EWF Women in STEM – Q&A with Neha Joshi

EWF Women in STEM – Q&A with Neha Joshi

Neha Joshi is the Global Managing Director, Growth & Strategy Lead at Accenture Security, and the 2019 EWF Women of Influence Private Solutions Provider recipient.

Neha, you’re the global Growth and Strategy Lead at Accenture Security, mother of two and a spouse. You’re shaping the strategy that will grow a $3 billion business, you’re making investment and acquisition decisions, and you kept it going during a global pandemic that disrupted everything. That’s amazing, but as Shakespeare said, “Uneasy is the head that wears a crown.” Let’s dive right in to hear about the challenges, the victories, the doubts and the things that make you smile.

1) How do you juggle it all?

When my children were infants, before COVID-19, I often took them on business trips with me and hired a local babysitter or flew my mother in to watch them while I was in meetings. Now I block off their dinner and bed time as “Out of Office” on my work calendar so I can be with them then. I’ve also invested in a Peloton bike so that I can exercise with the flexibility I need between meetings. If I find myself getting “work head” – when I can’t see anything beyond all the work I need to do – I’ll take the time to talk with friends. 

2) What are your days like?

I’m in Teams meetings most of the day … security teams working on “Big Bet” innovation solutions, clients and partners co-creating with us … it’s busy. After giving my kids dinner and putting them to bed I might do a little more work or watch TV with my husband. 

3) What are you most proud of?

Professionally, I’m proud of forging new paths – creating new capabilities that didn’t previously exist and are now helping better secure the world. Personally, I’m most proud of staying true to the kind of mother, wife, daughter and friend I want to be while enjoying a demanding career.

“Sometimes you’re trapped and need an outside perspective to help you identify the blocker. The right mentors and sponsors can be key to growth.”

4) If you could give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?

Perfect question because I just had to write a letter to myself as part of a coaching exercise. I wrote back to my 2016 self, when I was doing innovation work I loved, but knew it wouldn’t be good for my career progression. When I was writing the letter, I thought back to a lunch I had with a trusted mentor, Rex Thexton, who basically said, “Look, you’re doing great things, but you can do more – more than you even know.” Then he said he was nominating me for Managing Director (MD) training. As I looked back, the keys to getting to that moment were that I was able to focus on my strengths and what I really wanted to accomplish. So I ask people now,  “What truly makes you happy? Not comfortable, but energized and looking forward to the day.”

5) What was your reaction when you learned you were being nominated?

I was so shocked I literally laughed out loud. 

6) How did the training go?

It was profound. A coach worked with me on whether I wanted to be an MD. He asked me what I thought my MD position would be like – how I would fit the role to me, rather than how I would try to fit myself into the role. And then I wound up getting promoted to MD while on maternity leave. 

7) Did you have doubts or fears?

Yes. It was all unknown. Nobody was there to tell me what my job would be because my job hadn’t been defined. So I took a deep breath and went back to Rex and my other mentors and they said, “They didn’t promote you just to turn around and change you. You got here by being good at something – something they want more of in their business.” That made a big difference in how I think of myself and measure my success. 

8) What about taking risks?

I think it’s more about deciding what risks are worth taking, which goes back to knowing your purpose and creating a safety net with your crew, your mentors. I’m very big on defining a vision and figuring out how to get there – plus identifying self-limiting beliefs and throwing them away. Limiting beliefs come from a variety of sources: our own heads, other people telling us things, doubt from early family experiences. Who cares what somebody said? That’s their story, not yours.

9) But how does one – how did you – go about determining your own path? What are the concrete steps?

Your purpose lies at the cross-section of your strengths, your values and your passions. What are your passions? The things that make time fly when you do them? What matters to you? When you write those down, you will begin to see trends and understand your path. 

10) Was it difficult navigating the world of security, which, despite progress, in many ways is still male-dominated?

This question always makes me think of the Pixar short about the ball of yarn. She initially has to change herself to get the men to acknowledge her existence. But she uses that attention to include others like her and go back to being her true self, making the work experience better for everyone. I was fairly used to male energy because, growing up, many of my close friends were male, as well as the majority of my classmates in my computer science major. So it wasn’t as jarring of an experience for me to enter a male-dominated profession. But I did have to learn to make very clear boundaries within those professional relationships – for example, that type of joke isn’t funny, or I took notes last time so someone else is doing it this time. Male allies helped with maintaining those boundaries, so I wasn’t working alone.

11) What women have inspired you and why?

Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code. She saw a problem and, even though she didn’t have a tech background, she went all-in on solving it. She also speaks and writes about how to encourage girls and women to be brave, not perfect.

“The sisterhood of EWF has grown significantly in the years I’ve been involved, and I continue to meet impressive, interesting women at every event.”

12) How has the EWF expanded your network? What does being the recipient of the 2019 WOI Award for Private Solutions Provider mean to you?

The sisterhood of EWF has grown significantly in the years I’ve been involved, and I continue to meet impressive, interesting women at every event. I met one of my greatest mentors, Cathy Allen, through the EWF Lift program. She has given me career guidance but has also made industry introductions that have expanded my opportunities, including joining the Board of the Women’s Technology Council at the New York Institute of Technology.

Receiving the 2019 WOI Award for Private Solutions Provider was such an honor. It made me reflect on my career and think about what has led me to a position of influence and how I can help others on their own journeys. 

13) Final Words?

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