In an exclusive interview with Yara El Gendy, as part of NileFM&rsquo;s coverage of the 4th edition of the CEO Women Conference, Dr. Sandrine El Khodry, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, opened up about leadership, gender balance in the tech industry, and how passion drives her decades-long journey in business and innovation. The 2025 edition placed a special spotlight on Women in Technology and Cybersecurity and Female Entrepreneurship, emphasizing the critical role women play in shaping the digital future and driving innovation in emerging industries. Held under the esteemed auspices of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, the conference continues to serve as a key platform for empowering women to lead with impact and resilience.
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zxpKfiBDV-0" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> This is your first time attending the CEO Women Conference. How do you see its importance and impact? Actually, this is my first time attending the annual event as a main speaker and as a sponsor through Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. However, I&rsquo;ve been involved with the organization for some time as a board member. The CEO Women initiative holds a very special place in my heart because it was founded in Egypt, a country that continues to produce exceptional women leaders. Although I&rsquo;ve been living abroad for the last 33 years, my heart has always remained attached to Egypt. When I see opportunities to support Egyptian women or to contribute to something meaningful, I don&rsquo;t hesitate to make time, no matter how busy my schedule is. I was truly impressed by the level of presence here, from government ministers to business leaders and men from across the region. It shows that Egypt and the Middle East are undergoing a real transformation toward empowering women and driving progress. You mentioned that conferences like this fuel your energy. What makes such gatherings so valuable for you personally and professionally? It&rsquo;s because these events give me the chance to transfer my knowledge and experience. After more than 30 years in my field, facing challenges, failures, and successes, I now feel it&rsquo;s time to share what I&rsquo;ve learned. There&rsquo;s a quote I love: &ldquo;In your 20s, you learn; in your 30s, you perform; in your 40s, you lead; and in your 50s, you pass on your knowledge.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s exactly where I am today. Giving back, inspiring others, and helping them grow are my ways of staying motivated. Seeing people&rsquo;s eyes light up when something I say resonates or helps them take a step forward, that&rsquo;s my fuel. It recharges my batteries and gives me purpose. You work in one of the most competitive industries, technology, which is often viewed as male-dominated. Do you think this perception is still valid today? Let me start by saying, what sector isn&rsquo;t male-dominated? Historically, engineering and tech were seen as &ldquo;men&rsquo;s fields,&rdquo; but that mindset is changing. I see more women engineers and more women taking leadership roles in technology. It&rsquo;s not enough yet, but the transformation has begun. However, balance is still not where it should be. We&rsquo;ve moved from one extreme to another. In the past, women&rsquo;s CVs were often dismissed in favor of men&rsquo;s. Now, some companies are prioritizing female hires even when they lack the same experience, just to meet diversity quotas. This shift, while well-intentioned, is not real equality. True equality means anonymity, two CVs judged by skill, not gender. May the best person win, regardless of whether they&rsquo;re a man or a woman. I&rsquo;m not where I am today because I&rsquo;m a woman. I&rsquo;m here because I worked hard, failed, learned, and persevered, probably twice or three times as much as others. That&rsquo;s what success is about. Technology is advancing faster than ever. How do global companies like Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise keep up? Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise has been around for more than a century, 106 years to be exact. Longevity like that comes from innovation and constant reinvention. Our research and development teams are always thinking ahead, anticipating what&rsquo;s next. When the pandemic hit, for example, we didn&rsquo;t face business interruption because our remote work platforms were already in place. We were prepared before the world changed. That&rsquo;s the power of foresight and adaptability. In business, reaching success is an achievement, but maintaining it is the real challenge. Just like in life, staying at the top takes continuous effort, innovation, and humility. What message would you like to leave for women and men trying to build a meaningful career today? Success doesn&rsquo;t belong to a gender. It belongs to those who dream, work hard, and never stop learning. Passion is what keeps you moving forward, even when the road is long. And once you&rsquo;ve made it, never forget to give back, because sharing knowledge is the greatest form of leadership.

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