We recently had the opportunity to interview Sandrine R. M. El Khodry, Senior Vice President of EEIMEA Region at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. With over 28 years of experience, Sandrine has built her way up from working as a sales specialist in various fields to becoming a senior executive leader in one of the top technology companies in the world.
Apart from her demanding work schedule, Sandrine’s engagement is always sought after, being invited to speaking engagements, regional conferences, and advisory roles, to impart her knowledge, share her infectious positivity and outstanding mentorship to individuals and organizations. In this insightful session, Sandrine shares a part of her career journey, giving tips on how she maintains her personal and professional life balance, and sharing insights on the growth of the ICT industry.
Major Milestones In Career
We started the interview by asking, “What were the key milestones in your career that led you to where you are today?”
Sandrine shared, “I started my career as a salesperson, so I acquired the know-how of doing business from the bottom-up. During my career, I got the chance to have some people who believed in me and gave me the opportunities to grow.
Mainly, three people who supported me on each of these different steps of my career, which I am grateful for. As a woman in the technology sector, it has always been a challenge to prove that I am capable of delivering. At each step, I needed to work thrice as hard as my male colleagues would to make a place for myself in this market. I’m proud of what I have achieved until today, but my journey is not finished yet.”
Leading The Business Operations
We were intrigued to learn more about the leading approaches of Sandrine R. M. El Khodry. So, we asked, “Describe a day in your life as the leader of your company. What are your main focuses and challenges?”
She shared, “Being a morning person, my day starts early at 7 am. While indulging in coffee and reviewing my agenda, I focus on vital tasks. My days are usually packed with meetings with my teams, customers, and partners.
What’s central to my day is to achieve my priority tasks as well as to support my teams, customers, and partners to make it happen. I am old school, I need to take notes during my meetings, which I go back to at the end of the week and month to ensure that all tasks are duly ticked off and my commitments are met.”
Secret Behind Constant Motivation
To learn how Sandrine continues to perform with the same passion in her business, we asked, “How do you stay motivated and continue to find passion in your work?”
Sandrine responded, “I think it’s important to understand the purpose and impact of your work – when you see the value it brings to others or the world, it becomes easier to stay motivated. On top of this, I have a positive mindset, obstacles for me are always a source of opportunities.
Finding a way around to continue having an impact and achieving my goals is my main fuel. I also love challenges and I first challenge myself to be the best that I can be every single day, for myself and my team.”
Team Empowerment
We further asked, “What strategies have you found most effective for managing and leading your team?”
She replied, “Empowerment, trust, and open communication are my keys. My team is an extension of myself, and I think that mutual trust is the key to a great relationship and achievement. They are empowered to decide on their perimeter and that also leads to ownership and their commitment to the team and our common goal.
We have regular reviews where communication is open and we give each other constructive feedback and I think communication and trust will always be one of the most important aspects of managing and leading a team.”
Evolution of the ICT Industry
Eager to learn Sandrine’s perspective on the evolution and transformation of her industry, we asked, “In what ways has your industry changed since you started, and how has your company adapted to these changes?”
“The ICT industry has undergone notable advancements, such as the rise of remote work and the growing importance of business continuity. Artificial intelligence is gaining widespread popularity, and the Internet of Things has introduced portable technologies, along with the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures to protect individuals and businesses from potential threats.
Cloud Technology is also another major evolution in the ICT industry, as this is crucial for companies that are looking for flexibility, scalability, cost savings, and so forth. ALE is a company that has stayed one step ahead of major industry shifts and the network and cloud solutions we provide to our customers are best in class – scalable, efficient, and easy to use.” Sandrine replied.
Moments of Triumphs
To learn more about the stories of success of Sandrine R. M. El Khodry’s company, we inquired, “Can you share a success story from your business that you’re particularly proud of?”
She replied, “One of my strengths is to build success stories from scratch, to know how to get the best out of people, to build a strong team spirit and a sense of belonging to work like ONE towards our goal.
I am humbled and lucky to have some interesting examples but let me highlight a recent one. My former MEA team (now part of the larger EEIMEA team) has seen a double-digit growth YoY several years in a row due to the exceptional individuals who made an even more exceptional team. I am proud to have achieved such success together.”
Striking a Personal Work-Life Balance
Having a balance between personal and work life may seem far from reality at times. Being a successful business leader and managing personal life perfectly, we were intrigued to gain some insights on this aspect from Sandrine. So, we asked, “How do you balance the demands of your career with your personal life?”
She replied, “My personal life, my family, kids and friends are the backbone of everything I do, and I always make time for what is truly important in life. In ALE work-life balance is something that we take very seriously and thankfully, we have the added value of the technology that helps us stay connected regardless of where we are.
To disconnect, I enjoy reading biographies; they give me ideas and motivation to continue my path. I also indulge in sports to get rid of the day’s stress and increase my adrenaline. I love traveling, as it opens my mind and makes me discover different cultures, people, places, ethics, and enriches my life.”
Envisioning the Future, we asked Sandrine R. M. El Khodry
To gather her insights on the growth of her industry, we asked, “Tell us more about your views on the future of this industry?”
“The future of ICT holds exciting possibilities, driven by all the rapid advancements in technology. Everything will become more automated, offering faster access to information in all industries such as healthcare, retail, education, and hospitality.
AI is bringing lots of opportunities for solving complex problems in different domains, including climate change. There is also a great deal of development in human-machine collaboration, which we can see in entertainment, education, and collaborative work environments. I think there is a heap of innovation to come and I am excited about what we can do in ALE to utilize all this potential for our customers.” Sandrine shared.
Establishing Strong Roots for ALE
We ended the interview by asking, “Looking ahead, what are the long-term goals for your company, and how are you working towards them?”
Sandrine concluded, “I think ALE is on a great path of growth and innovation, we have always been ahead of the industry trends during our 100 years of existence. We are constantly looking forward to and staying ahead of the game to ensure our partners and customers get the benefits of working with an industry leader.
Technology will continue to evolve at a dramatic pace, which is why we are investing greatly in cutting-edge research and development, as well as keeping in mind that we have made a commitment to sustainability and minimizing the environmental impact of our operations. Our long-term goal is, as our motto says, to make everything connect.”
Follow Sandrine R. M. El Khodry on LinkedIn.
Find Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise on LinkedIn and visit their website https://www.al-enterprise.com
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