HERstory: Heidi Cerenzia, VP, Demand Generation, Wrike

Heidi Cerenzia is the Vice President of Demand Generation at Wrike. She oversees the entire demand gen function, including integrated campaigns, field & virtual events, customer & partner marketing, and is currently building out the Marketing Development Rep team. With more than 20 years of experience, Heidi has developed a data-driven approach for outbound demand generation strategies. She has held positions at Bromium, AlienVault, and HP Enterprise Security, among other organizations.

Follow Heidi on Twitter and LinkedIn.

When I was an individual contributor, I often sought out more responsibility. As my career progressed, I had the opportunity to become a team lead and then a manager. That presented me with the chance to truly understand the importance of the people and not just the projects. I learned to understand the person, individually, and make an effort to approach them, uniquely. With this knowledge, I seek to be a trusted leader to motivate them individually and as a team.

I learned early on to meet obstacles head-on. It’s very important not to sacrifice your value or morals. When I was starting out, I took things personally; now, I allow my work, leadership, commitment, and data speak for themselves.

I’ve also been very fortunate to have strong women mentors and men who have also advocated for me.

When negotiating a higher salary, don’t let fear influence your value. There are certain areas where you may choose to compromise, like, commuting a certain distance (although, not many people are commuting these days). As you’re negotiating, make it factual: it’s about your worth, your skill, and your experience. If, out of the gate, you set a precedent that you should not be compensated for your those things, then it’s possible you’ll often be undervalued.

Not to be cliché, but I believe everything happens for a reason and the journey leads us along the path where we are meant to be. At times, I didn’t ask the difficult questions or if I did, I needed to ensure that I really listened to the answers. For instance, what is the culture ‘really’ like and examples of how those values are exemplified. I needed to have a better understanding of the role, responsibilities, and how I would be measured and eventually promoted. I learned the hard way, by accepting positions where I didn’t have full knowledge of the above mentioned. Again, I learned from it and am now where I am meant to be.

It would have to be where I am today. It has been an honor to build and manage this team. We share respect among one another. There is a celebration of success and a bond when we overcome obstacles together. I chose this role to be challenged and implement everything I have accomplished and learned throughout my career.

“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” —Oprah Winfrey

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