The 2022 Women Leaders In Technology: Aisha Mendez

Aisha is an Associate Partner in the AI&A practice at Infosys Consulting in London, where she focuses on helping clients in their large-scale transformation programs by leveraging disruptive technologies. Aisha holds a vast array of diverse qualifications including a Ph.D. showing her natural curiosity at work. One of her passions is 'Our People' with a firm view that our talent is our single biggest asset- her great people management skills in her practice, leading a team of 50+ consultants. Throughout her career, she worked in both public and private sectors, as a stakeholder and a vendor, giving her a great overview of today's digital and technological challenges. Outside of work, she is a keen volunteer, great fan of cricket, Aisha shares the sports' values of integrity, diversity, a sense of community and development.

What has been the biggest factor in your success so far?

Authenticity coupled with a natural curiosity about everything around me. As a huge fan of cricket, I have a saying that states: 'Play it with a straight bat'; this old expression essentially means to behave honestly and decently. This is exactly how I chose to lead my career. Being natural and whole has resulted in creating transparent and real relationships. In our industry, creating strong links with both colleagues and customers are key to success and growth. While we are mainly talking about highly technical and complex subjects such as AI or robotics, the human element always comes back in the center. Trying to understand this factor in both my personal and professional life has helped me become the professional I am today.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

As I previously stated, being authentic and genuine has been the biggest factor in my success. For a long time in the professional world and specifically in older talent programs, I was told that having a 'poker face' was a necessity to being successful and credible. I chose not to listen as this clashed with my personal beliefs and would not make me who I am today. I am proud in continuing this path in a male-dominated industry, and therefore I am appreciative of being nominated for this award. I believe I have a strong EQ while being a good team player. I am trying to continuously influence the culture in my practice as a member of our diversity and inclusion internal working group, promoting rising talents from within and acting as a mentor to my colleagues.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

The best advice given to me was by a teacher when I was 15 years old. "Don't chase the title or the money! Find something you are passionate about and do that. Success will be organic, and you may find that your criteria for defining success has changed too." This is exactly what I have found in my career as a woman in the consulting area. I absolutely adore what I do daily, and I think that is what encourages me to become the leader I want to be. I apply this ideology with both colleagues and clients, which has positively impacted the way I approach things.