Diva Tech Talk interviewed Jill Maiorano, Director of Strategic Engagements, Americas Division, at Cisco (www.cisco.com). Topics ranged from management, strategy, to balancing home/family with a busy career.
“I was not a ‘technology tinkerer’” Jill said. “From a relatively early age, I decided to be in sales.” After graduating Eastern Michigan University, she felt “really blessed that I was able to find tech.” Her first tech sales job was with Allnet Communications, providing long-distance services to business customers. She was there a few years when Frontier Communications acquired the company, and was later acquired by Global Crossing Inc. (www.globalcrossing.com). At Allnet, Jill progressed from frontline sales, to sales team management, to opening markets throughout Ohio (Toledo and Cincinnati), to management of the Midwest.
Jill then joined the startup team at USN Communications, a CLEC, where she opened and managed 13 offices across Michigan and Ohio. “It ended with a phone call from the president saying that we had run out of money, no more VC funding. I spent the next two months running what felt like ‘resume clinics’ and writing referral letters” for the 150 people who had worked for her. Then Jill moved to Qwest Communications (now CenturyLink, www.centurylink.com) as a director; then migrated to Sprint (www.sprint.com) to “the easiest job I ever had” as a sales manager. Her next decision to plunge into greater technology depths drove Jill’s decision to join Cisco, 12.5 years ago.
Jill is a Cisco enthusiast for a variety of reasons. “We take our investments, our future, very seriously,” she said. “We call it a ‘buy/build partner model’. She also loves the fact that Cisco deploys a “work is something you do, not where you go” philosophy to help team members achieve life balance. Jill said: “For 11 years, I ran sales organizations. Each year was slightly different. It was a really interesting time.”
In 2016, Jill “took on a role that never existed before.” Reporting to the SVP of Cisco’s $28 billion Americas (Canada, Latin America and the U.S.A), she was asked to “help with the way we engage with our customers, our partners, our employees.” Jill’s busy team handles internal and external events, speaking engagements, public relations, internal and external communications of all kinds. “My team also captures the ‘stories’ “Jill said, both within and outside of Cisco, and “elevate and share them.” They have created very impactful Advisory Councils and “do a lot of survey” work to really listen to the field employees to hear more about what is happening in the market, with customers and partners. Ever action-oriented, Jill said: “I’m in the ‘then, what?’ business, and enjoying it!”
Jill feels very comfortable in her skin and has learned, along the way. She said that to feel fulfilled, “most people need more than a number” for which to strive. “They need to feel they are making a difference.” She is also intent on promoting unique treatment for each team member at the company. “While we rally around mutual mission, individual attention, understanding what makes that person tick” is a strength she uses, daily.
While comfortable now, Jill harks back to an earlier time when she “felt defensive” as the only female leader in organizations. “Gaining results took some of that away, but part of it was simply deciding not to live in that ‘head space’ – to not allow myself to feel like I wasn’t welcome” among her male peers. She gives back to the Cisco community by trying to help through an internal affinity group called Cisco Connected Women, a community for all women at Cisco, all over the globe. The Americas chapter has grown to 4000 members with a 14-member managing board, and a 30-member Advisory Board. “Connected Women’s role is to help attract, retain, develop, and celebrate women as part of Cisco’s competitive and diverse workforce,” Jill said. She decried the fact that while science, math and engineering are part of middle school and high school curricula, technology in many regions and school systems is noticeably absent. Jill’s rallying cry is “where’s the T????”. Cisco’s Connected Women, 7000 strong globally, implements outreach among adult women and encourages girls to pursue STEM curriculum and vocations.
Jill’s children are teenagers, so she is now “at an interesting place where I am trying to get back to things I enjoy” which includes tennis, working out and socializing with friends. “Ultimately what makes me happy is having a blend. When things get out of whack, I really feel the stress. There is no perfect. You have to look at balance, long-term.” Jill also admits that she has an “unnatural fear of failure,” but has become more comfortable taking risks, and learning from them. “At today’s pace, you must be willing to be out on the edge, and then retreat, regroup and relearn.”
Key leadership and life lessons that Jill shared were:
Be yourself.
“Go for it; be a pioneer.”
“Embrace change.” The pace of change is intense, so keep up with it.
“Be real with who you are. Know your strengths and your weaknesses. Match your skills with your career.”
“Create a woman friend network. If you have the right ones in your life, they will ‘high five’ you better than anybody. They will hug you when you need a hug. They will nudge you when you need a nudge. And they will ‘call you on it’ when you need that!”
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