Career
A Marketer at Heart
I am a marketer at heart. It’s in my blood.
I believe, often, that we follow in the footsteps of those who have inspired us the most. For me, the person who has influenced my career the most is my mother, Betsy Veneziano. She was a pioneer in the field of technology – starting as a programmer for NASA, and then building a successful career as a product marketing and product management executive for several technology companies.
In the very beginning of my professional journey, my first role was as a product manager. But after a few years, I eventually pivoted to the field of marketing communications. I decided to go back to school to complete my Master’s of Science in Communications at Simmons University. At the time I juggled graduate classes while still working, and on top of this, pregnant. But in the end, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA – not too bad if I do say so myself.
The Relationship Between Sales & Marketing
Later in my career, I had the opportunity to lead both the sales and marketing team at Quaero during a time of dynamic growth. There is nothing more valuable than stepping outside of your role and taking on a new one to build a deeper appreciation for the sales-marketing partnership. From this stint in sales and sales leadership, my own love of marketing really grew. Working in sales and closely with clients was a wonderful experience and gave me tremendous perspective. As a result, I became a better marketer. I also became far more passionate about the impact we as marketers can have on a business.
Data and Insight
After my time at Quaero, I became the Vice President of B2B marketing at The Weather Company (The Weather Channel). As the result of an acquisition of The Weather Company by IBM, I soon became the Global Head of Business Marketing of Watson Media and Weather. In this role I oversaw global marketing for the business-to-business division of the portfolio of Watson products, including those from The Weather Company. Through this role I helped organizations take weather insights and turn them into a business advantage. Supporting organizations in building a weather strategy, we enabled organizations to better understand how to anticipate, plan for, and ultimately make better decisions – with greater confidence – in the face of weather.
Change Management
As I transitioned out of my role as Global Head of Business Marketing, my time at IBM was not over yet, and I eventually took over as the Chief Marketing Officer of IBM Watson. Serving in this position allowed me to play an instrumental and influential role in one of the world’s largest technology corporations, spearheading marketing for artificial intelligence (AI) products and solutions, as well as the Watson brand.
While in this role, I experienced one of the biggest and most satisfying moments of my career thus far: developing the Women in AI program at IBM. AI is an actual reflection of who we are as people, and while it is trained by human beings, the field is largely dominated by men. As AI technology continues to become more pervasive, there is increased opportunity for that bias to impact anything from HR and recruiting, to customer service. Thus, it was important to me to voice the value of making sure AI was developed with a diversity of thoughts and perspectives. To enlist the support I needed, I had to convince people of this necessity and its value. By sharing both rational arguments and my own passion for this problem, I was able to help push women in the AI field forward.
Brand Vision
In September 2019, I joined Skillsoft as the Chief Marketing Officer. Skillsoft, a global digital learning organization, that helps companies unlock the potential in their most valuable asset – their people – through engaging content and powerful technology. Not only do I help share the power of digital learning with customers from around the globe, but I also get to shape a culture that holds learning as a core value.
I was brought in to lead a rebrand for Skillsoft. Skillsoft’s work matters, but previously the brand struggled with representing exactly what we do and the impact we deliver to our customers. Putting my years of experience shepherding brands to work, my team and I crafted a plan that involved extensive research, employee engagement, and key hiring strategies to help Skillsoft regain its identity in the EdTech space. While our rebranding efforts kept our customers in mind and were built for and around our learners, we were also strategic in deepening our employees’ connection to our brand. Spending time educating teams across the organization on what the brand is and what it stands for, we’ve encouraged each employee to take ownership of living the brand. But creating a brand doesn’t happen in one shot – it’s an ongoing process that calls for enduring effort to enhance the brand over time. And continuous maintenance is exactly what we’ve done and will continue to do at Skillsoft.
Career Themes
Whether leading small or large organizations, three key themes have emerged as common threads throughout my professional career.
First, I’ve always been fascinated by the impact technology has on our daily lives both at home and at work. I believe in the value of building a knowledge base and skill set that will benefit any organization in the age of digital transformation.
Secondly, I’ve always put a focus on continual learning – encouraging my team, and myself, to gather and hone new skills.
Finally, I’ve always dedicated myself to diversity and inclusion everywhere I’ve ever worked. I’ve been driven to promote and champion the development of marginalized groups – whether it’s women in STEM, people of different races, ethnicities, ages, and orientation, to team members with varying physical and intellectual abilities.
As I reflect on my career as a whole, I’ve created opportunities to nurture these three personal drivers. Looking ahead as my professional journey continues, I believe my ability to change lives for the better – through technological advances, ongoing learning, and genuine inclusion and equity – will be even greater.
I feel a sense of pride for what I’ve accomplished to date as a marketing leader, but I am committed – and inspired – to continue to grow.