Diva Tech Talk was excited to interview Rhonda St. John Hamborsky, Director of Strategy and Innovation at multinational AT&T Inc. Rhonda’s job is to guide select large global AT&T enterprise customers in terms of technical strategy development. The complexity of Rhonda’s current role was not predictable, as a girl/teenager, since she did not originally see her future in technology. “I came into it, accidentally,” Rhonda said. “I remember having some struggles mathematically. I attribute it to the teaching styles of the time; we were not able to work in groups or collaborate. So I am so excited for girls, today. I feel like their experience is vastly different, and there is a great opportunity to keep them engaged in math and sciences.”
With a robust career, Rhonda spent much of her early stages at data communications companies and startup consultancies in both Silicon Valley and subsequently in the Midwest. Having started in sales, initially, at startups, Rhonda moved to successful sales management, then engineering management, and then general operational management. “In a startup, you have the opportunity to wear a lot of hats,” she said.
Rhonda moved over to AT&T in a role she says is “one of the best jobs in the company.” Having been there for twelve years, Rhonda plans to stay at AT&T for 5 to 7 more years. But she also planning a worthwhile “encore” career, after her AT&T tenure. Enrolled in a graduate program focused on gerontology (the study of aging), she is excited to see where that future path will take her.
In her career development, Rhonda characterized herself as a “good planner” but acknowledged that this came with maturity. Being at several startups caused what she called “the urgency addiction,” earlier in her career. “What that does is it burns you out,” she admitted. “At the end of the day, you say ‘I know I did a lot today. But did I accomplish anything that’s sustainable?’”
Rhonda’s top four lessons for women aspiring to become technology leaders are:
And offering two additional points of encouragement, Rhonda urges women to “make your voice heard,” and “Don’t let the challenges get you down. We’re all going to encounter speed bumps along the way. Shake it off. Take a lesson learned from it, and get back in the ring!”
For the full blog write up, make sure to check us out on online at www.divatechtalk.com , on Twitter @divatechtalks, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/divatechtalk. And please listen to us on iTunes and Stitcher and provide an online review.
Diva Tech Talk interviewed Danielle DeLonge, Technology Learning Consultant at Plante Moran, the 14th largest accounting/consulting firm in the United States. For 18 years, Plante Moran has been recognized on FORTUNE magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America.
Describing her career path as a “jungle gym path” vs. a “ladder career path,” Danielle began her technology journey with a breakthrough Michigan-based organization: Automation Alley, where she facilitated an 8-chapter grant-funded statewide network of technology professionals (ConnecTech). Then she became their Business Accelerator Client Champion, serving as the intermediary between entrepreneurs who wanted “seed” money, and those who funded them. From there she was the Executive Director of Davenport University’s development of their Lansing campus. After a stint as a Project Manager for Xede, she moved to Plante Moran — first as an IT Consultant, and now in her current role.
In this podcast, as the mother of a young daughter, Danielle discussed many things including achievement of life balance; aligning her skills with her community contributions; and the key attributes which contribute to her success: agility, adaptability, building and fostering a strong network, and a predilection for both “listening and creating.”
Danielle recommends a number of books including: LOVE IS THE KILLER APP, THE GIRL’S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND FISHING, REALITY IS BROKEN, and two books which her father gave her: THE POWER OF NICE and NICE GIRLS DON’T GET THE CORNER OFFICE (all downloadable as part of an Audible 30 Day Trial at www.audibletrial.com/dt2.)
Danielle’s top four leadership lessons for other tech women include:
For the full blog write up, make sure to check us out on online at www.divatechtalk.com , on Twitter @divatechtalks, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/divatechtalk. And please listen to us on iTunes and Stitcher and provide an online review.