Manal Albawardi

About

Manal Albawardi is a seasoned leader in digital transformation and IT strategy with over 15 years of experience driving innovation across complex organizations. Currently serving as Chief Information Officer at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), she oversees the university’s technology strategy, high-performance computing, and enterprise IT operations. Albawardi has successfully led initiatives in software engineering, data governance, business process optimization, and cybersecurity, managing teams of over 60 professionals. Her leadership is supported by a strong educational foundation, including an Executive MBA from IE Business School, studies in Finance and Strategy at London Business School, the Emerging Leader Program at Harvard University, a Master’s in Software Engineering from DePaul University, and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from King Faisal University, enabling her to turn strategic vision into sustainable digital impact.