Arresting falling dominos: Arpitha Prakash on boosting female representation in business systems leadership

Technology systems has long been an area where women are underrepresented. Arpitha Prakash, head of business systems and transformation at Lime, explained her take on this and how to change it, in a recent conversation with Kate Swanberg of Leapfin.

The domino effect — and the solution

Arpitha believes that the underrepresentation of women in technology systems can be attributed to the domino effect. System architect roles are extremely technical, and women are already underrepresented in technology. This leads to fewer women having the opportunity to break into these highly technical roles.

To increase the representation of women in tech, Arpitha suggests three main strategies:

1. Remove unconscious bias at the elementary education level.
2. Create networking opportunities for women in tech.
3. Make a deliberate effort to uplift women in the field.

Strategic partners

Arpitha emphasized that business systems and finance systems are no longer backend offices or IT operations, but rather strategic partners to companies. As technology and businesses evolve, it is essential for business systems groups to build a diverse set of skill sets to tackle different challenges.

Conclusion

By addressing the unconscious biases and barriers that hold women back in the world of technology systems, we can create a more inclusive and diverse industry. As business systems continue to play a strategic role in companies, it is vital for organizations to recognize and uplift the talented women in these roles.

Watch Kate’s full conversation with Arpitha :