From Engineer to AI Leader: Deepika Sidana on Leadership, Mentorship, and Responsible AI

In this episode of the NY Professional Spotlight Podcast, Roman Kirzhner sits down with Deepika Sidana, a Senior Engineering Manager at American Express with around 15 years of experience in software engineering.

Deepika shares how she began her career as a Java developer and gradually moved into engineering leadership. One of the biggest lessons from that transition was learning that leadership is not about being the person who solves every problem. Instead, strong leaders empower their teams to think independently, challenge assumptions, make decisions, and learn from mistakes.

Roman and Deepika also explore the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence. Deepika discusses her work with AI agents and knowledge-assistant initiatives, along with her personal interest in using AI as a tool for learning rather than simply an “answering machine.” She created a custom GPT for her daughter designed to encourage critical thinking by guiding her toward answers instead of providing them directly.

Deepika also shares her efforts to help the next generation become more confident with technology. She has delivered coding and AI workshops to nearly 100 Girl Scouts and hopes to expand the initiative so more volunteers can help young people develop foundational AI and technology skills

The conversation also touches on career growth and the importance of becoming comfortable with uncomfortable situations. Deepika explains why failure has been an important part of her own development and why professionals shouldn't allow fear of failure to prevent them from taking on new challenges