In this Q&A, Meerah Rajavel, chief information officer for Citrix at the time of this interview (now CIO for Palo Alto Networks), shares her observations on what it takes to keep up with everything and flourish in this industry.  

To be and remain relevant, technical professionals need to focus on three areas: cloud, security and programming and scripting languages. Certification with cloud platforms like Azure, AWS, and GCP are extremely relevant and in-demand today, and as hybrid work has become the new norm, certifications in digital workspace companies are also critically important, along with security-focused credentials like CISM, CCISP, and CISA. On the non-tech side of IT, product thinking and strong program management and excellent communication skills will continue to be in demand as we look to solve complex problems with technology and need to work across functions to do so.