Influential Woman · Technology

Padma Iyer

Senior Manager - Customer Solutions - ISV, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Los Angeles, CA

Her Story

About Padma

I have been working in technology for 22 years. My career began in finance at Deutsche Bank in the UK, but when I returned from maternity leave after taking about 6 months off, my position had been filled. I had to find another role within the bank, and that role was in technology. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and there has been no looking back since then. Today, I work for Amazon Web Services, where my main area of expertise is cloud and AI. In addition to being a technologist and having a high-stakes career with Amazon, I recently published a book focused on women's heart health and advocacy. A lot of the medical details in the book are drawn from my own lived experience of heart surgery and recovering through that in the last 6 years.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Padma

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice that I've ever received is that career is not a sprint, it's a marathon. It's important to continuously build skills that compound and focus on communication, empathy and compassion, and leaving a legacy behind that is based on impact.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

For young women, and I have a daughter myself, it's important to know your worth early and don't sit down. When your voice matters, use it. Speak up in uncomfortable situations at work, in classrooms. And the last would be build skills that compound.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think the biggest challenge is to keep sharpening the saw, because the AI revolution is moving at a very fast pace. So, the need to constantly learn new things, build new skills is both a challenge and an opportunity.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

In my work, things that matter a lot to me are bias for action, customer obsession, dive deep, and deliver results. Personally, for me, integrity is very high. I really value transparency, fairness, and honesty.

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