Hoda Mansour’s journey into the field of technology was serendipitous. A graudate from the Faculty of Engineering Architecture Department, Mansour’s dream job was to be part of its university staff, and doing research. But life had other plans, and Mansour ended up going back to school and studying Information Technology.
Nevertheless, her journey working with tech companies turned out to be fascinating. And Mansour ended up holding regional and global positions in the likes of Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, and now IFS across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Tell us about what got you interested in technology, why did you choose the space and field of technology?
You would be very surprised to know that I did not initially choose to work in the technology field! I graduated from the Faculty of Engineering Architecture department and my dream job was to be part of its university staff; teaching students and doing research. Things have unfolded in a completely different way and I ended up going back to school and studying Information Technology.
My journey working with technology companies turned out to be really fascinating. I held regional and global positions at several leading multinational software companies including Oracle, Microsoft, SAP and now with IFS, where I lived and worked out of three different continents: Africa, Europe and Asia.
This gave me true understanding and exposure to different cultures, different priorities and really shaped my whole character. If I go back in time, I would certainly choose the field of technology to be in my field. I have to say that studying architecture and Management in addition to information technology helped shaped my character and gave me a differentiated approach to handling things.
Could you share your journey in technology, the challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
I definitely faced several challenges and certainly I didn’t have the easiest ride. The first challenge in the beginning of my career was that I was perceived as very young to deliver the sophisticated tasks assigned to me. That made me master my tools, work super hard to deliver a flawless service and being very persistent. I eventually ended up building a strong brand and enjoying true respect from my colleagues, leaders, my customers and partners.
The other challenge that I faced was my background, being a graduate of the faculty of Engineering Architecture Department at a time when most of my peers were Computer Science graduates. I therefore decided to go back to study.
I joined the faculty of Engineering and studied Information Technology and complemented that with an MBA in Information Technology & Management. This made a massive difference for me, and my architecture studies turned out to be a great differentiator as it complemented my technical studies with the artistic touch.
Then came the challenge of navigating the corporate ladder, growing up the ranks and being taken seriously as an African woman in STEM. When I was appointed as Managing Director at SAP, I was the first Female to have such appointment across the whole of Middle East and Africa. I have seen the doubts in many people’s eyes about the ability to turnaround the business in one of the toughest markets. I therefore decided to hire best talents and build a very differentiated team. We drafted a winning story as a team and ended up winning as a team.
What is your take on women in technology and how is the landscape changing? What can be done to ensure there are more women in tech roles?
Nowadays, women in technology have a great opportunity as they have true support from both governments, multi nationals and local companies who are calling for equal opportunities for women and men, something that I did not enjoy in the beginning of my career.
Women could be further supported in the work place by availing educational Initiatives, ensure fair and transparent career progression, address unconscious bias in the workplace.
What is the biggest obstacle that women in technology face?
Unconscious bias.
What advice would you give women who are looking to get into the field of technology
Stick to your dreams. Technology is a great place to be now.
