By Zera Consulting
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The podcast currently has 106 episodes available.
Fortune 30 C-level executive Maria Lensing tells us about the many rules—both corporate and cultural—she’s broken to advance her career. This Latina powerhouse from Peru has been a leader at Walgreens, McKesson and AT&T, and is now the Global CIO & CTO at Sorenson Communications.
In this super candid and honest conversation celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, we chat with Maria about the realities of being a multicultural woman in corporate America. Maria points out all the voices around us—the ones we should listen to and how to work through all the other noise. “The biggest element of success is what your mind thinks and the influences that you let in,” says Maria.
Passionate about advancing women in the workplace, Maria shares the #1 thing she’s learned from her corporate climb, how she’s bucked the traditional family and the three questions she asks herself when making big career moves.
Theme: Changing Course Without Hesitation
Episode Highlights:
Maria’s Bio:
Maria Lensing is the Global Chief Information Officer & Chief Technology Officer at Sorenson Communications. Prior, she was the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance. Before that, Maria was the CTO at McKesson. And prior to McKesson, Maria spent 11 years at AT&T in both technical and business leadership roles. She was VP of Healthcare Solutions and she was also Chief of Staff for the Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Business.
Maria has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Christian Brothers University (CBU). She completed her Executive Education at Harvard Business School. She is also an independent director at Sorenson Communications and a board director for the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC).
Maria is passionate about STEM opportunities for youth, women in leadership and promoting minority inclusion in the executive ranks. She has received a lot of recognition, including the 2023 Top 100 Latinas by Latino Leaders Magazine and HITEC 100 Leaders for 2022, 2021 and 2020.
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Hosts Alisa Manjarrez and Dr. Merary Simeon get real about the current landscape for women in the insights industry during this live recording at IIEX North America, one of the largest insights conferences in the world.
Alisa and Dr. Merary highlight the crucial role of advancing multicultural women in the insights field and its positive impact on businesses. They also share three actionable strategies for industry professionals to support and promote women of color into leadership roles.
Discover valuable tips to make a difference in your organization, whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or already in the C-suite.
Episode Highlights:
Alisa’s Bio:
Alisa Manjarrez is a storyteller, marketer and executive coach. She is the Managing Director of a B2B creative agency, co-host of the What Rules!? podcast, and has her Master's in Organizational Management & Leadership. Alisa is Mexican American and is passionate about advancing women of color in corporate America as co-CEO of Zera Consulting.
Dr. Merary’s Bio:
Dr. Merary Simeon, a seasoned Human Resources executive, brings 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in Fortune 50 corporations. Dr. Merary has a doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She is a best-selling author and co-host of the What Rules!? podcast. As co-CEO of Zera Consulting, she passionately advocates for the advancement of multicultural women in the workplace. Dr. Merary is from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish.
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One of our core themes is Create What You Want to See. This is nothing new for Krystal Solorzano, Principal of Business Development at 10SB, a global architectural firm.
Krystal has been charting her own career course since her 20s, from moving solo to South America to embarking on a new adventure in Singapore with her husband.
This fearless Latina shares her insights on why working abroad can be a game-changer and what you need to know before making the move.
“I like to think of myself as a creator,” says Krystal. “I create connections and I create opportunities.”
We also chat about creating community wherever you go, the impact of in-person meetings and the advantage of being the only woman in the room.
Theme: Create What You Want to See
Episode Highlights:
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We’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with Denise Vu Broady, a Vietnamese refugee who has climbed the corporate ladder into the C-suite and is now a mentor to other women in the tech industry.
Denise shares her inspirational story of how she blossomed from an introverted young girl to the outspoken powerhouse she is today as the Chief Marketing Officer at Collibra, a software development company.
We chat about owning your voice in the workplace, learning from failure and how to find the right mentor—and cultivate the relationship.
“Have a voice, be yourself and think about what you want and ask for it,” says Denise. “You cannot get to professional success without breaking some rules.”
Theme: Own Your Power
Episode Highlights:
Mentioned in this Episode:
Refugee Girl: They called us “The Boat People” by Hang Pham Sonnenberg
Denise’s Bio:
Denise Vu Broady is the Chief Marketing Officer for Collibra and is responsible for accelerating the company’s marketing strategy, brand recognition, and growth marketing across the globe.
Denise has 25+ years of enterprise technology experience and has held leadership roles at Appian, WorkForce Software, and SAP, with experience in go-to market, product launches, strategy, marketing, communications, and operations.
Denise holds a double bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Production & Operations from Virginia Tech.
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If you’re comparing yourself to others, wondering if you should be further along in your career, our guest today shares how to get ahead at your own speed.
While we’re encouraged to advance as quickly as possible, Paula Ramos, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, at Kimberly-Clark, believes in the opposite. Paula tells us how she has broken the rules by looking at her career as a sailboat and letting her curiosity guide her.
“A sailboat allows me to explore,” says Paula. “And it puts the control on me on how fast I go.”
Get off the fast lane and sail your way into a rewarding career with Paula’s insight and advice.
Theme: Know What You Want
Episode Highlights:
Paula’s Bio:
Paula Ramos is the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer for Kimberly-Clark Corporation, where she has global responsibility for the company's enterprise strategy and the transformation initiatives designed to accelerate growth and value creation.
Paula’s ambition is to fuse commercial instinct, pragmatism, technology and market insight to navigate ambiguity, champion consumer experience, and enable sustainable growth. With empathy, collaboration, and a passion for unlocking human potential, she builds inclusive teams that play to win and leave their mark upon the world.
Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark in 2021, Paula was a partner at McKinsey & Company. In her 18 years at McKinsey, she advised some of the world's largest consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, and pharmaceutical companies on finding new sources of growth, transforming business portfolios, driving commercial and culture transformations, and building lasting competitive advantages. She led the firm's global consumer health practice and played pivotal roles in McKinsey's inclusion and diversity programs.
A native Brazilian, Paula holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Magna Cum Laude high honors degree in Commerce from McGill University. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
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For Women’s History Month, we debunk three myths many multicultural women have about supporting each other in corporate America.
Do you think you’re only one person and can’t change the status quo?
Are you afraid to sponsor another woman of color because she may make you look bad?
Do you believe everyone should pay their dues as they climb the ladder?
These are all myths! Check out how we disprove each and offer ways to help and support each other when we choose community over competition.
Episode Highlights:
Mentioned in this Episode:
The P.I.E. Theory of Success—Performance, Image, Exposure
2023 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company
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It’s Black History Month and Meredith Harper is on a mission—to empower women and people of color to embark upon careers in tech. Black, Latina and Native American women make up only 4% of tech roles in the U.S.
Meredith is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synchrony, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest issuers of store credit cards in the U.S. She shares how she has often been the only woman of color throughout her 30-year career in tech and how other strong women partnered with her to get ahead.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation with Meredith on how to challenge authority at work so that it benefits you and your company. “It's about being bold and it’s about being noisy,” she says.
Theme: Don’t Do It Alone
Episode Highlights:
Mentioned in this Episode:
Empowering Black, Latina, and Native American Women in Tech by McKinsey & Company, 8/29/23
ISACA, a global association for professionals in information security, governance, assurance, risk, and privacy and quality.
ISC2, the world’s leading member association for cybersecurity professionals
SANS, an institute that offers cybersecurity training, certifications and research
Meredith’s Bio:
Meredith Harper is a strategic leader with 30 years of experience, who is passionate about her greatest assets—her team members. Her success has been attributed to her ability to manage large-scale complex programs that cross functional areas while advancing the skill sets and careers of her team members.
Meredith is passionate about empowering women and people of color to embark upon careers in technology, especially in information security, where those populations are underrepresented. She’s committed to transforming the industry by driving engaging and provocative discussions around diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment and the value it brings. It is her hope that the industry transforms at a more rapid pace so that women and people of color are normalized in tech and security spaces.
Meredith is a proud alumna of the University of Detroit Mercy and the Loyola Chicago School of Law where she received a Master’s in Health Services Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, and Master's of Jurisprudence in Compliance, respectively.
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Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.
Let’s advance together in 2024! Today, we chat about lifting others to get ahead collectively with Cindy Tran, Managing Director at Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company.
As an Asian American, Cindy talks about how she was raised to be empathetic with everyone and how it’s helped her advance in her career.
“That general commitment to adding value and helping others succeed,” says Cindy. “It makes other people want to help you.”
Tune in for how empathy can take you (and others!) far in the workplace. “It’s much more powerful to have others lift you up than for you to get there by yourself,” says Cindy.
Theme: Don’t Do It Alone
Episode Highlights:
Cindy’s Bio:
Cindy Tran is a Managing Director at Slalom, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. She has over 20 years of experience in professional services, currently focused on Slalom go-to-market expansion into Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Cindy has a strong commitment to serving customers and enabling teams to achieve strategic outcomes. Cindy is passionate about mentoring early career young professionals and community give-back opportunities.
Together, Cindy and her husband are raising two young boys and are small business owners.
Mentioned in this episode:
Cindy Tran’s TEDx Talk: Untold Complexities Between 1st and 2nd Generation Immigrants
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Are you thinking about leaving corporate America? You’re not alone. 1 in 3 women of color currently in the workplace plan to leave their jobs over the next year.
We’re here to tell you why multicultural women are needed in corporate America and what it means if more of us decide to leave.
Before you choose the path of entrepreneurship or the corporate world, check out our convo!
Episode Highlights:
Research Mentioned:
2/15/23: The Harris Poll: America This Week Wave 155
March 2021: More Women of Color are Ready to Leave the Workforce by Fairygodboss and nFormation
May 2020: Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters by McKinsey & Company
6/24/20: Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter (Quick Take) by Catalyst
2022 Women in the Workplace by McKinsey & Company
Check out these additional episodes:
Ep 64: The 4 L’s to Advance Your Career featuring Tanika Cabral
Ep 71: Transform Your Limiting Beliefs to Get Ahead featuring Thear Suzuki
Ep 73: 3 Moves to Improve Your Next Meeting featuring Monique Lanaux
Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn
Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.
Are you looking for a mentor? We’ve got a surefire way to get as many mentors as you want, thanks to Shellye Archambeau, a Fortune 500 board director and one of the first Black female CEOs in the tech industry.
Shellye learned early in her career that you should have multiple mentors and she figured out how to do that—without asking! And it’s easier than you think!
Suffering from impostor syndrome? Don’t worry, Shellye points out it affects all of us, including herself, and she offers ways to beat it when it sneaks up on you.
Striving to land a paid seat on a corporate board? Shellye shares how she did it and how you can, too!
Want people to remember you? Introduce yourself using Shellye’s technique and you’ll be on people’s minds long after you meet them.
With over 30 years of corporate experience, Shellye, author of Unapologetically Ambitious, shares some golden nuggets you won’t want to miss!
Theme: Don’t Do It Alone
Episode Highlights:
Mentioned in this Episode:
Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms by Shellye Archambeau
LinkedIn Learning Course: Unapologetically Ambitious by Shellye Archambeau
2023 Gender Diversity Index Report by 50/50 Women on Boards
Shellye’s Bio:
Shellye Archambeau is an experienced CEO and Board Director with a track record of accomplishments building brands, high performance teams, and organizations. Currently, Shellye serves on the boards of Verizon, Roper Technologies, and Okta. She is also a CEO mentor with the EXCO Group and serves on the board of two national nonprofits, Catalyst and Braven.
Shellye has over 30 years of experience in technology. She is the former CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley-based, governance, risk, and compliance software company. During her tenure MetricStream grew from a fledgling startup into a global market leader.
Shellye is the author of Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers and Create Success on Your Own Terms. A book that will inspire you and provide the tools to enable you to fight the battles, make the tradeoffs and create the life you want.
Shellye enjoys the performing arts, traveling and cooking.
Connect with us on social media: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Alisa Manjarrez: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Courtney Copelin: Instagram and LinkedIn
More from Dr. Merary Simeon: Instagram and LinkedIn
Learn more at www.whatrulespodcast.com.
The podcast currently has 106 episodes available.