Joumana Karam has spent three decades of her career in technology, moving between various departments including customer service, IT management, sales, and product marketing. In 2018, she took on the marketing portfolio at ACER, and by 2023, she was handling new business products across EMEA as a business development regional manager, spearheading marketing strategies for the emerging e-mobility sector.  

“As we are in a new era that thrives on, and is enabled by technology, I am both thrilled and fortunate to be in the technology industry,” says Karam, who took a leap of faith and transitioned from IT to sales and marketing late in her career.  

An engineer by education and training, Karam is a strong advocate of women in the technology industry. She is keen to see more women in leadership and management positions in the industry.  

“In my position, I am proud to be able to push young minds in the tech industry to enhance their skills and to showcase to themselves and the world that they can make a difference in their professional and personal lives,” she says.  

“When I started working, I was part of a minority. I was the only female in the technical department at my first job! It was never an easy path. Despite having a dual master’s degree in engineering, I had to prove myself every step of the way and let my work and results speak for themselves. I listened, kept learning from every situation, remained flexible and open, and above all trusted my voice!” she adds.  

Throughout her almost three-decade career, she has made a point to learn every chance that she gets, including inspiring colleagues and challenging situations. The key, she says, was staying open to learning and finding novel solutions.   

Born and bred in her native country, the Lebanese native is no stranger to challenges, and workplace politics and bad management have inspired her to be a better leader. “Leadership is the ability to influence and guide the people around you. Rather than seeing challenges as obstacles, I learned to embrace them and consider them the best catalyst for personal growth,” she says.  

When she’s not busy with Acer, Karam devotes her time as a volunteer, animating children’s activities through music. An accomplished opera singer, she is also part of the Dubai Chamber Choir which hosts two free public concerts annually.