Channel pioneers

Channel Middle East honours accomplishments that women executives have made and continue to make in the region’s IT channel.

Prawn from the ranks of women who are involved in the day-to-day management of the Middle East IT channel, the list of these channel pioneers spotlights female executives who stand out as driving forces in their respective companies and in the industry as a whole, providing the insight and influence that lead to channel success. While many of the women featured this year agree that there’s no perfect balance between a demanding career and a personal life, Channel Middle East is paying tribute to accomplishments that the women have made and continue to make in the IT sector in the Middle East region.

These influential women serving in channel roles for vendor and distributor organisations, and those running or leading solution provider businesses, are an inspiration to many young women just beginning their careers in the IT industry. The list is a great touch point for how the channel has evolved and grown over the years in the region.

The channel traditionally has been a male-dominated industry, but women are making their mark. Whether it’s Asli Aktas, who helped Enterasys Networks to set-up operations in the Middle East region; or Jocelyn Al Adwani, who has been instrument in developing STME into a formidable regional systems integrator; or Meera Kaul, managing director of regional distributor Optimus, these women and many others, have put a very different face on today’s channel in the Middle East.

While most appreciate the opportunity they have, there are aware of certain challenges they have to overcome. Every choice they make at work has a consequence in one aspect of their lives. The women of the channel talked about the struggle for work and life balance. Many though feel blessed by having a supportive family or a network of friends around them who help keep it all together. Others on the list said that family activities and exercise were ways to de-stress and put the demands of work into proper perspective.