Meet our Panelist : Heather Haslam
/In lieu of our Women in Tech event coming up next Thursday, let's get to know a bit more about our panelists. Our first panelist, Heather Haslam works for ADP, a leader in payroll and human resources software and services. As the Senior Director of Marketing, Heather will be sharing her experiences from the perspective of enterprise level marketing expertise. Today though, we're talking about her interdisciplinary background, her non-linear path to where she is today, and her unexpected motivation for choosing business in the first place.
We’re so excited to have you on our panel. How did you hear about YWiB, and what inspired you to participate in our Women in Tech panel discussion?
I'm currently working with one of your members Zahra, and she’s shared the exciting things that YWiB are up to.
Aside from your role as a Senior Director Product Marketing / Market Insights at ADP, how do you like to spend your free time?
I'm kept busy raising two young boys, volunteering in my community and playing hard on either the slopes or in the yoga studios.
Tell me about your story. How did you get to be where you are today?
That’s a pretty big question. Simply put, I got into business to prove to my father that I’d hate it. That was after studying psychology, sociology and social work. After finding our quickly that I loved the business world (despite starting out on the phones in a call center) I moved around across functions. Starting in service, I’ve also been in IT, Mergers and Acquisitions, Sales support, Operations and Marketing. The only consistencies in my career have been working in technology and focused on the Canadian business market.
When you look back on your career to date, what is one important challenge, event, or achievement that stands out as a milestone?
When I first realized that fear would only hold me back. I use the “1-minute, 1-hour, 1-day… trick” all the time. How much will this matter in X time?
When you think about your journey, what would you say was the one trait that helped you get you to where you are today. Was this a learned trait, or did you have it from day one?
I’ve never been afraid to admit when I don’t know something, or when I’ve made a mistake. Humility makes it easier for people to work with you.
How can women interested in tech and marketing get their foot in the door?
Network. Pick up the phone. Ask. People inherently want to help others. But if you don’t make it easy for them to do so or don’t ask in the first place, they won’t. and take control of your career. Nobody is more accountable for it than you are. And who cares that you’re a woman. It won’t have any impact unless we let it.