SheSparks 2026: How Women Leaders Are Enabling the Workforce to Build AI Skills in GCCs

Why It Matters

Women’s leadership in GCC AI directly influences talent pipelines, ethical deployment, and competitive advantage for enterprises navigating digital transformation.

Key Takeaways

• AI seen as productivity tool, not job threat
• Judgment identified as critical skill in AI era
• Women hold 25% of data scientist roles globally
• Sponsorship and anchorship accelerate women’s AI leadership
• Continuous upskilling essential as roles evolve rapidly

Pulse Analysis

Global Capability Centers are evolving from cost‑center back‑offices into strategic AI hubs, and the gender dynamics within them are reshaping how enterprises innovate. By positioning AI as a collaborative assistant—exemplified by tools like Copilot—women leaders such as Mahajan illustrate how faster analytics free staff to focus on nuanced decision‑making. This shift not only accelerates time‑to‑insight but also creates a demand for judgment‑centric roles, reinforcing the business case for inclusive talent strategies that blend technical acumen with human discernment.

Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in core data and engineering tracks, comprising roughly a quarter of data scientists and fewer than one‑fifth of AI engineers worldwide. The panel emphasized that bridging this gap requires more than recruitment; it calls for intentional sponsorship, what Mahajan termed "anchorship," and policies that provide psychological safety. Ethical AI deployment hinges on diverse perspectives, making female participation critical for risk mitigation and responsible innovation across sectors like aviation, banking, and telecom.

To translate ambition into impact, organizations must institutionalize continuous upskilling and ownership pathways. Kyndryl’s internal certification platforms and BT’s focus on revenue‑oriented AI roles demonstrate how rapid role evolution—often within six months—demands agile learning ecosystems. By empowering women to own AI architectures and champion decision‑making, firms unlock higher productivity, stronger customer experiences, and a resilient workforce capable of navigating the complexities of the AI era.