I am a mother, a daughter, a #fitbestie, a mentor, and a leader who is the byproduct of strong female role models and a myriad of work and life experiences. It’s important to me that I live my values, and I feel fortunate that at Omada I am able to do so each and every day. I lean on my experiences, lessons learned, and strong network to ensure success for my customers. I was raised by a strong single mother in Hawaii, went to college on the west coast, lived in Korea for a time, and then moved to Virginia for the latest chapter in my professional career. From my earliest days, I understood the importance of surrounding myself with strong women who were ambitious, dedicated, and knew how to communicate my opinions and viewpoints, but also, critically, when to listen. To this day, I count myself fortunate to have countless women I look up to, as well as a close group of women that work in tech who have had some sense of shared experiences.
Starting my career in sales at Altria, I held a variety of customer-facing roles which provided me with the skillsets to successfully sell by listening attentively and question effectively to tend to core customer needs. As my career progressed, I was given the opportunity to work in business process enhancement and technology. After an organizational restructure I was equipped to lead in a more technical role as I gained experience being hands-on with various tools in the Altria IT stack. As such, I frequently brushed up against Omada’s interface, ensuring that my access was inline, and I was properly enabled to perform my daily tasks securely. As I looked for my next career opportunity, I ended up joining Omada and in December of 2019 I began my journey as a Senior Customer Success Manager.
I have a distinct memory at my first company kickoff meeting. Seated at a table with a group of executives and asked “so, what is Omada doing about diversity?” Despite being the new person on the block, I was met with a receptive energy, and a real plan of action to be a leader not only in the organization, but in the industry. In my now 2+ year journey at Omada, I am so excited at the progress made, not just at Omada, but in the industry as a whole. In my role as now Director of Customer Success I spend my days meeting with a wide variety of customers, and I really am proud to see how many female CISOs, or Directors of IAM are taking charge of identity governance. I consider myself to be a naturally optimistic person, and adding to my network of ambitious, accomplished, and confident women is always something that excites and drives me.
One of the best pieces of advice I received from a mentor was that while your title may be given to you, trust is earned. For the first 30 days I should just listen, after 60 days I should ask questions and observe, and after 90 days put it all together in a plan. I really take this to heart. For any woman that wants to break into cybersecurity, or IT I would say that confidence is really important but being able to listen to understand is critical. After that, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, there are so many of us in this industry that love supporting each other, root for one another’s success, and cheer accomplishments. Everyone has a unique story to tell which makes each of us valuable and important.
