As Reciprocity’s Vice President of Marketing, Jenny spends her days overseeing the planning, development and execution of the company’s marketing and go-to-market strategy and initiatives. But that’s not her only focus. As the company’s only female executive, she’s well aware of the challenges that face senior-level women in the tech space and is committed to doing her part to shatter the glass ceiling and inspire other women to do the same. In fact, she was recently invited to join Chief, a private network that is dedicated to connecting and supporting women leaders.
“I hope to take some of what I learn at Chief and bring it back into the company to help bring up the next wave of women leaders within Reciprocity,” Jenny says.
Jenny’s Journey
Jenny started her career as an Environmental Business Consultant, which isn’t the typical beginning to a Silicon Valley career. It wasn’t until she was recruited out of her master’s program by IBM that her tech journey truly began. She spent eight years at the multinational technology company, learning everything there is to know about how to successfully market technology products and enable sales to generate more revenue.
“My passion is around the strategy side of marketing and how marketing can drive the business forward,” Jenny adds.
“Big Blue” is well-known for its mentorship programs, and it was through these experiences that Jenny was able to see firsthand how every team, every department and every division within a company relies on each other to achieve its goals and grow the business. So it’s no surprise that when asked about the biggest lesson she learned during her time at IBM, she references her ability to build relationships, especially with sales teams.
“At many organizations Sales and Marketing don’t get along and, instead, constantly butt heads,” she explains. “But when you build a strong relationship with Sales, you get amazing insight into not only what will generate interest into your product, but also what will compel someone to act on that interest and make a purchase. You have to think about that full ‘customer journey’ for your marketing to be truly effective.”
The Power of Mentorship
Jenny believes in the power of mentorship, even away from work. She encourages both of her sons to engage socially, as well as athletically. Together, they serve their communities through the Young Men’s Service League, where they volunteer as a family and Jenny has held a board position.
“The Young Men’s Service League is about mothers and sons coming together to impact their local communities in a positive way,” Jenny says. “It’s important for them to understand that not every important lesson is learned in a classroom. Through YMSL, they’ll become better people – and better leaders – by serving and learning from others.”
The Path Ahead
At Reciprocity, we believe the best way to solve complex problems is by working together and seeing things through – two things that Jenny has done successfully throughout her career. Whether it’s working across teams to achieve business goals, working with her sons to serve the community or working with Chief to enable the next generation of female leaders, we can’t wait to see what comes next!
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