Velocity of Change: Women, Tech, and Leadership in Saudi Arabia (S1 E14)

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, host Hanna Abdelhamid speaks with Alanood Essa Alessa, a systems thinker and digital strategist based in Riyadh. She recently completed her master’s in Digital Transformation and Innovation Leadership and currently manages Digital CX at SAL (Saudi Logistics Services).

With digital experience across the public, banking, and logistics sectors, Alanood works at the intersection of technical logic and human psychology, translating complex real-world challenges into seamless digital solutions.

In this conversation, she shares her journey from marketing to IT, the six-year period after graduation when structural barriers limited mobility, and the mindset shift that helped her treat that time as preparation rather than failure.

The episode also explores leadership in male-dominated environments, the practical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and how organisations can better amplify women’s expertise. It is a grounded discussion about resilience, long-term thinking, and building a career in STEM without waiting for perfect conditions.