Dare to explore your uniqueness

Channel Post speaks with Layan Qub’a, Account Delivery Lead at Microsoft Gulf about her successful journey in the IT industry and her approach to make it happen.

Layan Qub’a, Account Delivery Lead at Microsoft Gulf

Tell us about your leadership style and philosophy.

I’m a firm believer in giving people space and opportunity to innovate new ways for achievement. I encourage exploration outside the lines of conventionality; I believe it pushes teams to venture to new grounds, and this, in my opinion, is what drives great impact within organizations and with customers and partners.

What made you choose IT as a career opportunity?

Growing up with close friends who were all tech geeks, I was heavily influenced early on and became riveted by technology. Today, this is a field that constantly surprises me, it allows me exposure to unbelievably intelligent people from all over the world, and gives me the opportunity to discover a unique route for myself, and this is what keeps me in the field! Additionally, the disruption that the digital world is creating every day, is inspirational!

How has your unique background prepared you for success in the industry?

I’ve taken on various roles throughout my professional career with an early mentality of embracing ‘learning’, in order to grow. I started in software sales but quickly realized that to excel I needed to learn more about how organizations function from within. So, I trusted my instincts and ventured into a consultancy career specializing in business strategy and growth. This path gave me an insight into how different business units within organizations in different industries, function. That kind of knowledge is invaluable, it helps in understanding the complexities of any organization and finding ways to work through them. This has definitely helped me excel in my career at Microsoft, and equipped me to take on roles that are truly exciting.

What was your most interesting job?

My entire career at Microsoft would be most interesting, no doubt! I have had the privilege of working on projects that brought on cutting edge, state of the art, new emerging technologies to our top customers. That’s like having a sneak peek into the future of the digital world!

Microsoft has succeeded – in the words of Bill Gates – in “putting a computer on every desk and in every home”. We all grew up using Microsoft applications and their clear impact on our daily lives in the past is undeniable.

The last decade has been the most exciting in the evolution of all things digital, and we at Microsoft are showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, we are pushing more towards speeding up and breaking new grounds with the mission of “empowering every person and organization on the planet to achieve more”.

It’s not every day that you can say; you are part of redefining the next digital era! What’s more interesting than that?

What advice would you give to women looking to break into the field of computer technology?

The most important advice I would give to any woman is; dare to explore your uniqueness and boundaries, find out what makes you different than the rest of the crowd and build your success around it. One thing that I’ve also learned and value most, is distinguishing between constructive and destructive feedback and pondering over it. There are always people who see something in you that you don’t see in yourself, this pushes you to grow your weak areas, and helps you understand how to further leverage the areas that you already excel in.

What is the greatest transformation in technology you’ve witnessed in your career?

The evolution of cloud started as a simple storage solution. Today it is a sophisticated infrastructure helping the digital world in becoming smarter, faster, and way cooler! You as an individual or an organization, can build your intelligent cloud by leveraging engines like Data Analytics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, customizing and transforming your own individual experiences.

It’s also incredible how advancements in technology can be leveraged to reach people all over the world. Globally, over 4.9 billion people are not connected to the internet. For example; as part of our 4Afrika initiative, we released ‘TV white spaces technology’, it empowers communities in remote areas of Africa to leverage internet connectivity for improving daily lives.

‘TV white spaces’ makes use of unused or unassigned frequencies in the television broadcast bands to deliver low-cost, high speed wireless broadband. By providing connectivity for previously underserved or last-mile areas, it creates new opportunities in commerce, education, healthcare and delivery of government services.

It is fascinating to witness the tremendous impact technology can have on local and individual level – stories that sometimes get lost in arcane discussions of technical specifications.

What are your thoughts on the next transformation in the tech industry?

We have moved from big heavy computers, with keyboards, speakers and screens attached to them, to little portable personal computing devices that have all required accessories already built in. I believe we are still at the tip of the iceberg in our findings and innovation; in all areas that are witnessing global interest today, like IoT, Machine Learning, Big Data & Analytics, even Mixed Reality solutions. Who would’ve thought 10 years ago chatbots would become shopping assistants, cloud would be used as a systems integrator for varied business processes, and artificial intelligence would permeate all industries? The new age digital transformation has been incredible, and I believe we are still scratching the surface.

Are you involved in any sort of volunteer work? Can you give us some details?

I have been very lucky to grow up in an environment where social responsibility was one of the core values instilled in us. Even though I’m not involved in any volunteer work currently, one of the moments that stand out for me is when Talal, a kid with special needs I used to mentor, planted his very first flower all on his own. We might think planting a flower is an easy task, but for kids with special needs, planting a flower is a great achievement and seeing how happy and proud of himself he was, it reminded me of the simple things we are blessed with and take for granted.

I do encourage volunteer work, it keeps you grounded and it represents a responsibility that we often forget about.

What’s next for you in terms of your career in the tech industry?

I believe I still have a lot to explore in the world of technology, but my next primary focus; would be my new role at Microsoft as an Account Delivery Lead. This role will allow me to work with exceptionally distinctive teams and customers; on leveraging new innovations to achieve great business influence and impact. Truly looking forward to it!

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