For International Women’s Day, Leading Women Share Their Stories

If there’s a woman who has inspired or mentored you in your career, can you share that story?
Yes—one of my managers at Yahoo played a huge role in shaping my leadership style. When I interviewed with her, I was coming from a toxic work environment and was looking for a fresh start. Even though I didn’t have the perfect experience on paper, she saw my potential and took a chance on me. She trusted me to work independently, never micromanaged, and led with empathy. Because of her, giving my best effort every day was effortless. Years later, when I had to resign, I literally cried—she had made such a meaningful impact on my career and confidence.

Read more from Mariela here

What inspired you to pursue a career in ad tech/marketing, and how did you get started in the industry?
My journey into ad tech and marketing was driven by a fascination with the intersection of data, technology, and consumer behavior. I’ve always been intrigued by how platforms data to deliver targeted, meaningful experiences to users. What truly inspired me was the dynamic nature of digital advertising and its ever-evolving landscape. The ability to make data-driven decisions, measure results in real-time, and continuously optimize campaigns. As I delved deeper into digital advertising, I became particularly excited about exploring and expanding partnerships between various stakeholders in the ecosystem. I find it fascinating how quick technology and platforms evolve and find it exciting to work with publishers to create more effective and efficient campaigns.

Read more from Estefanie here

What advice would you give to young women looking to enter ad tech or any other technology-driven field?
Network – Of course get to know folks on different teams at your current company, but make the effort to attend industry events and meet other folks as the industry is much smaller than you think! You end up crossing paths with many of the same people at different times in your career so continue to foster those relationships!

Find and lean into a mentor/s. I’ve been so fortunate to have some amazing female mentors in my career who really took me under their wings and helped me grow into the marketer than I am today. I’ve kept in touch with many of these leaders over the last 10 years of my career as they continue to be a sounding board for me and inspire me to be a leader for the next generation of marketers entering into the industry.

Be kind. This is a big part in being true to who I am. I think it can sometimes be really easy for people to mistake kindness for weakness, especially in male dominated C level meetings. My former CEO used to call me a silent killer (sorry, can I even say that here?? lol) because in meetings I’m perceived as a soft spoken, kind, bubbly, and positive personality while on the backend was negotiating deals that led to massive savings for the company.

Read more from Christine here

Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that helped shape you as a leader?
Years ago, the agency I worked at was hiring someone to build out their paid search practice. The person we wound up hiring had been at an early company in the space, which had many years of glory before it slowly fell apart due to the rise of Google. I asked this person why they stayed at that company for so long after it peaked. And they said, “I was there when it grew, and that was fun. I learned something and I made money. And then when it started to lose ground, I still was learning something, and that was interesting, so I stayed. Now, I feel like I’ve learned what I can, and now I’m ready to move on.”

I think about that a lot, because some of the biggest opportunities I’ve had to learn were in the failures: when my agency lost an anchor client, when an ad tech company I worked for was losing business because our tech was not meeting our client requirements, when I had a bad client meeting. Failure is when growth happens.

I’ve taken up gardening in the past couple of years, and it’s the same thing: pruning encourages new shoots.

Read more from Sarah here

What do you believe are the most important qualities of an effective leader in the ad tech/marketing space?
I believe an effective leader needs to be open to continuous learning and improvement. The dynamic nature of the ad tech/marketing space means there’s always something new to learn, which makes it challenging and exciting. But its import to be humble and willing to admit when you don’t know something. Additionally, collaboration and networking are key aspects. They help build strong relationships where working together with others can lead to innovative solutions and drive success. An effective leader fosters an environment where team members feel valued and encouraged to share their ideas and perspectives.

Read more from Katinka here