Leadership in the AI Era - IEEE WIE BDS Industry Experts Network Series 2026

The IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Bangladesh Section Affinity Group is pleased to announce an engaging session in the IEEE WIE BDS Industry Experts Network Series 2026, featuring Ms. Sobhitha Neelanath, Senior Manager, Software Engineering, Karnataka, India. Talk Topic: Leadership in the AI Era Leadership in the AI era requires a blend of technical acumen, empathy, and adaptability. This session will explore how leaders can excel by leveraging AI as an ally while balancing and preserving the human aspects of leadership. The talk will cover enhancement, replacement, and skeptical perspectives on AI, relevant leadership skills for the AI age, AI-ready succession planning, and the skills-first framework for talent development from a leader's perspective. Speaker: Ms. Sobhitha Neelanath Senior Manager, Software Engineering Industry: Information Technology & Software Engineering Location: Karnataka, India Speaker Bio: Ms. Sobhitha Neelanath is an accomplished engineering leader with rich technology experience across multiple domains, including virtualization, security, CRM, servers, and storage. She has held diverse roles as a Scrum Master, Product Owner, Technical Leader, People Manager, and Program Manager. She has driven and led engineering efforts and key initiatives across globally distributed and cross-functional teams. Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, she actively contributes to multiple communities and mentoring initiatives. She has led pan-India hackathons for women in her organization and leads the Bangalore chapter of the AnitaB Community. She is also a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador and has delivered keynote speeches and technical mentoring sessions for global audiences. Her contributions have earned her several recognitions, including the Role Model Award 2024 in the Corporate Equality Category by WICx India and the Inspiring Women in Tech Award 2024 by HerKey. Event Details: 📅 Date: 16 November 2026 (Monday) 🕗 Time: 08:00 PM BST (GMT+6) 🌐 Format: Online (Zoom) 🏢 Organizer: IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Bangladesh Section Affinity Group 🎓 Series: IEEE WIE BDS Industry Experts Network Series 2026 Join us for an insightful session with an industry expert to explore leadership in the AI era, the evolving role of AI in the workplace, and the skills required to empower people and build future-ready teams. We look forward to your participation!