1521191146_VTqvKJ_Rekha-Menon-Accenture-.jpg 
A champion of diversity & inclusion, and someone who can be credited for shaping the technology sector in India, Rekha M. Menon is among the rare leaders who has nurtured many more
Photo Credit :
When one thinks about the leaders who are driving the technology agenda in India, it is near impossible to not include Rekha M. Menon in the ranks. The chairperson and senior managing director at Accenture in India, Menon is a leading industry voice on advanced technology-led innovation and socio-economic progress.
A keen advocate of equality at the workplace, Menon has always prioritised ‘people’. In a conversation with BW Businessworld, she had once explained that not just diversity, but equality is a powerful multiplier of innovation, and research shows that people are more successful in organisations that have an intentional strategy to create equality.
India on global stage
As the country celebrates India@75, another factor high on Menon’s agenda is the role India can play on the global stage. She believes that advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, big data analytics, extended reality and robotic process automation not only help Indian businesses become more efficient and competitive, creating new opportunities for growth across sectors but also strengthen India’s position in the global innovation ecosystem and bolster the export-oriented IT services industry. “They can also help drive equitable growth through improved access to work opportunities, universal healthcare and education for all – but for this, we need to make the right investments,” Menon advises.
Menon is on the Board of Governors of her alma mater, XLRI School of Business, and two not-for-profits — Pratham Books and Akshara Foundation. She is recognised among the top 10 LGBT Ally Executives globally. Before joining Accenture, she was an entrepreneur, and she co-founded two technology companies and a not for profit.
The many firsts
Menon is the first woman to take on the role of chairperson of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) in its 30-year history. Apart from NASSCOM Chair, at present she is also a member of the National Council of CII, and USIBC’s India Advisory Council. She is the Chair of the Governing Council of National Skill Development Corporation’s (NSDC) Sector Skills Council and is on the Boards of NASSCOM Foundation and Invest India.