Building self-confidence, seeking opportunities and finding the right mentors and workplace sponsors are key steps leading to the success of women in technology companies, according to female tech leaders.
They shared their views during a recent Empowerher Asia Leadership Forum 2025 seminar, hosted by Novituz and the EmpowerHER Asia project.
Kulwipa Piyawattanametha, managing director and the first female Thai leader of SAP Indochina, said women need to start with themselves -- love themselves, recognise their challenges, find solutions, and stay focused on delivering results.
She pointed out that customers do not expect an engineer to be a woman, especially one wearing a skirt as she does.
"Women must embrace the learning process, even when they don't have all the answers. Growth comes from being open to what we don't know, and confidence stems from understanding that no one has all the knowledge," said Ms Kulwipa.
She added that it is crucial to seek a mentor, and choosing mentors should be based on their relevant capabilities.
When she worked as a sales director, she sought mentors with expertise in human development skills.
Ms Kulwipa also advised female workers to find workplace sponsors who can advocate for their professional growth and career advancement.
A workplace sponsor refers to a senior person who supports employee growth and career progression.
Ms Kulwipa added that great organisations embrace diversity, and create safe environments for emerging talent, to ensure thriving mutual support within the organisation.
Leadership should demonstrate empathy, fostering an atmosphere in which teams feel encouraged to have open conversations, she said.
Kannokkamon Laohaburankit, managing director at Fujitsu (Thailand) Co Ltd, the first female leader and first Thai leader at a Japan-based tech firm, said women often struggle to access networks dominated by male leaders and feel torn between their careers and family responsibilities.
She said that to overcome these challenges, women need to be confident in their abilities. They must prove they can succeed and show determination in managing people.
"Women should embrace the areas where they can improve to achieve their objectives, taking it step by step."
She said that, for example, while she may not speak Japanese with a native accent, she can still reach the top benchmark of Japanese language skills or the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) at the highest level of N1.
Women should also participate in mentorship programmes at the office and identify areas for growth, she added.
"Encouraging diversity, reducing bias, sharing ideas and building networks allows women to grow and advance in their careers," Ms Kannokkamon said.
Vilaiporn Taweelappontong, managing director of PwC South East Asia Consulting, who is the first Thai woman at the regional level of the PwC global consulting firm, said PwC is a cross-cultural organisation with lots of male leaders; therefore, women need to be themselves, not be shy, and should seek opportunities by making themselves visible to reach out to the organisation's goals.
"If you're not first choice, speak up and create your own opportunities. Don't wait for recognition -- take charge of your own success."
Ms Vilaiporn added that women do not have to show an interest in football in order to engage with male leaders. They can be themselves and build their own networks.
She also suggests women find mentors who align with their goals and seek multiple mentors as their passions and work evolve over time.
Women often take a period of leave after marriage or pregnancy, but they can have open conversations with their leaders to request flexible work arrangements that accommodate their needs.
"At PwC, we are evolving with flexible work arrangements to meet the unique needs of our workforce," said Ms Vilaiporn.
Shannon Kalayanamitr, founder of Ikigai Advisory Group and a tech startup investor, cited a statistic that in the US, only 2% of total funding goes to women-led startups, while globally the figure is 9%.
However, female founders of small and medium-sized enterprises receive 20% of the total funding, Ms Shannon added.
She found that women-led ventures generate better returns on investment, with 40% of them running profitable businesses.
"To be confident, determined and professional, you must base everything on 'real knowledge'," she said.
She added that before negotiating for a salary, a woman needs to know the salary range in the market and be confident in asking for the same salary as men without feeling inferior, as sometimes a woman gets paid less than a man in the same position.
Women need to actively practice enhancing their skillset, positioning themselves for career advancement and promotions, she said.