Hema Patel: senior business Leader with passion for transformation & innovation

Hema is a senior business leader with a passion for transformation and innovation. She has had key roles across media, technology and telecommunications sectors. Hema has a unique background as a chartered accountant (having recently been awarded Fellowship status) and has in recent years, taken senior leadership roles, currently as Managing Director for Database Solutions, a division of the global ICT business, NTT. Hema was previously CEO at streaming service Lightbox.Hema has experienced first hand many of the challenges in leadership being both Indian and of course, female. However, she also believes that we can't be what we can't see, and this very much keeps her going. Hema is mum to two boys, Akshay and Dhyan and very much changing the role of a mum in their eyes. "I bumped into somebody in the car park the other day, and she said, "We're so proud of you, Hema. We need more women like you doing the kind of work that you do." I forget all the time that I have what would be considered to be a position of influence, and that I can actually pave the way for change."