Product Management extraordinaire and Vice President of the Salesforce Women’s Network (SWN) Christina Petersen requires little introduction. But that doesn’t stop her Salesforce colleagues from singing her praises. As our latest Salesforce Woman of the Month, we’ll let Christina’s nominations do the talking:

• “Christina has been an incredible mentor to me. It’s been inspiring to work with her and see so many programs excel because of her hard work!”

• “Christina is a rockstar! When projects or teams need a push to gain traction, Christina is the name of that push.”

• “She goes above and beyond in her role and her involvement with SWN. She represents women in tech and creates environments at Salesforce that support women and their allies alike.”

After hearing these glowing reviews, we sat down with Christina to learn how she has created such an incredible reputation. Read on to hear her path to the tech world, career growth tips, and why finding your tribe makes all the difference.  

Why did you pursue a career in the tech industry?

One of my college professors once said,“whatever you choose to do, make sure to learn the latest and greatest technology within that field.” I took that advice to heart and switched my major to Business Information Systems. That new path taught me everything I needed to know about enterprise resource planning (ERP) and gave me the foundation to work at a place like Salesforce.

You've had incredible career growth. What's your secret to moving up?

Raise your hand and volunteer for projects that expand beyond your day job! I got where I am today by saying yes to new opportunities and offering to take on projects that were not part of my job description. I started at Salesforce in customer support for Work.com and by demonstrating my other skills and forming relationships across the team, I was able to get a spot as a Product Management Associate — which propelled me to get my own scrum team within Sales Cloud and launched my career in Product Management. I’ve found that managers really appreciate when you take the initiative to gain more experience. And trust me, creating a brand for yourself as someone who dives in and gets stuff done can go a long way for your career.

You're the vice president of the Salesforce Women's Network (SWN). How did you get involved?

My first manager at Salesforce suggested that I join. After my first SWN event, I joined the group on Chatter and have read almost every post since! To see people across the company talking openly about issues women face in the workplace was inspiring, and I was hooked. I joined a Lean In Circle, went to every event I could, and became active in the conversation on Chatter. I was so engaged that Marilyn Lin (one of the SWN founders) took notice and invited me to join the leadership board. From there, I ran our Circles program and eventually became Vice President.

Why is SWN so near and dear to you?

SWN is full of people that want to help each other succeed. I've had the chance to meet so many people throughout the company, and the relationships I’ve made from my involvement in SWN have directly affected my job, too. I can think back to many occasions where I reached out to someone I wouldn’t have otherwise known for help — all because I’d met them through SWN! I’d encourage everyone to find their own support system 

The Salesforce Woman of the Month campaign turns the spotlight on the amazing women who help make Salesforce one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies according to Forbes and one of Fortune Magazine’s Best Companies to Work For. Honorees are nominated by fellow employees and selected by a dedicated committee that works to ensure a variety of roles and regions are honored.

To hear more from Christina, make sure to connect with her on LinkedIn. And stay tuned for our special breast cancer awareness edition of Salesforce Woman of the Month, coming your way in October.