Meet Senior Consultant Project Manager, 
Nadiyah Kabu. 

Why did you join Airwalk Reply?

I joined Airwalk Reply as a Senior Consultant Project Manager in January 2022. What attracted me to Airwalk Reply was the opportunity to work for a consultancy firm that would help me broaden my experience as a project manager in various industries, including financial services and government.

Tell us about your previous roles before Airwalk Reply and when did you start working in Tech?

I started working in tech 17 years ago. I have always worked in tech at various levels starting as a telephony and tech analyst, supporting contact centre staff as a school leaver. I then moved to my first role in a Technology Change team as a PMO analyst, supporting project managers and the Head of IT and Change in applying governance and controls to every initiative. I studied multiple methodologies including Prince2 and completed the first apprenticeship of its kind in project management – an initiative sponsored by the Association of Project Management. This is where my enthusiasm for technology projects started and created the foundations for the career I wanted to build as a project manager in technology. 

Who or what motivates you?

Change! I believe that right from being children through to youth and adulthood we are on a constant journey of change and evolution. We learn, apply and adapt with every change in our lives whether planned or unplanned and I embrace change in every part of my life… My OCD is an uncontrollable need to move furniture around in my house every six months… I decide what I need to change, I plan when is best to implement the change and then coax my reluctant husband into helping me with the change. The most exciting part is the period immediately after the change where it's new and different and I can see its benefits. Then we ease into normality and it’s time to find a new change.  

What advice do you have to share with other women?

Do not let yourself be labelled as either a career-driven women or a homemaker. 

We live in an era where the role of women and men are no longer as black-and-white, as once believed. I am the first generation in a family where for generations before me the women would make a home and family, and the men would provide for the family. There is grey area now where women can be just as successful at both and we have the monopoly on multitasking! 

It is possible to have both and there are essential skills you can learn through practical experience at home which can be applied in a working environment. 

What do you most want other women and young girls to know about being a woman working in the technology industry?

I have worked in this industry for more than half my life and have yet to see a role where an individual’s success is tagged to their gender. Success in a role in technology or any other industry is defined by the individual's own ability to perform the role. There is most definitely a place for women in technology and whether your skills lie in the detail of development or in coordinating and managing teams, there are equal opportunities for everyone to add value and be respected for what they bring to the team. 
 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Airwalk Reply learn more