Motivation to Speak
Are you excited to speak at the Women in Tech Global Conference, and what motivated you to join our community of 150,000 women in tech, minorities, and allies?
Absolutely—I’m SO excited to speak at the Women in Tech Global Conference and to be part of a community of women who are shaping the future of technology and leadership. As a working mother navigating the C-suite, I know firsthand how complex the journey for women in leadership can be—but, at the same time, how navigating the challenges unique to working motherhood bolstered my leadership abilities and helped me advance my career. These are the conversations we need to have more openly, and this community provides a space to do just that. I can’t wait to share my experiences, learn from others, and most importantly, help create a dialogue that empowers more women to lead—on their own terms.
Background and Inspiration
Share with us about your background, your journey in tech, and what inspired you to develop your career in this direction?
My career path has been anything but linear. I majored in history, spending college immersed in ancient civilizations, revolutions and world-changing events, not spreadsheets. In my final year of college, I saw that Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) was recruiting liberal arts students. I thought, Why not?: a mindset that shaped the rest of my career—which has turned out to be 30 incredible years at PwC.
Now, as Chief Commercial Officer, I spend my days advising business leaders on how to navigate a complex and fast-changing environment. The world we’re in is more interconnected, and new technologies are creating new opportunities we hadn’t previously imagined. In just the past few months, we’ve seen so many developments in AI, and business leaders know these trends will dramatically change the competitive landscape.
I’m excited about the opportunity to help businesses navigate those changes—whether it’s understanding emerging risks, adopting new digital tools or setting long-term strategies. I’ve found that the skills I learned as a history student—critical thinking, information analysis, and questioning assumptions—lend themselves incredibly well to my work alongside CEOs. As a strategic advisor, I help clients anticipate the needs and expectations of their industries and stakeholders—and transform in ways that will unlock opportunity far into the future. At this incredible moment in history, I’m proud to help chart a new path forward for our business, our industry, and our world.
Why is the topic “Decision-making in the C-Suite: Balance, choice and the leadership skills that matter” important to you?
This topic is important to me because I’ve lived it. In the twenty years I’ve spent as a working mother, I’ve learned that work-life balance is a myth. Instead, I think of my life in terms of work-life choices, which we all make every day. Those choices look different for everyone, but the ability to make them is a critical leadership skill.
Perhaps the most pivotal choice I made for my career was deciding to commute weekly from California to New York—obviously an unconventional decision, but one that led to the life I have today. I was able to make that call because of the clarity I had about my goals, and the honesty and understanding afforded to me by my mentors, sponsors and advocates—my personal “board of directors,” who had my best interests at heart.
In the decade since I made that decision, the ability to make quick, informed, high-stakes decisions—particularly with imperfect information—has only gotten harder and more important. I don’t think of my personal life and professional life as separate, and I approach decisions in each of them in the same way: by following my North Star, relying on my “board of directors,” and knowing what I don’t know. I’ve learned to operate in uncertainty, ask smart questions, and identify the people whose insight will help me make the right decisions for myself, my family, and career.
As women leaders, we need to understand how the tough calls we’re making for ourselves and our families every day aren’t so different from the tough calls we’ll make as heads of organizations or experts in our fields—and that our ability to navigate the challenges of the former set them up for success in the latter.
Who would you advise to attend the Women in Tech Global Conference and why?
Even though my role isn’t fully in the technology space, I spend a lot of time thinking about tech—and I imagine everyone working in business today does the same. With the fast pace of innovation and the introduction of so many exciting new tools across industries, many of us are “women in tech” without working at tech companies, and I think we could all stand to benefit from sharing our knowledge and experiences.
I’d recommend the Women in Tech Global Conference to anyone who’s navigating a career in the tech or business worlds, which are increasingly one and the same. Whether you’re just starting out, stepping into a leadership role, or looking to support and advocate for a more inclusive industry, I think this is an incredible opportunity to learn from other women who’ve been there before.
For all of us, this conference is a chance to connect with others who get it—those who have navigated challenges and advanced in their careers, and are willing to share what we learned along the way. It’s a place to learn, ask questions, and take away real, actionable insights that will help all of us get closer to our goals. I’m excited to connect with so many incredible women, but beyond that, I’m excited to have real, honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in this space and how we can support each other along the way.
