their points of view during consequential leadership meetings. "What makes this problem even more pernicious is that this exclusion may often be unconscious, and only realized as an afterthought. Until we see gender parity, we have to lean in and invite ourselves to the conversation. As Shirley Chisholm has so poignantly captured, 'If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair.'"
"The best advice I have received and can offer is to be purposeful and intentional about adding value— in every aspect of your life. Be intentional about understanding the problem you're trying to solve, be intentional about knowing your stakeholders and those who would benefit from your engagement, and be intentional about finding the most appropriate solution—all guided by your purpose to be beneficial and add value."
Q&A: What does winning a Women Leaders in Technology award mean to you?
"I'm humbled to receive this recognition from my peers. It's an honor to have this platform to highlight the need for more Women Leaders in Technology and an opportunity to thank so many who helped me achieve my goals. Technologists, particularly women in technology, don't always see a clear path to leadership. High performance does not automatically lead to leadership roles in consulting and in fact, many women in technology often feel the heavy weight of glass ceilings. This award represents an important step in bringing visibility to what can be possible for more and more women."
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.