Creating Clarity: Ranjeeta Khetan on Strength, Service, and Leadership
Today’s woman dreamer, Ranjeeta Khetan, is a Digital Transformation Leader with 25+ years of global experience across IBM, National Grid, and now Scheidt & Bachmann, with a deep passion for AI innovation and giving back to the community. In her Women Who Win interview, she opens up about her breast cancer journey and the loss of her mother. She also reflects on her career and community service journey, and how her experiences have shaped her legacy and who she is as a leader today.
1. Tell us your story. You previously held managerial roles at IBM and are now driving digital transformation at Scheidt & Bachmann. How did you first discover your interest in digital transformation, and how has that passion shaped your career journey across these organizations?
My journey into digital transformation wasn’t a single moment—it evolved through experience. At IBM, I was exposed early to large-scale systems, global delivery, and the complexity of aligning technology with business outcomes. What stood out to me was that transformation wasn’t about technology alone—it was about reimagining how systems, people, and processes come together.
At Scheidt & Bachmann, that perspective deepened. Working in transit and mobility, I’ve seen firsthand how digital transformation directly impacts real-world experiences , millions of passengers, operational reliability, and public infrastructure. What drives me is solving systems-level challenges bringing clarity to complexity, improving resilience, and enabling organizations to evolve with confidence in a rapidly changing world.
2. How would you describe your leadership style, and how do these attributes influence the way you build teams and drive large scale transformation?
I would describe my leadership style as structured, empowering, and systems-oriented.
I focus on creating clarity—clear goals, clear accountability, and clear pathways for execution. But equally important is building an environment where people feel trusted to think, challenge, and lead.I don’t believe in centralized decision-making in complex environments. The best outcomes come when teams are empowered to operate with context, not just instructions. In large-scale transformation, my role is less about directing every move and more about designing the system in which great decisions can happen consistently.
3. As organizations accelerate their digital transformation journeys, AI is becoming central to decision making and operations. How do you think about AI ethics in this context, and how do you think about AI in the context of your transformation work today and as it evolves in the future?
AI is fundamentally reshaping how organizations operate, but with that comes responsibility. For me, AI ethics is not a separate conversation—it is embedded in how we design systems. It’s about transparency, accountability, and human oversight.
In transformation work, I see AI as an accelerator—not a replacement. It enhances decision-making, improves efficiency, and uncovers insights at scale. But the guardrails matter: ensuring data integrity, avoiding bias, and maintaining trust.
Looking ahead, the organizations that succeed will not be those that adopt AI the fastest—but those that integrate it responsibly, with strong governance and human-centered design.
4. You are deeply engaged in giving back, including your work with local Lexington schools. What motivates your commitment to community impact, and how do you view this as an extension of your leadership?
For me, community work comes from a sense of responsibility more than anything else.
What motivates me is a very simple feeling: if something affects children, families, or the future of a community, I don’t want to stand on the sidelines.
A lot of my community involvement comes from being both a parent and someone who naturally tries to bring structure when things feel unclear. In Lexington, whether through my role as LHS PTO President or through the educational series around the high school rebuild project, my motivation has been to help people feel more informed, included, and less overwhelmed.
I see this as an extension of my leadership because, to me, leadership is not only about delivering results in an organization. It is also about service.
5. What is the legacy you hope to build, both professionally and in the communities you serve?
The legacy I hope to build is one of meaningful impact and enduring systems.
If I can contribute to shaping systems and people that continue to grow and create value long after I’ve moved on, that would be a legacy worth building.