Her Story
About Usha
Usha Talasila, MBA, PMP, is a distinguished technology and artificial intelligence leader with more than 22 years of experience driving innovation, strategic transformation, and business value. She currently serves as Principal and Head of AI at Inverness Graham, where she leads initiatives focused on leveraging artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to create measurable business outcomes. Throughout her career, Usha has led complex AI, cloud, and technical program management initiatives that have advanced revenue growth, operational efficiency, customer adoption, and market leadership.
Prior to joining Inverness Graham, Usha spent seven years at OpenText, progressing through leadership positions including Vice President of AI PMO, Senior Director of Technical Program Management, Director of Technical Project Management, and Senior Cloud Services Program Manager. She has extensive experience leading cross-functional teams, strategic partnerships, cloud implementations, complex integrations, and large-scale technology programs. Earlier in her career, she held program management and consulting roles with Liaison Technologies, Motorola Solutions, and NCR Corporation, where she delivered technology solutions across multiple industries. Her achievements include receiving the Chairman’s Award for exceptional leadership, commitment, and significant business impact.
Usha earned an Executive MBA in Global Business from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and has continued to strengthen her expertise in artificial intelligence and generative AI through professional certifications, including Generative AI for Business Leaders and Data Landscape of GenAI for Project Managers. Recognized for her integrity, expertise, strategic thinking, and commitment to continuous learning, Usha is passionate about helping organizations navigate rapid technological change, embrace innovation, and transform emerging technologies into sustainable business value.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Usha
01What do you attribute your success to?
Relentless curiosity and the mentors who saw me. I've always been a continuous learner, genuinely energized by new technologies and new challenges, never content to stay in my comfort zone. That curiosity is what pushed me deeper into technology and kept me resilient through some real obstacles - being underestimated, being handed the hardest, most under-resourced projects. I kept showing up and delivering. But hard work alone doesn't move you forward — advocacy does. My success really accelerated when my leadership/mentors recognized and pushed my limits so others can see my work too. Never stop learning, and never stop looking for the people who will champion you when you can't champion yourself yet.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is to continually raise the bar for myself and never stop learning. I believe in setting ambitious goals, challenging myself to grow, and remaining open to new knowledge, perspectives, and opportunities. Continuous learning and a commitment to excellence have been essential to my professional growth and success.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the industry is to never wait for the room to recognize your value. Own your expertise, speak with confidence and authority, and let your knowledge and capabilities speak louder than your title.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is keeping pace with technology, as it can evolve almost overnight and requires continuous learning while balancing the demands of my day-to-day responsibilities. AI is finally forcing companies to value people who understand both the technology and the business problem not just execution. That's an opportunity for those of us with real technical depth to lead, not just support. The challenge is pace though, organizations want AI results faster than their data and talent can responsibly support, which creates a lot of avoidable firefighting. I see the constant evolution of technology as an opportunity to stay curious, adapt, and continuously expand my expertise.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in both my work and personal life are integrity, transparency, continuous growth, and perseverance. I believe in being upfront and ethical in everything I do, speaking with the authority of my expertise rather than relying on my title, and consistently holding myself to a high standard. I also believe in continuing to push myself, embracing opportunities to learn, and never stopping in the pursuit of personal and professional growth.
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