Microsoft ANZ CTO Sarah Carney on accountability in diversity

Sarah Carney, National CTO at Microsoft ANZ, shares her journey into tech, the role of sponsorship in career growth, and how workplaces can drive real inclusion.

With over 20 years of experience across three continents, Sarah Carney has built a career at the intersection of business, technology, and strategy.

As the National Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft ANZ, she leads technical strategy and digital transformation for the company’s largest customers.

Beyond her role in technology, she is a certified Prosci change practitioner and co-chairs Microsoft’s Military Employee Resource Group Board, advocating for the recruitment and development of veterans and their allies.

Her path into technology took unexpected turns, shaped by curiosity and a focus on impact rather than a rigid career plan.

As part of ADAPT’s International Women’s Day 2025 celebration, we spoke with Sarah about mentorship, career transitions, and the workplace shifts needed to create meaningful inclusion.

Mentorship vs. sponsorship: understanding the difference

Sarah didn’t have formal mentors early in her career, as mentorship programs weren’t widely encouraged.

“Mentorship was never something that I was really offered or suggested or amplified in any of the organisations I worked in.”

It wasn’t until later that she actively sought guidance, realising how valuable structured mentorship could be.

However, she draws a clear distinction between mentors and sponsors.

While mentors provide insight and guidance, sponsors are the people “in the rooms where you aren’t, talking about you and opening doors for you through their own personal capital.”

She encourages professionals to focus on excelling in their work and building strong relationships, as sponsorship often arises from genuine advocacy rather than formal programs.

A non-traditional path into tech

Tech wasn’t Sarah’s original plan. Encouraged to pursue traditional STEM subjects, she studied engineering and science but eventually found herself in marketing.

“I spent four years studying engineering and science, and I ended up in marketing.”

It wasn’t a calculated transition—rather, it was a friend at Microsoft who encouraged her to consider a role.

What drew her in wasn’t the technology itself, but Microsoft’s philanthropic work with Indigenous communities.

That was the moment she realised she wanted to be part of an organisation that cared about impact, not just products.

Her career shift is a testament to the fact that technology careers don’t always start in a computer science lab—sometimes, they start with a mission.

Beyond diversity targets: building inclusive cultures

Diversity efforts often focus on quotas and representation, but Sarah believes the real challenge lies in culture and accountability.

“If you have a senior executive team saying they’re committed to diversity but continue the same hiring practices, you’re never going to see real change.”

True inclusion happens when people feel safe bringing their full selves to work—when friction, disagreement, and diverse perspectives aren’t just tolerated but encouraged.

She emphasises the importance of psychological safety in teams, where people know their contributions are valued beyond just fulfilling a diversity metric.

Self-promotion without the stigma

For much of her career, Sarah struggled with self-promotion, seeing it as unnecessary or self-serving.

“Self-promotion has never sat well with me, but I’ve come to realise that’s probably a bit of an outdated and naive approach in this modern workplace.”

With managers and teams now spread across regions and remote work becoming the norm, visibility depends on active engagement.

She realised that if she wasn’t willing to talk about her work, her contributions would go unnoticed.

Now, she sees self-advocacy as a professional responsibility—one that ensures her impact is recognised and understood.

The advantage of being underestimated

Being underestimated can be frustrating, but Sarah sees it as an opportunity.

“People ask me all the time, ‘How do you have this job?’ Some genuinely want to follow the same path, but others think I don’t have the skills.”

Instead of taking offence, she uses it to her advantage, proving her value through her work.

She believes curiosity and adaptability are more important than following a rigid career trajectory.

Having only been in tech for nine years, she’s proof that there are many ways to reach leadership—none of them require a predetermined path.

Retaining women in tech is the real challenge

Sarah sees two key moments where women are lost in tech: at 14, when they disengage from STEM education, and later, when workplace structures fail them.

“We can’t expect to get more women into tech if we’re not addressing why they check out so early.”

Beyond education, she stresses that workplaces need to support women throughout different life stages.

With caregiving responsibilities still disproportionately falling on women, rigid work structures push many out of the industry entirely.

Companies serious about retention need to rethink flexibility, job sharing, and long-term career support—because keeping women in tech matters just as much as getting them in.

Sarah’s career demonstrates that leadership in tech comes from seizing opportunities, amplifying others, and adapting to change.

The real challenge is not just opening doors for women in tech but making sure the industry removes barriers that prevent them from advancing.

At CIO Edge, Sarah Carney delved into fostering a culture of continuous innovation and technical agility to navigate constant change.