Thryv has called for broader recognition of women building technology leadership across customer, operations and business management roles in small and medium-sized businesses, as AI becomes part of daily operations.
Elise Balsillie, director of Thryv Australia and New Zealand, said women are developing technology expertise outside of traditional technical roles while taking responsibility for customer experience, revenue, education and operational change.
His comments come as the use of AI becomes more common among smaller companies. Thryv’s 2025 Business Index and Consumer Report found that 59 per cent of Australian SMEs and 56 per cent of New Zealand SMEs are already using AI.
Balsillie said this is changing who makes technology decisions within a company. In smaller companies, those decisions are often made by people who also serve customers, supervise staff, and manage daily operations.
“The job title tells you where someone is in a business. The work they’ve run tells you a lot more about their technological capabilities,” Balsillie said.
“Technology has several entry doors. Some women enter through products or data. Others develop their expertise by solving business problems with technology, introducing new ways of working, and leading people through change. We need to get better at recognizing technology leadership wherever that expertise is being built.”
Changing roles
Balsillie has worked in media, education, revenue and digital transformation over a 25-year career. He said technology has become an increasingly important part of leadership roles as small businesses increasingly rely on digital tools to engage customers, manage relationships and support growth.
That shift is spreading even further with AI, moving technology options to roles not typically described as technical. Balsillie said decisions around handling enquiries, moving customer information between systems, automation and the limits of human judgment are now much closer to frontline business activity.
“AI is bringing technology decisions to roles that may have never been described as technology roles,” he said.
“A business owner may now be deciding how an inquiry is handled, how customer information is moved between systems, what tasks should be automated, and where human judgment should remain part of the process. These decisions can directly impact the customer experience, team workload, and how effectively the business operates.”
She said this creates an opportunity for women whose careers have been spent close to customers, operations and revenue, because they often understand how systems work in practice and not just in theory.
“Women who have spent years understanding customers, managing teams, or improving how a business works can bring valuable perspective to technology leadership because they understand what needs to work in practice,” Balsillie said.
“My own path taught me to start with the outcome. Where is information lost? What process creates friction? What could technology do better, and where does human judgment add the most value? The strongest technology decisions connect what a system can do with what the company, its people, and its customers really need.”
Small Business Training Camp
Balsillie said smaller companies can be useful environments for developing technology leadership because staff often work across functions and can quickly see the effects of digital decisions. A cumbersome platform can create immediate problems for customer inquiries, while automation can eliminate repetitive administration and relieve pressure on teams.
That immediacy, he said, helps people understand not only what a piece of technology does, but also how it changes workflows, customer interactions and business performance.
“In a small business, the impact of a technology decision is seen almost immediately,” Balsillie said.
“You quickly know if a system makes work easier, improves the customer experience, or simply creates another task. That experience teaches people to look beyond the technology itself and understand how it affects customers, workflows, and the business as a whole.”
Thryv maintains that technology responsibility often arises within existing jobs rather than through a formal move to an IT department. Someone who manages customer relationships can introduce a new CRM, improve an automated follow-up process, or help decide how AI should be used.
For women already working in customer experience, operations, revenue, or general management, those responsibilities can amount to significant technology experience before any formal technical title appears. Balsillie said the experience should be judged on complexity, decision-making, change leadership and measurable results.
“Look at the complexity someone has managed, the decisions they have made, the change they have led, and the results they have achieved. Can they understand what technology can do, question how it should be applied, engage people through change, and connect an investment to a meaningful business outcome? For many women, those skills are already being developed in the roles they play today.”
She said small businesses can strengthen that path by giving women responsibility for digital projects with clear operational importance, such as introducing an AI-enabled process, improving customer journeys or leading the launch of a new platform.
“Give women responsibility for technology initiatives that have real weight and let their results speak,” Balsillie said.
“The next generation of women technology leaders may already be running small businesses, leading client teams, or improving operations. Technology leadership is changing because technology now sits within customer conversations, workflows, and growth decisions. When we recognize the expertise being built through that work, we create stronger pathways for women while giving small businesses access to leaders who understand both the technology and the business they are meant to serve.”
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