Women’s Day Special: Women make up 40% of IT workforce, so why are billion-dollar deals still dominated by men?

Core Insights - The technology services industry showcases diversity numbers, yet high-stakes dealmaking roles remain predominantly male, indicating a significant gap between representation and influence [1][13] - A rising group of women leaders is beginning to challenge this trend, taking on key roles and influencing major strategic deals within the industry [1][12] Workforce Representation - The IT sector reports that women constitute approximately 35–40% of the workforce, yet leadership roles for major enterprise deals and strategic partnerships are still largely occupied by men [2][13] - The gender paradox in the sector highlights the discrepancy between the representation of women in the workforce and their influence in decision-making roles [2][12] Leadership Roles - Women executives are emerging as significant dealmakers in global technology services, with notable figures such as Arundhati Chakraborty leading a business generating nearly $10 billion in annual revenue [6][13] - Other influential women include Uma Rijhwani, who oversees profit and loss responsibilities in banking and financial services, and Aarthi Subramanian, who played a key role in a $700-million acquisition at TCS [6][7] Strategic Initiatives - Global technology firms are increasingly promoting women to strategic operational and consulting roles, as seen with Karine Brunet at Capgemini and Shveta Arora at Cognizant [8][9] - The industry is witnessing women like Riju Vashisht at Genpact leading transformation services and enterprise sales initiatives, further emphasizing the shift towards female leadership in strategic positions [10][12] Structural Challenges - Experts indicate that while gender diversity in hiring has improved, there is a need for stronger pipelines to elevate women into client-facing leadership and revenue-generating roles [12][13] - The ongoing structural challenges within the IT services industry must be addressed to close the gap between representation and actual decision-making power [12]