Shikha Dahiya

A leader of mission-critical projects

Part of the Tech Women Celebration 50 – a curated list of some of the most inspirational women working at all levels of tech

Shikha Dahiya is a Senior Software Engineer at Bloomberg, London, where she designs scalable, high-performance systems for global financial clients. Previously, she worked at Microsoft Azure’s Cosmos DB team, where her research optimised machine resources, saving $50 million annually.

At Bloomberg, she has led critical projects, including enhancing the order processing system to secure multimillion-dollar client deals and automating testing to boost engineering efficiency.

Beyond her technical expertise, Shikha is a dedicated mentor and advocate for inclusion. As the London chapter lead for Women in AIM (WAIM), she has mentored over 100 women through initiatives like "The 90-Day Growth Challenge" and "A Day in the Life of an AIM Client."

She also mentors students at University College London (UCL), helping them build confidence and navigate careers. Shikha Dahiya’s work reflects her belief in an inclusive, people-first tech industry. She volunteers with the London Zoological Society and is committed to building an equitable tech future.

What does the nominee consider to be her biggest achievement to date?

Shikha’s most significant achievement is the end-to-end transformation of Bloomberg’s Order Management System (OMS), a globally used product for asset managers, hedge funds, and investment banks. She led the creation of a fully automated testing system that reduced manual QA reliance from 100% to 5%, improving deployment speed, reliability, and developer confidence. Simultaneously, she resolved performance bottlenecks in the trade system, increasing order processing capacity from 750 to 2000 and reducing latency by 50%, directly contributing to a $4 million client deal.

What sets this achievement apart is its dual impact - technical and human. Shikha Dahiya collaborated across teams in London, New York, and Princeton, managed stakeholders, mentored engineers, and led knowledge-sharing sessions to ensure inclusivity. While delivering these results, she continued her DEI work as WAIM’s London lead, launching programs like "The 90-Day Growth Challenge" and "Speed Mentorship," empowering over 100 women globally. One participant credited the program with overcoming her fear of public speaking and now presents to large audiences regularly.

This achievement embodies Shikha Dahiya’s leadership: technically sharp, people-focused, and purpose-driven, proving that true innovation uplifts both systems and people.

What is the most significant challenge the nominee has overcome?

Shikha’s most significant challenge was rebuilding her confidence and sense of belonging after moving from Microsoft India to Bloomberg London in 2022. Transitioning to a senior role in a new country and high-stakes financial domain, she felt overwhelmed by unfamiliar jargon and self-doubt. Instead of withdrawing, she turned discomfort into action, creating a personalised learning path, seeking mentorship, and taking ownership of end-to-end projects to grow technically and strategically.

This experience also inspired her to build community for others. As WAIM’s co-lead, she launched initiatives like the "90-Day Growth Challenge," helping over 100 women in London and New York navigate their careers with confidence. By empowering others, she rediscovered her own voice. Within a year, she led performance improvements securing a $4 million deal, presented to senior leadership, and became a trusted mentor.

This challenge taught her that confidence comes from bravery, learning, and lifting others. It shaped her into a resilient, community-driven leader who embraces growth with authenticity and empathy.

Tell us something about the nominee that people would find surprising

Surprisingly, Shikha was once terrified of public speaking and networking. Early in her career, she believed her work would speak for itself, until she realised visibility was key to impact. To overcome this fear, she started small - hosting internal events, mentoring one-on-one, and gradually organising large-scale workshops.

Today, she speaks at Bloomberg summits, leads mentorship programs impacting hundreds, and presents technical updates to stakeholders. Even more surprising, she now coaches others on public speaking, storytelling, and advocacy. This transformation from quiet contributor to vocal champion is one of her proudest achievements, teaching her that leadership is about creating spaces where others feel safe to grow.