AI is changing not only how we work, but also what makes people valuable in technology organisations. Technical expertise is still important, but the ability to lead change, connect technology with business, make decisions under uncertainty and work across traditional boundaries may matter more than ever.

Could this also change the rules of the career game for women in IT?

At this CIONET Executive Roundtable, we want to look beyond the usual conversation about representation and numbers. Instead, we will ask whether AI can challenge traditional career paths, redefine what good leadership looks like and create new opportunities for women to grow and lead in technology.

We will be joined by Petra Jenner, General Manager and Senior Vice President for EMEA Region at Splunk, who has held senior leadership roles at Salesforce, Microsoft and Check Point. Her experience across some of the world’s largest technology companies will provide a starting point for an open conversation about careers, leadership and the changes AI may bring.

Among the questions we will discuss:

• Will AI change the position of women in IT, or simply change the rules of advancement?
• Does IT need more women, or does it need different kinds of leaders?
• Which skills will become more valuable as AI takes over more technical and operational work?
• Could AI make traditional career paths less important and open new routes to leadership?
• AI already incorporates human bias. How can we prevent it from reinforcing existing biases in hiring and promotion?
• And ultimately: will AI level the playing field, or reproduce the same patterns in a new technological reality?

This will be a conversation among women about technology, careers and leadership, but not the usual conversation about quotas. We want to talk about what is actually changing, what isn’t, and what women in IT can do with that change.