To acknowledge and celebrate women’s achievements during Women’s History Month, this blog highlights advice and guidance from three influential tech marketing leaders – who also happen to be women. Paving the way with their marketing and leadership accomplishments – Jennifer Chase, SVP and Head of Marketing at SAS; Jamie Domenici, CMO at LogMeIn; and Isabelle Guis, CMO at Commvault – share their perspective with us regarding their growth and successes to help inspire future marketing leaders. Continue reading for a burst of encouragement and motivation.

Question: As we live, work, and do almost everything from a singular location, where are you finding inspiration?
  • I’m inspired by the people at SAS, including my marketing organization, who pivoted to think more creatively than ever before to reach our audiences in new ways, leave lasting impressions and add value through virtual experiences.  I am inspired that data and analytics from SAS helped governments, hospitals, and organizations like the COPD Foundation to respond, recover and reimagine how they serve their communities. On a personal level, I am inspired by the ingenuity of my 10-year-old daughter to make a bigger impact with her time and resources – from creating custom backgrounds because remote learning can be ‘glitchy’ to finding ways to optimize her food bank delivery route. – Jennifer Chase, SVP and Head of Marketing at SAS
  • I find inspiration from learning. Starting a new job, with a new team and new challenges all while working from home has brought a lot of new learnings, new obstacles and new opportunities. I am inspired and excited every day. I also redid my home office with some updated pictures and weekly flower arrangements to try and inspire the view for all the folks on my remote meetings! – Jamie Domenici, CMO at LogMeIn
  • In these challenging times, in which many of us find ourselves more isolated than ever before, I continue to be inspired by other people. For example, over the past year I have been inspired by my work colleagues, the small business owners with whom I work with as a volunteer for the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and the people I help as a volunteer at City Team in San Jose. Remaining connected to others and giving back keeps me grounded. – Isabelle Guis, CMO at Commvault
Question: What advice would you give to women working their way to a seat at the executive table?
  • Do the job that needs to get done and not just the job you have. Speak up and be bold at the right times. Also, build a great network of people to turn to. This can be women or men who are allies to women, but a core group of people can be mentors, help you find new professional growth opportunities, or simply be a sounding board when you need advice or even to vent. – Jamie Domenici, CMO at LogMeIn
  • I advise them to have high standards, and to be selective and smart about whose executive tables they are sitting at. We are at a unique moment today, as businesses and other organizations increasingly realize that diversity matters at all levels, including the executive level. However, if they want to realize their full potential as leaders, women should invest themselves in executive positions at organizations whose cultures feel right to them, and where they are free to be their authentic selves. – Isabelle Guis, CMO at Commvault
  • Competence, connections and confidence are crucial to earning your seat at the executive table. To be successful, you must find skill gaps on your team and fill them, become a life-long learner and establish yourself as a valuable asset to your organization. It’s also important to have a personal board of advisors who can guide you throughout your career and remind you of your strengths when that nagging imposter syndrome takes hold. – Jennifer Chase, SVP and Head of Marketing at SAS
Question: You have been recognized for your hard work, marketing skills and leadership. How can leaders help elevate women and create a more diverse team?
  • As someone with an international background, my key advice for building a diverse team is that it’s important to be inclusive and respectful of people’s differences. For instance, if someone is shy or has a conflicting opinion, a good leader will make room for them to have a voice. Giving people the confidence to bring their best, most authentic selves to work will reap great rewards for your organization. – Isabelle Guis, CMO at Commvault
  • To elevate women, we must give them access to rewarding work – projects that involve collaborating with a variety of stakeholders, engaging in diverse activities and gaining exposure to new areas. We need to be servant leaders, taking time to understand the needs and talents of the women on our teams and giving them opportunities to make significant contributions. We also need to create programs and communities that empower women, help them build their professional networks and develop leadership skills beyond their day-to-day jobs – like the Women’s Initiative Network we have at SAS. – Jennifer Chase, SVP and Head of Marketing at SAS
  • I believe that the biggest hurdle here is often to get business leaders to acknowledge that a discrepancy exists and commit, often publicly, to fixing that problem. Once that is addressed we must all be open to learning and understanding about the role we can play in making the playing field more equal.  For me this means setting actionable goals and metrics. These goals are regularly discussed and measured with my team and range from hiring targets to making sure we have diverse customers speaking on our behalf at events. – Jamie Domenici, CMO at LogMeIn

A big thank you to Jenn, Jamie, and Isabelle for sharing these impactful perspectives with us. To continue to celebrate and elevate women in the marketing and business community, check out this blog highlighting a few key women-driven resources.