Silka Patel is a strategic marketing expert with 23 years’ experience of working within the technology industry and is currently the Social Value Manager at Leidos. Leading the efforts on shaping the social value strategy for Leidos UK by leveraging our CSR and ESG activities to drive business outcomes.
Her experience lies in strategic marketing to successfully deliver and reflect market industry trends, with a strong ability to drive business results through effective internal and external communication across traditional and digital media. Following 11 years of marketing experience at Cisco Systems, she joined Leidos in 2019 as the Senior Marketing Manager for the National Security & Defence division and has developed key marketing campaigns whilst growing the Leidos brand recognition in these markets.
Silka is a supporter of multiple Diversity & Inclusion programmes and is the Chair of Leidos UK Women’s Network and the Vice Chair of REACH (Race, Ethnicity & Cultural Heritage) employee resource groups. She set up Scotland Women in Technology, a non-for-profit organisation, which is now in its 15th year, championing women and girls in the technology sector.
Silka has a number of external roles including as a Non-Executive Director at the Glasgow Women’s Library since 2013, advising the board on marketing and digitalization aspects for future growth, Non-Executive Director at Technology Scotland and a member of Changing the Chemistry since 2013 which seeks to improve board effectiveness and quality through the Diversity of Thought.
She mentors early in career women across industry and STEM graduates and apprentices so they can be involved in the life changing opportunities that the technology sector offers.
Mother of two boys, she enjoys Pilates, running and cooking as her favourite past-times.