» SPOTLIGHT
Women's Day Supplement
A TRENDSETTER Shahd AlQunaibit , Regional Director, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and Levant, Cisco AppDynamics has been a trendsetter as a Saudi woman working in a senior sales role and can be justifiably proud of what she has achieved so far What made you choose technology as your professional path? How has this journey been so far in terms of achieving professional success and personal happiness? As a fresh Information Systems graduate, my career plan was to be an analyst in an IT company. However, I was accepted into a sales internship program at one of the top international technology providers. It would have been a shame to pass! Throughout my internship, I got the opportunity to sharpen my skills and learn new ones, but most importantly, this is where I realized my passion for sales! I love sales because it’s a human centric profession. Everyday, I have the opportunity to support customers and partners, help them solve key business challenges, and achieve their goals. This gives me a deep sense of satisfaction and achievement as I can see, in a tangible way, how I am having a positive impact on businesses and the economy. My journey has been an interesting ride, filled with a myriad of experiences that have made me the person and leader I am today. Does gender matter in channel sales in terms of expectations and recognitions? What are some of the common attributes as key differences between women and men in such roles?
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CXO DX / MARCH 2022
Men and women are inherently different, and as a consequence, do have certain strengths and weaknesses. However, when it comes to excelling at a job, particularly in this day and age of flexible working and focus on outputs over inputs, I do not believe gender matters. Success hinges less on gender and more on having the right knowledge and skills. This is something that I can personally relate to, given my experience at Cisco AppDynamics. Diversity and inclusion are at the core of our DNA. We are all treated equally and given the same opportunities regardless of our gender or any other demographic. We are evaluated solely based on the quality of work and our performance which fosters collaborative team spirit and a culture of fair competition. Has hybrid work mode been rewarding or taxing? Describe your experience from last year onwards in adopting to the new normal at work? Especially as face-to-face meetings have been difficult to do, how does that impact your work? The hybrid work world has its advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I can say that it helped me be more productive. For example, cutting out the commute meant I was able to have more meetings with customers and partners. However, one of the key
