Exploring AI's Role in Leadership: Insights from the Women Board of Directors Roundtable

The Women Board of Directors (WBD), alongside Standard Chartered and Diligent, orchestrated a pivotal event on 'AI & Leadership' held at the Standard Chartered premises in DIFC, Dubai.

This half-day roundtable brought together top figures from diverse sectors to delve into the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence on leadership, governance, and risk management. Diligent played a critical role as the Impact Champion, spearheading initiatives to bolster women's involvement in technology.

The event kicked off with an insightful keynote speech by Rahul Gupta, Director of Data Science & Innovation at Standard Chartered, who presented on 'The human-brain bank: How AI is augmenting — not replacing — leadership'.

This set a comprehensive tone for the rest of the discussions. The roundtable was enriched with keynote talks, interactive fireside chats, and panel discussions all aimed at offering pragmatic insights.

It encouraged participants to think critically about advancing AI initiatives, evaluating their return on investment (ROI), and nurturing talent for a future dominated by AI.

One of the highlights was a fireside chat focused on 'Scaling AI: Moving beyond pilot projects', featuring Amit Gupta, Vice President and Head of Data, AI and Fintech Practice at e& enterprise, alongside Benedicte Hennebo, Ambassador of Women in Tech, Women Board of Directors. This conversation unveiled deeper insights into effectively expanding AI projects.

The discussions ventured into the realm of measuring AI's impact through a panel titled 'The ROI of AI: measuring value and driving investments'.

This segment saw Joe Devassy, Director, Strategic Alliance and Generative AI, KPMG, and Olivia Bellingham, Senior Vice President, EEMEA, Mastercard, sharing their expertise. WBD's Poonam Chawla facilitated the exchange, emphasizing the importance of quantifying AI's contributions and guiding investment decisions.

Another engaging panel addressed 'How is AI reshaping leadership', bringing together expert opinions from Qais Gharaibeh, Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa, Diligent; Eng. Fatma Al Ali, AI Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Office, UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP); and Laura Jane Thomson, General Counsel, EWEC. Moderated by Dana Alomar, Future Editor, The National News, this discussion shed light on AI's evolving role in crafting leadership strategies.

The roundtable concluded with a forward-looking dialogue between Dr Pallavi Ranjan from Murdoch University and Ahmed Ibrahim, AI GTM Executive (Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Romania, and CIS), Cisco. The conversation, themed 'Talent in the age of AI — Rethinking workforce strategies', explored innovative approaches to workforce development in the AI era.

"Partnering with Diligent and Standard Chartered for this event underscores our shared commitment to governance excellence and the vital role technology plays in building better, more efficient, and more informed boards," remarked Poonam Chawla, Chief Visionary Officer, WBD.

This event marked a significant milestone in reimagining leadership in the age of AI, highlighting the synergy between human intelligence and artificial advancements to create more robust, ethical, and forward-thinking entities.