WOMEN ARE AS CAPABLE AS MEN IN LEADING BUSINESSES AND ACHIEVING GOALS

By: Maya Zakhour, Director Channel Sales - Eastern Europe, META, Iberia & Latin America

women are as capable as men in leading businesses and achieving their personal and professional goals. Not encouraging and giving women the chance to shoulder leadership roles is not a sustainable approach for businesses anymore.

What advice would you give to young women who are interested in pursuing a career in your industry?

Once a woman finds her place and passion in the tech industry – I believe she can do wonders to help other women find their place too and create a sustainable workplace for everyone.

What motivates you to continue working, and what keeps you inspired?

The UAE is leading the charge when it comes to putting women in prominent leadership roles – beginning with the government departments. When I look at the tech industry, I see a lot of women making their mark in their field – from marketing to channel, product development and leading regional businesses. I also see a lot of interest from young women to join the industry – The IT industry is no longer the ‘boys club’ – and I am seeing senior executives encourage and make way for a new breed of the leaders.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey and how you got to where you are today in your industry?

Technology is my passion, and it’s more than 20 years that I’m leading international companies in channel and sales roles, including B2B high tech enterprises. I have been in several senior positions and supervised major organizational operations with some of the region’s top companies. Prior to joining NetApp in 2017, I was Channel Director for the Middle East at Fortinet, Strategic Alliance Manager at Dimension Data as well as Channel Development Manager and Partner Account Manager for UAE at Microsoft.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in your industry, and how did you overcome them?

I believe that leadership roles across sectors are still very much reserved for men. Women’s professional progress has taken a blow, worsened by the pandemic, and the financial, mental, and emotional toll is high. Many women capable of attaining leadership roles find themselves stuck in the same position for years and unable to be promoted. Companies must realise that

What is your current role at NetApp?

In my current role I manage NetApp’s regional Channel, Distribution and Alliances landscape and focuses on growing channel coverage across Eastern Europe, META, Iberia & LATAM. I not only work on building a strong partner ecosystem in the region but also leads the teams’ efforts in applying partner and pathways strategies. I focus on developing the company’s services business through partners as well as overseeing the commercial and velocity business.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about women in your industry, and how do you address them?

Being a woman in tech is not all about coding or technicalities – there is so much more to a having a career in the tech industry. To me, it’s about solving problems – big and small. It’s about innovating to create a positive change to the way the world lives and operates. It’s about creating impact on the community in which we operate.