FourKites Career Growth & Development

Describe your career journey so far. What skills and experiences have you acquired along the way that have helped you get to where you are now?

I’ve always been in B2B tech marketing, mostly in SaaS. What started as an internship became my first role as a marketing copywriter for a mid-size ERP company. My wonderful leaders and mentors gave me opportunities to shine, including owning our customer newsletter, collaborating on our 10K and even traveling for my first international business trip to facilitate customer testimonials. Those five years gave me the confidence to take a role in solutions marketing/demand generation by day and an executive mba program in marketing and supply chain by night. I spent the next 15 years building my GTM and leadership muscles as I grew to become team lead and eventually senior director of demand generation and account-based marketing. 

I’ve always viewed myself and been told I’m a natural leader. As I’ve progressed, leadership and the people aspect of the job stood out — I learned a lot from my tremendous leaders. I always knew who and what I wanted to be and they shaped me into exactly that, a vice president of marketing at a supply chain tech company. I love my job and feel fortunate to do what I do every day. I hope to give my team and future marketing leaders the same guidance and opportunities.

What support did you receive from individuals or resources that helped you step into a leadership role?

The leaders who have stood out most to me and helped shape who I am as a leader are those with whom I formed a bond. It wasn’t always just business. They expected stellar results and a high degree of accountability. And, they recognized that at the end of the day, we are all people with a common business goal, who happen to spend a lot of time together so we might as well enjoy it. The best leaders I’ve had had my back, were transparent, pushed me, believed in me, got to know me and helped clear the way for me to succeed. 

I think it’s so important not to shelter your team or your leaders. Give them visibility and opportunities to do what they do best. Let them earn the recognition for their good work. Never take credit for what they’ve done. Always cheer them on and celebrate their successes, publicly. As leaders, we are here to inspire, to provide guardrails and a framework. We have years of experience to rely on and to teach our teams what’s possible when they believe in themselves and their own abilities.

How do you encourage other women on your team to become leaders themselves? Are there any stories you can share that showcase how you’ve done this?

Arguably, there are more women leaders in marketing than in other departments. But still less, in general, especially in tech. I encourage the women on my team to use their voices and expertise and be bold — frankly, I encourage men to do the same. I’ve been fortunate to promote women to leadership roles and sometimes asking them if it’s what they want is the right first step. I believe in open dialogue. I am an open book. And I’ve maintained relationships with those I’ve helped grow, just as I remain connected to those who came before and inspired me. 

My leadership style is largely based on two ideas. The first is radical candor, a book and a practice that implores leaders to challenge directly and care personally. This resonates because it’s always personal, even when it’s business — when people know you truly care, direct feedback can be better received. Secondly, you cannot be an expert in everything, especially as you gain more responsibility. Your own leadership team is crucial to your success and the entire function. Rely on your leaders. Learn from them (never stop learning). Because, as they say, all boats rise and it’s more rewarding for everyone this way.