Our latest Woman of the Month has a track record of aiming high and inspiring others to join her. Her vision and positivity have guided her own fast-paced career as well as empowered other women to do the same. We'd like to congratulate Sylvia Huttanus as our Woman of the Month for April 2018!

Sylvia has had an impressive international career while still balancing time with her family — and (there’s more!) she created and runs an amazing leadership development program for women at Salesforce. We asked her about the journey that led her to the Salesforce Ohana, her experience as a woman in leadership, and what inspires her to continue encouraging women to strive for more.

Q: How did your career journey lead you to Salesforce?

A: My international experiences have really informed my career. I lived in South Africa for many years; that's where I first joined the digital marketing world. And my career really took off when I moved to Argentina with the company I was working for at the time. I had an incredibly inspiring and motivating boss that supported and believed in me and my abilities. During that time I gained valuable experience as an ExactTarget partner — all of which was a pivotal part of my journey to Salesforce.

When I moved to London five years ago, I joined ExactTarget, which became Salesforce Marketing Cloud shortly thereafter. Within 12 months, I became a managing consultant, and when I returned from a six-month maternity leave, there was an opportunity to work in South Africa for four months. So I jumped on it! As crazy as it sounds it was actually really great — not just from a work perspective, but also as a parent. It helped that my commute was only ten minutes compared to my two-hour commute back in London, giving me so much more time with my family. I later returned to London (still with Salesforce) to head up the Campaign Services team. And since February of this year, I’ve been leading the Adoption Services team in EMEA for Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and DMP. It’s been an amazing adventure and I am excited to continue my journey with this company!

Q: Can you tell us about Women Aiming Higher, the leadership program you created?

A: Women Aiming Higher is a leadership development program for high-potential women in the EMEA Customer Success Group (CSG). It’s highly competitive — limited to only 13 spots — and reserved for women who show the highest potential for leadership. And I love it!

The main philosophy behind Women Aiming Higher is that women are just as capable and skilled as men. What often holds women back from advancing or jumping at career opportunities is their lack of a network, lack of visibility, and the tendency to avoid roles that don’t fit perfectly.

Q: What’s been the impact of Women Aiming Higher?

A: I’m proud to say the program has provided incredible visibility and a great network for its participants. Women Aiming Higher participants get to have one-on-one interactions with leaders from the CSG team —both virtually and at in-person networking events, access to mentors, and quarterly training sessions, among a host of other leadership-related activities.

And the results are exciting: although the program itself doesn’t provide or guarantee any promotions, many of the women who have participated have received additional responsibilities, raised their profiles within CSG EMEA...and six participants have been promoted!

Q: How do you find time to be involved in initiatives outside of your day job?

A: I have two amazing team leads who do a fantastic job running a lot of the day-to-day business, so that helps a lot. I’m also a person who is very focused on getting things done. As simple as it sounds, I rely on a handwritten to-do list that I create for myself every day. That really helps me keep my day structured and shows me quickly if am having a productive day or not, so I can adjust my pace if need be.  

Q: Your colleagues say you provide helpful constructive feedback. What’s your strategy?

A: For me, providing constructive feedback means leaving no room for ambiguity by making sure people know exactly what I mean. I try to ensure that the intention of my feedback is clear, which I think helps others understand it in the right context. Plus, my team has a great work culture, and many of them are friends outside of work. We also make a point of praising each other openly and on Salesforce Chatter. We have fun and are supportive!

Q: What advice would you give to other women wanting to grow their career?

A: Aim higher, of course! Always aim higher. I believe there’s no reason we can’t do it too. And whenever you face barriers to success — including trying to balance work and family — I suggest thinking about as many solutions as possible. Being a creative problem solver can help give you more control over where you end up.

To hear more from Sylvia, make sure to connect with her on LinkedIn. And stay tuned for our next edition of Salesforce Woman of the Month, coming your way mid-May.

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