Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Erin Byrne, Vice President of North America Sales at Recorded Future.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child? 

I grew up in Hudson, New Hampshire and would best describe myself as a curious and adventurous child. I had two older siblings who were very smart and athletic so I had no choice but to keep up! If I wasn’t playing basketball, soccer, or tennis, I was outside exploring in the woods or riding my bike. I was used to a fast-paced lifestyle with all the activities that come along with three siblings and we were always traveling to see our extended family in upstate New York. 

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school? 

I studied Political Science in college. I was a walk-on for the women’s basketball team at George Mason University in Virginia my freshman year, but decided to transfer to the University of Connecticut after my first year and retired from Division 1 basketball. After graduating from UCONN, I went back to D.C. to earn my Masters in Public Administration from George Mason University. I always thought I would be in the FBI, CIA, or work for the government. I loved learning about history, politics and foreign policy and D.C. was the perfect city for that.

My first job out of college was at Raytheon in their International Division. I started there as an intern while in graduate school and they offered me a job when I graduated. While there, I worked in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia Region and loved every moment of it! I remember when I accepted the job offer they told me I would be going to Dubai a few months later. There was no looking back when I took that job and I traveled all over the world and got to do some pretty incredible things both personally and professionally.

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today? 

My first critical career move was taking the job at Raytheon after graduate school. The skills I developed and the experiences I went through in the different roles I had there set a foundation for me to think big and understand that anything is possible. I was working with three and four star generals and individuals who were way more experienced than me. Given that much responsibility in my early 20s, I had to learn to swim or would sink fast! They’ve continued to be good friends and mentors throughout my career.

After living in D.C. for six years, I thought I should move back up north and the perfect job became available at one of the companies Raytheon acquired selling their Boomerang product line in the Middle East and North Africa. Taking that job and leaving the network I built up in DC was risky but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. It got me closer to my friends and family and I was working on a sniper detection system that was saving soldiers’ lives in the war. I was also able to continue my travels to the Middle East and North Africa where I developed many professional relationships and friendships over the years, so it was a win-win all around.

The last critical career move I made was joining Recorded Future, a 30-person startup in Harvard Square. I can remember my breaking point at Raytheon and I knew I needed a change and wanted to do something completely different. At the time, I don’t think I really understood how risky the move was but I’m glad it worked out the way it did! Here I am, eight years later running sales for North America. I still remember my first day on the job like it was yesterday. I was coming from a 80,000 person company where I had my own office the size of a bedroom and wore pant/dress suits every day for five years. I showed up for the new gig on the sixth floor of an old building with two other companies in the shared workspace, had my new laptop, was way over dressed, and started making cold calls. I loved every moment of it!

What is your current role and responsibilities? 

I run sales for North America at Recorded Future. It’s roughly a $100M business this year spread across five teams. I’m responsible for our new business and also our existing client base of 600+ customers. The job is so rewarding because we’re arming governments and private organizations with security intelligence to disrupt their adversaries and stop attackers in their tracks. When I left Raytheon, I started to see the shift to cyber warfare and I couldn’t have ended up in a better place to continue the mission! 

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position? 

This is not where I thought I would be but I’m very happy it’s where I ended up. I had such a passion for intelligence work that I really thought I’d be working in the government. I loved my role at Raytheon and couldn’t wait to try something new with a small company that focused on intelligence but I never thought I could have such an impact and be where I am today. 

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals? 

Pave your own way. Seek advice from all kinds of leaders, take what you like most and make it your own. Always be ready to adapt and learn, no one has all the answers. Be patient, don’t climb too fast too soon, all those steps along the way prepare you for the roles ahead. 

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well? 

To be an effective sales leader you have to be able to deal with all kinds of people. Communication, empathy, adaptability are all critical but at the end of the day, you have to know how to motivate and lead your team. Be relatable, be humble, be human and that will go a long way. 

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s the most challenging? 

I love the people. I’ve been lucky enough to build a great team that works extremely hard and are passionate about the company and the mission and that’s really rewarding. We win and we lose together, but nothing feels better than winning and helping our clients defend against cyber criminals. The biggest challenge is managing through all the change when you’re growing at such a fast pace.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment? 

Recorded Future. I started when we were doing under $1M in revenue and we’ll be at $200M+ this year. There has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get where we are today. Every year there are new challenges and opportunities and it’s been an incredible journey that has taught me so many things I’ll take with me throughout the rest of my career.

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Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Running, skiing, paddleboarding, traveling. I love the sound of the ocean and the mountains for hiking and skiing. 

How do you manage stress?

Working out!

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

1 strong cup. Coffee is one of my favorite things so I invested in a good coffee machine years ago and it’s the highlight of my morning!

What's one of your favorite places in the Boston area? 

Running along the Esplanade and a weekend trip to Nantucket!

Any book or podcast recommendations?

I’m trying to read more fiction but I always wind up back on nonfiction...One of my favorite books of all time is Shantaram. I’m currently reading “A Woman of No Importance” which is a true story about an American Spy who helped win WWII.

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?

Aim high, take risks and work really hard. Most importantly, earn your keep/respect, don’t be entitled!

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Lynne Capozzi, CMO at Acquia.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I grew up in Tewksbury, Massachusetts and now live north of the city. I would describe myself as an athletic and social child. My parents instilled the importance of hardwork so I had jobs early on and that lesson has stayed with me throughout my career, helping me rise to the role of CMO. 

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?

I attended Suffolk University where I studied business management. My first job out of college was working at a computer store running the training classes. 

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?

I got my start doing classroom training on software, moved into a sales engineer role, and eventually joined marketing at Lotus Development where I found a passion for the field. I worked my way up to become a general manager of a product division and vice president of marketing at Lotus. After Lotus was acquired by IBM, I worked there for another two years before hitting the startup circuit. I ended my time at IBM as the vice president and general manager of the Internet Applications Division.

After IBM, I got bit by the startup bug again and served in a few chief marketing officer roles at Systinet, which was acquired by Mercury Interactive, and JackBe, which was acquired by Software AG, before coming to Acquia, first in 2008 and again in 2016.

Mine is a ricochet story with first joining Acquia in 2008, then leaving in 2011 to run a non- profit and returning in 2016.  While in my non-profit position, Acquia grew from a startup to a company with some 800 employees. Between my two-part tenure at Acquia, I observed many changes in the marketing technology world and was excited to learn that marketing was moving to be much more data-driven, especially with analytics tools and CRMs.

I came back to Acquia because I fell in love with the company again - everything from its culture to its people and the technology. The company’s needs had evolved and I felt I could make a significant impact with my passion and expertise for data and measurement. I have seen the role of the CMO change from a focus on creativity to data and technology tools and I think that moving forward there will be more consolidation in marketing, machine learning will play a major role in digital content marketing and we will find that digital transformation is more than a buzzword, especially in light of the pandemic. 

What is your current role and responsibilities?

As Acquia’s chief marketing officer, I oversee all global marketing functions including digital marketing, demand generation, operations, vertical strategy, analyst relations, content and corporate communications at the company.

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

Not at all! I actually thought I was going to be a lawyer.

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?

Set the goals, be diverse in what positions you take and put yourself in positions where you can experience different parts of marketing. I believe it’s important to have exposure to all of the marketing functions and various roles that make a marketing organization, and the entire company, successful. 

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

Leadership skills, financial planning and budgeting come top of mind, but also an understanding of all parts of marketing and sales, and how the two functions work together. We have shared goals with our sales organization to ensure that we are all working toward one common goal and are holding each other accountable. We’ve even gone as far as restructuring our kickoff to include the entire marketing department and have turned it into Sales and Marketing kickoff to help inspire both groups to achieve their goals. 

Also, compassion and a little bit of competitiveness in the role doesn’t hurt! 

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s most challenging?

Interesting/rewarding → the pace, variety, and changing market conditions. Growth in digital networking with other CMOs and learning from peers.

Most challenging → finding talent, growing talent, and once trained, how do you retain them? 

Explosion of marketing tools - finding right tech and the right people to use.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

Being key member of exec team in former role where we sold company (prominent role, key exec member) 

Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work?

Yes, I am heavily involved with a number of organizations that I care about and work to make a difference. I am a Trust Board Member at Boston Children’s Hospital, on the Advisory Board at Family Services of the Merrimack Valley, Chair of the Board of Directors at West Parish Garden Cemetery, and a Community Volunteer at Bellesini Academy. 

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Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Spending time with family, hiking, skiing, and running! 

How do you manage stress?

Working out and maintaining a positive attitude.

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

I typically pour about four cups a day but only end up drinking two of those.

What's one of your favorite places in the Boston/New York area?

Fenway Park 

Any book or podcast recommendations?  (professional or fun)

A good friend of mine and former Acquian, Tom Wentworth, has launched a podcast “Scaleup Marketing.” It’s a weekly podcast focused on B2B marketing at scale-up companies, covering the strategy and tactics it takes to win at $100m ARR and beyond. Definitely worth a listen!

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?

I’m a big believer in doing internships while you’re in college. We have a great partnership with Northeastern’s Co-Op program that is not only extremely

beneficial for the college students to gain critical work experience, but has been a tremendous help for the various teams within our marketing organizations! 
Also, I often tell people that their career paths won’t be linear. It’s important to be open to new opportunities, roles, and industries. Gain as much experience and knowledge as possible and if you are no longer passionate about the role or work you are doing, try something new! 

As part of our Lead(H)er series, we have had the great privilege of interviewing so many incredibly talented women who are founders or executives at some of the fastest growing companies in the vibrant startup scene.

They’ve told us about everything from the challenges, successes, and surprises of their careers to how many cups of coffee it takes to get through a day, so take a look at our list of the talented women we’ve spotlighted this year.

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Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Laura Tomaino, VP of People and Culture at HealthEdge.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I grew up in Massachusetts, then moved to Vermont when I was 11 years old. I am told I was a shy but determined, inquisitive, and well behaved child. I remembering wanting to be involved in things and make a difference and help others. I believed this desire to help sparked my interest in HR.

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?

In college, I remained undecided until late into my sophomore year when I finally declared business management my major.  Due to an internship in Human Resources the summer before I also committed to doing a minor in “Human Relations and Work”. My first job out of college was a Human Resources Representative/Executive Assistant at Dartmouth College working directly for our CHRO and supporting her calendar and pet project initiatives.

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?

After leaving Dartmouth I moved to Boston and worked in HR at Harvard University. While at Harvard I held two distinct generalist positions which gave me wonderful opportunities to learn from many different people and on many topics. After 6 years, I wanted to try something new and seized a risky but great opportunity to join a startup called HealthEdge. It was here that I experienced tremendous career growth due to the opportunity to build out the department from scratch. The most critical moment in my career was when I requested time with our new CEO at HealthEdge and was able to lift the HR function from compliance/ perfunctory to strategic. By the end of that meeting, we made a commitment to build a company and focus our leadership around being an employer of choice. I am still at HealthEdge learning and growing as we take on the new exciting challenge of being PE-backed and acquiring companies ourselves.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I am the VP of People and Culture at HealthEdge. I am surrounded by an amazing team of HR and TA professionals. Overall we drive the organizations focus on employee engagement and ensure our practices support our goal of being an employer of choice. I personally partner across the organization doing strategic workforce planning, nurturing our organization's talent, helping build resilient and high performing teams, and M&A.

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

Yes, I think so. As a kid, I knew I wanted to end up doing something where I could help people.  Today I spend a lot of time trying to build strong teams and solve the puzzle of how best to motivate and engage our people to take on our newest challenges. I find this work very gratifying.

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?

Join SHRM, and NEHRA, learn about employment law and listen to your instincts. I am also a big believer in learning more about your weaknesses and how to build upon your strengths. When you get an opportunity to build a team around you hire people that inspire you and that you can learn from (not just lead).

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

Empathy, Courage, Business Acumen, Resilience  

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s most challenging?

My favorite thing, or the thing I find most interesting about my work is interviewing candidates for open positions, I love unlocking what makes them tick and identifying not just how their skills match the open position but also who they are and what their style is. One of the most challenging opportunities I face is supporting and coaching teams through change. While change is constant it can still be very hard to work through and it is important to go slow and listen.  

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

My proudest professional accomplishment had been building the HealthEdge Human Resources function, from a box of loose leaf papers on my first day to a robust and engaged team that is recognized by its peers and external organizations as being innovative, supportive, thoughtful, and inquisitive about being an employer of choice.

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Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Getting outside – hiking, boating, playing with my kids

Listening to podcasts, audible, or TedTalks – I am a nerd. I also enjoy keeping my sourdough alive and baking for my friends and family.

How do you manage stress?

When I am passionate about something I dive in and can easily lose track of time. Time eludes me and being overcommitted is typically the cause of my stress. To manage that stress I make lists and just start. I value productivity and so the momentum from starting typically gets me out of the stress funk. It is also really helpful to remind myself of all the great people around me (my family or team at work) that are ready to help.

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?
0 before kids – as many as I need now 

What's one of your favorite places in the Boston area?

My favorite spot in Boston is the North End. The pasta, the desserts, the culture, and celebrations!

Any book or podcast recommendations? 
My favorite business book is “Go Giver” by John David Mann & Bob Burg

My favorite podcasts right now are “Unlocking Us” with Brene Brown AND Adam Grants “Worklife”. 

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?
Be patient with your career. Focus on being really good at the job you are in. When you have your work well managed and all is going well ask your boss what you can do to help take something off his/her plate- this will give you insight into what might be next and position you well for advancement.

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Laura Major, Chief Technology Officer at Motional.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I grew up in Naples, Florida.  My parents would’ve politely described me as “curious” (I asked a lot of questions), and my friends would’ve called me competitive.  I was heavily involved in sports, and played basketball, volleyball and fast-pitch softball.

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?

From a young age, I was interested in STEM.  I was drawn to space and then robotics.  Specifically I developed an interest in how to bring autonomous systems, or robots - unmanned aerial vehicles or ground robots - more naturally into our daily lives.  

For my undergraduate, this led me to Georgia Tech’s Industrial and Systems Engineering program, where I studied under Professor Amy Pritchett, a world-leading expert in aerospace engineering, and a pioneer in human-robot interaction. This cemented, but didn’t satiate my curiosity - so I then went on to the Aeronautics and Astronautics department at MIT, where I focused on human and autonomous design in air transportation systems. 

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?

My career’s most frightening, most uncertain moments have also been its most defining.  Two moments come to mind - the moment I became a mom, and the moment I became an aspiring writer.

My children are today, 7 and 4.  If you’ve come within 100 feet of a toddler, you’re probably doing the math and wincing as you realize that meant I had an infant, a threenager, and a big full-time job. I love nothing more than being a mom - but it’s hard.  Especially when you’re a young, female leader in a male-dominated field.

I was at a peak in my career; I had established a new technical team and developed a research program to change the way information is gathered and shared across many national security applications.  But I made the tough decision to temporarily step back and give myself time to focus on my family.  I moved to a three-day week, left my role building and leading a big technical team, and shifted to a commercially-focused role shaping new opportunities with DARPA.  It was risky, it was different, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  That role forced me out of my comfort zone.  It taught me strategy, business and communications skills that opened doors I’d walk through shortly afterwards, and become the CTO of Motional.

The second defining moment was an invitation to speak at an elite small gathering of the world’s foremost experts in robotics, automation and machine learning, called MARS.  This isn’t the kind of presentation you throw together on the flight over - no, it’s the kind of presentation you spend weeks or months preparing for.  And I did.  And as I did, I realized I had a lot more to say - about a book’s worth.  That book comes out in a month, and I had not taken on the truly terrifying challenge of speaking in front of the heroes in my field, I’m not sure it would exist.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I’m the Chief Technology Officer at Motional.  I lead a team of hundreds, and all of the engineering and technical program management that’s required to make self-driving cars a reality.

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

I always imagined myself leading large teams and making an impact on the world.  I just didn’t know where or how. There was one engineer in my family, my great uncle.  He was a civil engineer and all that I knew about engineering, until I went to college, I learned from him.  He had a major impact in the housing industry, by inventing the Gang-Nail connector plate and then launching an international business.  Though I quickly learned I didn’t share his passion for civil engineering, he inspired me to pursue engineering as an avenue to make a significant positive impact on the world.

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

To be successful in developing a first-of-its-kind technology, you need to focus on three critical areas: building and empowering a strong team, defining and continually refining an inspiring vision for the technology roadmap and solution, and honing strong problem-solving skills to see you through the many challenges you’ll face as a leader.

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Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I spend all of my free time with my two kids.  I love being present with them and exploring their interests.  We read, we hike, we swim, we see friends, and we generally have fun. In the evenings between my meetings in the US and my late-night teleconferences with our teams in Asia, you’ll often find me on the floor building legos with my 7 year-old or at the kid-sized art table working on a project with my 4-year-old.

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

I try to stop at two.  But if I’ve had a sleepless night because of work stress or sick child, I’ll allow myself a third.

What's one of your favorite places in the Boston area?                                                          

I’ve fallen for Cape Cod.  I spend most of my time in the city and I enjoy the energy and access to so many activities and amazing people.  But escapes to Brewster and Chatham have been good for my soul.  There’s tremendous natural beauty, and such diversity from the crashing waves and severe sand dunes on the ocean side, to the mile long low tide revealing interesting sea creatures on the bayside. We’ve discovered breathtaking hikes, taken up water sports - and it’s all less than two hours from our house in Boston.  

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?

Follow your passion first and foremost and keep your eyes out for creative ways to align your passion with significant needs across society. 

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Michelle Wong, VP of Marketing at Jackpocket.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and even though I’ve lived in NYC for over a decade, I still consider myself a Californian. For those who know me now, they’d be surprised to learn that I was a shy kid. 

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?

I studied Economics and Business at UC Berkeley, and my first job was in management consulting at Accenture right out of school. Consulting provided a fantastic foundation and exposure to different industries and companies. 

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?

I had always wanted to live in NYC, so I decided to pursue my MBA at NYU Stern to broaden my skill set and focus more on marketing. After graduating, I worked in brand management, until I had the opportunity to join American Express’s start-up arm. That was another critical point in my career when I realized I enjoyed working in smaller organizations. I took the plunge to startups and haven’t looked back! 

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I’m currently the VP of Marketing at Jackpocket, a mobile app startup that’s revolutionizing the $300 billion lottery industry. In this role, I’m responsible for initiating and driving an integrated marketing strategy. As we prepare to expand into many new states and markets, I work closely with my team to develop new acquisition channels, refine current channels, and ensure strong customer retention.

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

My career has not been linear, but I’m exactly where I want to be at this moment. My priorities have been to join a growing company with solid team culture over a specific role or vertical.

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?

Keep up-to-date on new marketing trends (ex. mobile) and what's going on in the industries you're interested in. Earlier on in your career, try to determine how you will differentiate yourself from the pack and be open to learning new skills. Reach out and set up informational / coffee chats with folks working at companies or roles you're interested in. You may be surprised to see how open people are to chatting!  

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

Empathy. At the end of the day, we’re all humans who are navigating a challenging time. 

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s most challenging?

I’ve worked across many different industries and company stages, but this is my first foray into the real-money gaming space, so I’m learning something new every day. Additionally, adapting to the ever-changing mobile advertising environment has been both interesting and challenging. 

Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work?

I’m passionate about women’s health and serve as a marketing advisor to Natalist, a venture-backed startup dedicated to improving the path to parenthood.

I’m also a volunteer and foster with Muddy Paws Rescue, a non-profit organization dedicated to partnering with animal shelters to pull and place dogs into loving forever homes.

What’s next for you and your career?

I’m still relatively new at Jackpocket, and really enjoy it so far—plus there’s so much growth ahead—so I’m excited to make Jackpocket nothing short of a household name! Someday, I’d love the opportunity to serve on the board for an organization that aligns with my interests and values.

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Tzipi Avioz, Executive Vice President Customer Success at Mirakl.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I grew up in Israel, also known as the Startup Nation. It’s one of the most innovative places in the world, and where I think I got my “never give up” mentality. Growing up among people who are really collaborative and open to building on ideas together is what made me who I am today. 

As a kid, I was never afraid to take on a challenge, and was always encouraged by my parents. My family jokes that ever since I was a toddler they knew that I’d be a leader – I was always the one at family events who was planning activities for all the cousins, and making sure that everyone was included. 

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?

I had to start by serving on the Intelligence team (known as 8200) in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Being a member of the IDF is something that defines life in Israel. At 18 and a half years old, I managed a team of 20 people. Not many have the opportunity to get that experience at such a young age. It was really formative for me.

My work at Shufersal, Israel’s largest supermarket chain, was the defining moment where I fell in love with retail. It gave me exposure to many different areas of the retail industry – I started as a checkout operator, worked my way up to become a deputy store manager in less than six months, and eventually stepped into a corporate role. Doing all these roles helped me learn very quickly what makes retail tick, and the opportunity to move into the head office to an operations and technology role really set me on the path that I’m still on today. 

Fast forward to a few years later, I became the CIO of Tiv Taam Group, one of the most innovative retailers in Israel, which at the time was experiencing aggressive growth. That role was the entry point into a brand new phase of my career, because it led me into a new opportunity with Woolworths Australia. When I went to Woolworths, it was the first of three times in my career where I jumped to a different kind of role at a new company. I had a senior development manager title, and to be honest some of my friends couldn’t believe I was choosing to move from C-level to a manager. But I am always grateful that I had the opportunity and I was open to try this new role, in a new company and country. I spent a decade of my career at Woolworths, guiding the company through its store and online retail development, becoming a leader and expert in the company’s digital tools, and managing large teams of 150 to 300 people. Every day was a learning moment. 

There have been a couple of other moves like that one, ultimately landing me where I am today at Mirakl. Mirakl has huge potential: I’m very passionate about what the company offers and what it delivers. It’s been a great way to build on my experience and my career background, and most importantly for me, I’m learning new things each day. That is what makes my role even more exciting. 

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I’m the executive vice president of customer success at Mirakl, which offers best-in-class software for companies launching third-party online marketplaces. One of the most important things that Mirakl brings to our customers, in addition to our software, is an unparalleled level of expertise on marketplaces. And our customer success team is a huge part of that. 

I lead our customer success team for clients in the Americas and APAC, like Urban Outfitters, HPE, and Best Buy Canada, and work very closely with executives to guide them through every stage of their time with Mirakl. In many cases, that starts even before they sign on to become a customer. We’ll help with implementation and launch, and we’re also a partner for them as they grow their marketplace business. Building those relationships is absolutely key to Mirakl’s success. 

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

The only clear vision of what I wanted my career to look like 10 or 20 years into the future was to do what I love. My view has always been, if I am enjoying it and passionate about what I can offer and what the role offers me, if I am challenged and learning – that's what I want to do.  Once you have that mindset, you open up all sorts of possibilities for yourself to use your (diversified) skills. It allows you to follow your passions, and for me, that’s where I’ve seen real fulfillment in my career. 

To be honest, I think that sometimes the traditional career advice with the five-year and 10-year plans can put you into a box. I can say truthfully that looking back, each of the roles I’ve held taught me something different that has brought me to where I am today. 

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?

First and foremost, when you’re looking at a new opportunity, don’t stress too much about what it will look like on your resume. Think about what really gets you excited to go to work every day, how the role will impact you, and how you’ll make an impact within the organization. There have been a couple of times in my career where I’ve made a move that some people would call a step down, or a lateral move. Those have been some of the most formative experiences on my resume.

Personally, I’ve held a lot of different roles in different industries, and the connecting thread between all of them is interaction with customers. That goes for my first job as a checkout operator and as a CIO. That’s true for the time I spent at Woolworths focused on the retail experience. And of course, that’s true in my work in customer success. 

I might sound a little cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason: don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and step up to new opportunities, even when you don’t feel you’re 100% ready for it. That goes especially for women. My mother has this saying – “never a failure, always a learning.” You’ve probably heard the statistic that men apply for roles they’re 60% qualified for on paper, but women only apply for roles they’re 100% qualified for. Confidence is an important factor there, of course. But so is being afraid of failure. 

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

I’d start by saying proactiveness. Our customers keep us on our toes! I’m constantly working to anticipate challenges, understand strategies, and make connections so that every conversation is useful and meaningful for everyone involved. 

Accountability is really important. You have to be able to own your mistakes and your successes, and take responsibility for your efforts. That’s key for any customer-focused role. 

And then of course, relationship-building. This role is all about keeping our customers in the center of everything we do, and serving as true advisors to them as they work to achieve their goals. Developing strong relationships with them is critical to that success. When you trust and understand each other, it makes the rest easier.

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s most challenging?

I’d have the same answer for both, actually. When our customers are successful, Mirakl is successful. It has created a really rewarding environment for me and for the rest of my team: we enter into the relationship with that in mind. 

But it’s not always an easy thing to achieve. The projects we work on are tough and ambitious. Companies come to us with the idea that they’re transforming their businesses. Some of these businesses have been around for more than a hundred years, they have thousands of employees, and lots of “big company” mentalities. We’re supporting them through a transition into a new business model, a different way of operating and to be agile. It makes things both more challenging and more rewarding when we succeed.  

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

I am so proud of the teams that I’ve built. It’s one of my greatest passions. Finding the right balance of people with different, complementary skillsets to do the work isn’t easy, but when you get it right, it has such an impact. Even now, many of the teams that I helped build in my previous roles are still together. That’s so rewarding to see. 

Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work?

I’ve benefited in countless ways from mentors who helped me through all sorts of professional challenges and triumphs. That’s the area where I try to give the most back. I actively mentor a number of women who are at different stages of their careers, specifically in STEM-focused industries. I’ve also participated as a mentor with Day of STEM at LifeJourney, where students get to test-drive future STEM careers and develop new skills to help them find their own passion. And finally, I’ve worked with startup CEOs to help them build and develop to their next growth phase, so that their businesses get the kind of guidance that has been so beneficial to me. 

What’s next for you and your career?

Right now, my focus is on continuing to build and strengthen Mirakl’s customer success team here in the Americas. We have such a great group of experts here, but as our business grows scalability is key, there’s so much more that

can be done! (And by the way, I have to mention that we’re hiring!)

Mirakl customers join experts from the Mirakl Customer Success team for a meeting of the User Advisory Board

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Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Work keeps me very busy, so I try to keep things simple in my free time: reading (especially books focused on leadership and business strategy), doing puzzles and of course, spending time with my family. 

How do you manage stress?

When I’m dealing with something stressful, I try to give myself space to step away from it so that I can process it at a different time – I find that it helps me to approach things with a cool head. Yoga helps. Walks on the beach. And making time for myself to focus on something else, so that I can come back to a challenge with a clean slate. 

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

Two – but I have to say that the coffee here doesn’t compare to what you can get in Australia. I miss flat whites! 

What's one of your favorite places in the Boston area?

No question, it has to be Cape Cod – every time we cross the bridge, I get excited. It immediately feels like “my happy place.” We are lucky enough to be able to spend some time there a few times a year as a family. 

Any book or podcast recommendations?  

I just finished reading Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. You absolutely don’t have to be a business leader to appreciate the learnings she shares. Everyone should read it – it’s applicable to so many different parts of life, not just work.

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Mary Beth Vassallo, VP & GM of North America at Nexthink.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I’m a second-generation Italian American, after coming to America in the 20s, my family settled in an Italian neighborhood on the north-side of Syracuse.  I grew up the youngest of 4 children, with a private catholic education. However, growing up I was extremely dedicated to gymnastics with dreams of becoming the next Olga Korbut. I was always competitive, but at the same time a bit of an introverted. Unfortunately, my gymnastics dreams did not pan out – but the fundamentals of concentration, independent strength and competitiveness still serve me well today.

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?

I studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Syracuse University.  I landed my first job with a consulting company 6 months before graduating and was placed at IBM where I was a software developer on a government project.  From there, I moved into IT operations, supporting a very large datacenter at GE.   

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today? 

My career has been more like a jungle gym than a ladder.  It has given me the opportunity to explore, stretch, learn, and grow.  Moving from IT to “the vendor” side was pivotal for my personal growth.  I worked at Boston-based Digital Equipment Corporation as a system engineer and moved into sales only because a door opened when the sales rep I supported went out on maternity leave and never came back.  This was another critical turning point in my career.  She and I are still friends. We talk about her decision to stay home and the impact it had on my career.  The next few important steps landed me in my current state - moving from individual contributor to management, building teams and business from the ground up multiple times with different go to market models, expanding to run global/diverse teams and leveraging experiences from large corporations, mid-size hypergrowth companies and startups.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I am currently responsible for building the business for North America.  When I started at Nexthink three years ago, we were 14 people in the Boston office and today we total more than 100 in North America – more than 600 globally. North America is an important market for the company, which was originally founded in Switzerland, now we have a dual headquarters in Boston and Lausanne, our CEO has moved to Boston and we continue to build out the management team based here, including the addition of a new Chief People Officer Meg Donovan.

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position? 

I always knew I wanted to be in a leadership role.  My mother was a big influence on my career.  She pushed me to enter the tech world before most people knew what a computer was.  Every time I’d land a new job or get a promotion, I’d call to let her know and she’d say, “one step closer to becoming a CEO”.  She is 99 now and asks me why I work so hard…

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

Hiring the right people and putting them in the right seat. Motivating, and inspiring my team through both good and challenging times is so important. It’s also necessary to practice active listening and to be open-minded and try new things to have a more open perspective from my colleagues and team.  Having a mentor or two doesn’t hurt, someone to go to for guidance and holding myself accountable to do the best I can each day.

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s most challenging?

The most rewarding work is developing my team, having them find personal and professional success.  Also, the value that Nexthink brings to our customers is incredibly rewarding, seeing external teams be able to tackle major challenges or have visibility where previously they were stuck guessing. I love hearing stories from our happy customers.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

It has always been about people for me.  Being a coach and mentor, helping others grow personally and professionally. One of my proudest moments was when someone I mentored thanked me for providing not only the professional coaching throughout his career, but also the confidence and internal belief that he would succeed.

Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work?

I have been actively involved in Take Steps - Crohn's & Colitis Foundation for the past 15 years. My son was diagnosed with Crohn’s at age 8.  There was no medicine to help him until he turned 13 so he battled it for many years.  He is in remission now thankfully from taking medicine produced by Johnson & Johnson, but it may not last, so I actively fund raise and support this cause to help find a cure.

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?

The world seems very different now than when I graduated, but I believe in the advice that I was given when I graduated and continue to pass on to people early in their career.  Have a destination in the back of your mind but also know that you have a great journey ahead, take some risks, try things that may feel uncomfortable because there are only two things that will happen – you will win or you will learn and both are great!

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Bela Labovitch, VP of Engineering at athenahealth.

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What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?

I earned my Bachelor’s degrees in both Computer Science and Psychology from Brandeis University and my Master’s degree in Computer Science from Northeastern University. I have always loved to code, and my first job out of college was as a software engineer (no surprise!).

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?

My career path was not linear - I started out as a Software Engineer and then went down the management path. I was working long hours as the Director of Engineering of a dynamic and fast-moving organization when a critical moment in my career occurred. My second son, then eighteen months old and possessing a limited vocabulary, said “Mom, I hate, hate that you work.” It was then that I decided it would be better to balance work and mothering two boys by returning to an individual contributor role. So, I stepped down from my Director position and spent my children’s formative years working part-time as a developer and architect. Ten years later, when I returned to full-time work and eventually a management position, I realized that you could toggle between management and individual contributor functions effectively. For those managers who miss being hands-on, it is possible to go back and forth - in fact, it can make you a better manager.

My 18-month-old has since grown up. I am pictured below with both of my children.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I currently lead engineering for athenahealth’s flagship Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) product athenaCollector. athenahealth’s vision is to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all. I lead a team of architects and developers whose goal is to deliver stable, scalable, performant and secure software to support our healthcare provider community. I am proud that our product has received a 2020 Best in KLAS award for Ambulatory RCM Services.

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

Earlier in my career the only thing I knew was that I wanted to be doing what I was passionate about, while making a difference in this world. I was always enthusiastic about building excellent software that has an impact on people’s lives. I am lucky to be in a position where I love my job and find it very rewarding. One of my goals also includes developing and retaining women in the technology field and cultivating women leaders. Being on the steering committee of one of athenahealth’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) – the Women’s Leadership Forum — and founding our Women in Technology initiative has given me an outlet to express myself, mentor, and help achievethis goal.

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?

Visualize where you would like to be and then work hard with a sense of optimism. It is important to enjoy your journey - if you are passionate and work hard but with ease, and help others along the way, there is a good chance you can achieve your career goals. Early in my career, I learned to take initiative, not let fear hold me back and that I didn’t need the title of a leader to be a leader.

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

My job is to create and sustain high-performing teams that deliver great outcomes for our customers. Towards this, it is important for me to focus on creating a culture for my team to do their best work, optimize processes and imbue software excellence in my organization. I need to care deeply about and understand my team, communicate well, empower my staff and make sure I keep learning and stay on top of technology and healthcare trends. In short, I need the skills to be both a great leader and technologist.

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s most challenging?

There are so many interesting things about my work - different pockets of my organization are solving various problems of automation, scale, performance and creation of value for our customers, who are healthcare providers. Most challenging (and interesting!) for athenahealth’s engineering team is our microservice journey, as we work towards partitioning our software into independent pieces of functionality, while continuing to delight and deliver value to our healthcare community.   

Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work?

I am passionate about bringing and keeping women in STEM - particularly technology - and I mentor and speak at various local organizations such as Girls Who Code. I belong to The Boston Club and work with women across technology companies in the Boston area on programming for women. I am looking forward to joining and getting more involved with the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association this year.

What’s next for you and your career?

I am perfectly happy with where I am right now and someday look to be on an Executive leadership team for an organization. I would also like to serve as a board member for some organizations whose values align with mine.

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Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I am a reader and belong to two book clubs. I run and practice yoga, and I love being outside. I also like to volunteer and have been a long-time parental stress counselor and serve on the board of a non-profit called Parents Helping Parents.

How do you manage stress?

Between meditation, yoga, and running, I have had a good handle on stress (mostly!).  

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

I love my coffee! Two cups a day, maybe three if I have a break from meetings and can get a third.

What's one of your favorite places in the Boston/New York area?

I love the water - take me anywhere - the Boston Harbor, Crane Beach or Lake Waban and I am happy!

Any book or podcast recommendations? 

Here is what you will find on my bedside today - books that I am reading right now:

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?

My son graduated from college this month, so I have a lot of advice! This is a hard time - college graduates have missed much of their final semester, time with friends and find themselves graduating into a tough job market. They are learning early, that things don’t always go the way you imagine they will. But this is an opportunity to purposefully learn resilience and grit. Be grateful for all that is good and stay optimistic, every day. Confront your fears, and then move forward with a sense of purpose - you can make a difference every day, to your community and to the larger world. Take this privilege, give to others and work hard - life will fall into place and be good.

Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the Tech Industry.  In this Q&A, we are featuring Cindy Stanton, VP, VRM Practice Leader at Rapid7.

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Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?

I grew up outside of Boston in Boxford, MA with my parents and my younger sister.  I was quite curious as a child and always interested in nature.  I would collect a bucket of seashells and then study what had lived in each shell, creating shoebox displays with my view on how they should be classified. 

I wanted to try almost anything in my youth. I enjoyed playing sports (both individual and team), playing musical instruments (the flute, oboe, and piano), and participating in school activities (plays, every academic team, German club, and an environmental club).  I think that my propensity to stay busy and being part of teams are traits that have stayed with me throughout my life and career. 

What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school? 

At Dartmouth College, I studied biology modified with environmental science.  And I continued my penchant for being engaged outside the classroom.  I served as Vice President of my sorority and captain of the college’s rugby team.  I also worked in a local start-up bookstore.  At that job, we started a business creating copyright-approved packets that professors wanted their students to read (i.e., articles) beyond the textbooks that we stocked.  It was an amazing experience.  I was involved in creating an expo for other businesses that wanted to access the student market during our back to school rush and designed a database and workflows to support our business processes.  That taste of entrepreneurship influenced me greatly.  Indeed, it shifted my path from medical school to business.  I participated in on-campus recruiting and took my first post-college job as an account rep for a paper mill.  You know the television show “The Office”?  We sold to companies like Dunder Mifflin.  I was told by several people that I would never regret the sales experience.  They were correct.  It was extremely beneficial and fascinating to meet the needs of different types of companies ranging from a school that needed copy paper to the retail company trying to minimize shipping costs for catalogs to the largest publishers in New York City.  There was also a bit of a wow factor working on deals that would take fifty truckloads to deliver.

Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today? 

I never viewed my career path as having definitive milestones and/or a linear progression.  Rather, I have always looked for a team of people I can enjoy and learn from and a challenge that I find interesting.

One obvious key moment in my career was switching from a paper mill to an Internet start-up focused on the paper industry.  At its core, this was a move from manufacturing to technology (where I have stayed ever since).  With respect to the security industry—where I have spent almost twenty years—it was more luck than long-term planning.  I took a job in security initially, because it would give me some time in London, while I applied to graduate school.  Instead I found that I really loved the security space and have since been able to partner with all sorts of companies to help them protect their businesses.

I would say most of my critical moments were the result of managers believing in me and trusting me to take on more projects and responsibility.  When I have lost track of that truth, I have made decisions to work in situations that did not necessarily propel me forward and in fact were detrimental.  It is something I have promised myself to be mindful of going forward.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

I am responsible for the Vulnerability Risk Management Practice at Rapid7, which includes our vulnerability management, application security, and offensive security products and services.  Rapid7 is structured into practices that are devoted to focusing on particular customer problems in the security space.  By bringing together product management, user experience, engineering, product marketing, and team members that help us map back to key cross-practice functions like Sales Engineering and Support, we are able to be highly focused on our customers getting the most value out of the solutions in each practice area.  In my role, I am responsible for our products and services meeting our promises to customers and working with my team to set our roadmap and plans to continue to evolve and delight our customers. I have an amazing team, and it is a real delight to work with them, as we set ambitious goals to improve the way customers consume our products and strive to meet them.

Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally?  Was it always your goal to be in this position?

A person can only foresee so far into the future.  Cybersecurity was not on my radar, when I was in college and applying for jobs.  Once I did find this market I enjoyed, I have looked for ways to explore new facets like moving to a company focused on securing Public Cloud, because I wanted to understand how that IT trend was going to impact my area.  Some of my decisions worked out, some were not as positive. However, I am so grateful for all of those experiences. I certainly am happy where I am today and am excited about what the future may bring.

For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?

My advice would be to look for opportunities to work cross-functionally to solve problems.  I have spent most of my career in product management, which is grounded in understanding customer problems and working across teams to help solve them.  It is of critical importance to develop deep partnerships within your organization to deliver results.   I sought out a product management role out of graduate school to gain that perspective, and I found much satisfaction in those roles.

I would also advise being open to taking customer facing roles that are opportunities for impact.  These roles can help build perspective invaluable to developing the right solution and working with your peers to get that solution to customers.  And being open to opportunities to drive impact that are outside your comfort zone is always a plus. Be comfortable taking risks and be okay with admitting when those risks have not delivered your desired result, so you can change your course and get in a better situation.  Broad experiences and perspectives provide the experience to tackle a cross-functional role like the one I enjoy.

What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?

I think the most important skills for my job are systems thinking, being data driven, and having empathy.  System thinking allows me to look at each part of our work to build and market our products and think about how it impacts the overall customer experience.  Then using data to understand those experiences, solve problems, and develop the right metrics to track our progress is critical to how we stay on track and help influence others to support our mission.  And I don’t think I can overstate how crucial empathy is to helping not only to understand what our customers need from us to get value and meet their needs, but also to be better partners internally to drive a cohesive approach across all functions to support progress for customers. 

What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work?  What’s most challenging? 

What intrigued me about cybersecurity from the start was the need to evolve to meet the changing threats from human adversaries.  Over time, it has become clear that easy to use and effective solutions are the best deterrents to the majority of threats.  I have worked with many customers on the bleeding edge of technology and security, but at this stage in my career I am also really passionate about solving security problems for companies with fewer resources and skills.  Often, we are working with customers as they navigate their worst day.  Helping them respond, separate the initial fears from the reality of impact and supporting them as they plan to evolve to mitigate the threat in the future is really rewarding. 

The challenge that I like to tackle is making navigating the complex world of cybersecurity simpler for our customers. Making security more attainable to every organization is a passion of mine and an exciting challenge to take on.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

I am proud of a number of moments in my career.  One that was early on, but always stays with me is working to find a new home for my team, when my first cybersecurity company in London lost funding, due to a conflict with investors rather than health of the business.  I am proud of staying focused in that turbulent time to build the case to be successfully acquired by a US based cybersecurity firm.  Our office’s success following the acquisition allowed us to quickly become 25% of overall revenue, responsible for bringing in the top commercial clients and supporting that firm’s acquisition by a large telecom.  Our team of wickedly smart penetration testers, experienced security consultants and sharp sales people came to work everyday believing we could slay dragons, and somehow we did.  I am proud of our accomplishments and also the friendships that I still cherish today.

Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work? 

I genuinely do wish that I were involved in professional organizations, but there are only so many hours in a day.  I do attend local events for women’s technology and product groups.  I have two elementary school aged daughters and a 16-year-old stepson.  I find myself thinking about life as seasons, and this is a season where my commitment to my children and our community has taken precedence over professional organizations.  I am a board member of my children’s PTA, lead my oldest daughter’s girl scout troop, and manage my daughter’s sports teams (my husband serves as the coach).  I am also involved in community service programs through our church.

What’s next for you and your career?

I have been at Rapid7 for almost a year.  When I joined Rapid7, I felt like I was coming home.  I love the culture, the people and the problems we are solving for customers.  Hopefully, what is next in my career is to continue to contribute to our mission in a way that maximizes my impact for our team and my customers.  I know it sounds corny, but when you find a place that lets you be your best, you want to just stay there and do just that.

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Q&A

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Free time is such a lovely idea! I wish there were more of it!  In my free time, I love to spend time with my family.  Whether playing or watching sports (we live very close to a college, where we are big fans of their teams), walking in the woods, or just cuddling and watching a movie, they really are the focus of my free time these days. 

How do you manage stress?

I should say exercise, and I have found particularly during the last month here at home, it has been a big help.  I try to stay focused on all the things that I am grateful for.  During the Coronavirus, I still have plenty of work to do.  But there is no group of people I would rather be on lockdown with than my family.

I think for me the greatest stress relief is connecting with others.  Before the lockdown, one of my best friends and I would connect for 15 minutes in the morning on our commutes.  I also have friends from my children's school that share the frustrations and help see the funny side of things.  Sharing my worries, helping someone else with theirs and trying to find humor in this crazy journey we are all on is something that helps me to manage my stress. 

How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?

Zero.  I am one of those strange people that does not drink coffee.  Everyone told me it would happen in college, first job, living in Europe, graduate school, first baby, and I just never liked the taste.  I have a terrible habit of grabbing a Coke Zero in the mid-afternoon for a little jolt.  If you see me in the morning, please excuse my uncaffienated self.

What's one of your favorite places in the Boston area?

I grew up in Boston and one of the things I have loved about joining Rapid7 is getting back to Boston regularly.  Spending time in Boxford at my parents’ house with my kids is probably my favorite thing.  Having two little city kids from DC getting to roam the woods and enjoy lots of space to play has brought me a lot of joy. 

 Any book or podcast recommendations?

I do not read nearly as much as I did when I was younger.  But I do listen to podcasts, while commuting and exercising.  My favorite podcasts are SaaStr, Darknet Diaries, and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd.

What advice do you have for recent college graduates?

Every role in a company is important.  Being a great team member is about not only your skill and hard work, but about how you work to make everyone on the team better and meet your shared goals.  Trust that a focus on being part of and contributing to a great team will deliver opportunity.  And remember that careers are long.  You are not in a race and oftentimes your progression is not linear, so be patient and maximize where you are versus always looking to what is next.