Madhavi Reddy, Managing Director for AWS MENAT, on leadership, inclusion, strong family support in shaping her career and driving innovation in tech.
As part of Techitup Middle East’s International Women’s Day 2026 Leadership Series, we spotlight women leaders shaping the future of technology across the region. In this feature, Madhavi Reddy shares her professional journey, leadership insights, and advice for women in tech.
We are entering a defining AI-driven era. How is AI changing leadership expectations for women in tech?
Madhavi Reddy: AI is reshaping leadership expectations in technology by expanding the role from technical management to strategic, ethical, and human-centred leadership. Leaders are now expected to be AI-literate, understanding how technologies such as machine learning and GenAI can transform and enhance products, operations, and business models.
AI is actively empowering leaders — giving them access to secure, safe and responsible tools that enable confident, informed decision-making, with built-in capabilities to measure accuracy, reduce bias, and keep humans in control throughout. As AI automates analytical tasks, uniquely human capabilities—such as strategic judgement, communication, collaboration, and the ability to lead through others—become even more valuable.
For women in tech, this shift presents an opportunity to combine technical expertise with strong people and ethical leadership. Ultimately, the AI era is redefining leadership as the ability to integrate technological insight with human-centred, values-driven decision-making that guides organisations through rapid digital transformation.
What is one structural barrier that still needs to change for women to scale into more C-level and board positions in tech?
Madhavi Reddy: One structural barrier that could limit women’s progression to C-level and board positions in technology is unequal access to influential networks and sponsorship. While many organizations support mentorship, advancement into senior leadership often depends on senior sponsors who actively advocate for candidates in promotion and board selection processes.
In the past, these decision-making networks have been male-dominated — limiting opportunities for women to gain visibility, lead high-impact initiatives, or be considered for the strategic roles that pave the way to executive positions. As a result, talented women have often remained underrepresented in the leadership pipeline, not for lack of performance, but for lack of access. That narrative is shifting.
Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are actively rewriting it — championing women in leadership and creating environments where female talent is not just welcomed but celebrated. At AWS, we reflect that same commitment: female leaders are visible, vocal, and driving impact across the region — from technology and innovation to strategy and policy.
Addressing this barrier requires organisations to implement structured sponsorships, transparent promotion pathways, and broader leadership exposure — ensuring that women are positioned for roles that build the experience and credibility required for C-suite and board appointments.
Was there a defining moment in your career that changed your trajectory?
Madhavi Reddy: There are two moments that standout for me which changed my trajectory.
The first one taught me to advocate for myself and take independent decisions on my career. In my second year of marriage, my husband considerably outearned me as I was five years younger and just started my career – we were both in Bombay (now Mumbai) in multinational corporations.
When my husband got an offer to open a new branch for his bank in Gujarat, which was a HUGE thing for his career, there was a lot of family pressure to move with him and to support him. It was a smaller town, but I interviewed for a few roles in smaller firms. I owe a lot to my interviewer who told me he would give me a job in an instant as I was very talented but questioned me on why I was following my husband and giving up on my career path in Bombay.
He was also very blunt and told me to make a choice for me and that my husband and marriage would not suffer for it. That one question made me rethink my choices and I stayed in Bombay with two companies – both of which added a strong dimension to my tech career.
This decision also led to my family and husband leaning in to support me and find togetherness in ways other than just location. 35 years of marriage and two grown kids later, I still think this was the single event which shaped my career.
The second time was when I became a mother. Both times, after seeing my babies, I wanted to be a stay-at-home mum, especially as we were far away from family. This time my parents stepped in telling me not to take such a decision.
And my husband, who firmly believed in my trajectory, pushed me to go back to work and helped me find a balance between home, work and career, always finding a way to find support and rebalancing his own work and career to support my travel and deadline-based work. A supportive family and spouse are the biggest success factor in building my career.
What leadership trait has helped you the most in navigating the tech industry?
Madhavi Reddy: The leadership trait that has helped me the most in navigating the tech industry is resilience — deeply intertwined with my ability to lead through others with empathy and influence. Here’s how this has shown up across my career:
- Resilience and self-advocacy: Building my career in India amid rising female workforce participation and later balancing senior leadership with motherhood in a dual-career household, required me to develop strong resilience, boundary-setting, and emotional intelligence.
- Leading through others: As technical competence became a baseline expectation, my advancement depended on influence, executive presence, and empathy — the ability to mobilize complex organizations and build trust at senior levels.
- Continuous learning: Over 35 years in technology — from mainframes to cloud and AI — I’ve stayed relevant by never stopping learning, which I see as essential to navigating fast-evolving technology domains.
- Cross-cultural leadership: Living and working across India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US has honed my ability to build trust and manage stakeholders across diverse cultural contexts.
The more challenging aspects of my career — navigating ambiguity and sustained pressure — have ultimately sharpened my judgement and reinforced purposeful leadership rather than diminishing it.
Lastly, what practical advice would you give young women entering the AI and digital economy today?
Madhavi Reddy: My practical advice to young women entering the AI and digital economy today:
- Build your technical foundation. You don’t need to be a coder, but understand AI, data, and cloud well enough to lead conversations and make informed decisions. Curiosity and continuous learning are non-negotiable.
- Advocate for yourself. Opportunities rarely come to those who wait. Raise your hand, take on stretch assignments, and make your ambitions visible.
- Find mentors and sponsors — and be one. Seek those who guide and advocate for you and pay it forward as you grow.
- Embrace ambiguity. The AI economy is being built in real time. The ability to navigate uncertainty and adapt quickly is invaluable.
- Your diverse perspective is a competitive advantage. Women bring viewpoints that make AI systems more equitable and effective — amplify that.
- Resilience is a skill you build. There will be setbacks and self-doubt. Respond with purpose, strong networks, and belief in your value. .
This interview is part of the Techitup Middle East IWD 2026 Leadership Series, for women leaders who continue to accelerate innovation, champion diversity, and redefine the technology ecosystem across the Middle East and beyond.
