Anuja Shah, Head of Strategy & IT, Middle East Zurich International Life Ltd. shares her views on IWD 2025, her journey, role model and advice for aspiring women
What are your views on this year’s IWD 2025 theme “Accelerate Action”, how can we truly achieve diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Anuja Shah: I strongly believe that the seat at the table, be it technology or management, is based on merit, not gender.
At Zurich Middle East, we’ve got a 51:49 gender ratio, skewed in favor of women, with women holding key positions and playing critical roles across underwriting, actuarial, claims, servicing, pricing, sales and distribution, marketing, compliance, legal, strategy and technology.
All colleagues – men and women, enjoy flexible working arrangements that support work-life balance. They also have access to the Zurich Women’s Innovation Network (WIN) and Hackathons, fostering collaboration and innovation. In line with ‘Accelerating Action,’ we encourage a culture where everyone supports each other’s growth and success.
As a field, technology provides more flexibility when it comes to timings, working onsite or offshore, remote learning opportunities, etc., which does go a long way in encouraging women to join / continue working / rejoin the workforce in case of sabbaticals. If more organizations can encourage and actively nurture such behaviors, we would be able to address quite a few of the challenges while creating an environment that truly nurtures innovation and celebrates diversity.
Can you share your journey into the tech world and what inspired you to pursue this, where did it all start?
Anuja Shah: I hold an MBA in Finance and am a Gold Medalist in Trade Finance. I began my career in Commercial Banking, then got chosen as part of a strategic initiative in Retail Banking, led by the CEO, called Youthization, where I had my first brush with technology. My first project involved getting an idea for the bank’s younger segment of customers from the drawing board to the market, and then scaling it. This heavily relied on existing and new technology, weighing build / partner / buy parameters, partnerships and integrations with multiple stakeholders and laying the rails for automation for powering scale.
With this being done successfully, I was given defunct platforms to turn around, across multiple lines of business, which was an excellent training ground for analysis and working through challenges.
This experience has been invaluable in my current role at Zurich, where I collaborate with my colleagues to drive a well-structured digital transformation roadmap across the insurance value chain.
Who would you consider your role model, someone who constantly inspires you? (Does not really have to be from the professional world only, can be someone at home too ️)
Anuja Shah: I consider my parents, Avani and Ashok, to be my role models. I’ve inherited my work ethic, outlook, values and resilience from both of them.
Rapid Fire (Let’s get to know you more)
- Dinner with a famous personality, who would it be? Malcolm Gladwell
- One skill you wish you could learn instantly? Cooking
- Android or Apple?
I have both! - WhatsApp or Telegram? WhatsApp
- Beaches or Mountains? Mountains
- Coffee or Tea? I enjoy both
- Early Bird or Night owl? Early bird
- Books or Movies? Books and generally movies that haven’t been inspired from books I’ve read
- Winter or Summer? I love the rains
- Online shopping or in-store shopping? In-store shopping
What advice would you give to women starting off their careers, aspiring to enter the tech/business field?
Anuja Shah: Go for it – don’t hold yourself back!
We stand on the shoulders of the trailblazing women who shattered glass ceilings before us, paving the way in business, technology, and beyond.
I’ve thrived in every domain and function that I’ve been part of – commercial banking, retail banking, payments, digital transformation, strategy and insurance. I feel privileged to work alongside incredible women—coders, developers, testers, UI/UX designers, infrastructure and security analysts, business analysts, and scrum masters.
However, what often holds us back is hesitation—whether it’s not speaking up, not taking a development opportunity, or not applying for a role.
As Head of Strategy and IT at Zurich Middle East, I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside women and men who have been my sounding boards, mentors and friends. Every one of us has a unique journey, and the key is to take that first step with confidence.
