The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 11, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 30.
Next is Marketing Executive of the Year (Public Company) finalist Eva Skidmore, who’s vice president of global public sector, field marketing at Salesforce. Here, she talks success in her current role, primary focus areas going forward, overcoming career challenges and more.
What has made you successful in your current role?
I have a long-held belief that when you create the headroom for your team to thrive and grow, there is more space for them to develop and expand into that space. My mentor and leadership style is to do my best to set clear and realistic expectations vs overwhelming people, so that they can do more over time ⏤ bigger and better!
I am passionate about setting people up for success by taking their cues with regard to what inspires them to meet their goals and aspirations. There has been a lot of change in the last few years, clearly, and holding the space for people to work in the manner that best suits them, supports their wellbeing and keeps them focused has also helped me grow as a leader.What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?I am very proud of the way that Salesforce jumped into action quickly, and enabled government agencies to offer a rapid response to COVID-19. For government agencies to implement vaccine management, contact tracing, or medical supply chain management in a matter of days and weeks, was incredible. We saw agencies deploy services they did not even know they were going to need efficiently and effectively in a time of crises.It was an incredible time to be in marketing at a commercial technology company leading the way during this uncertain time, and to be able to say that we had a direct hand in helping government agencies save lives and keep critical services up and running to serve constituents. I am thankful to have the opportunity to support product and sales teams making this transformation come to life!What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?There are a couple of aspects to this. The work that my team and I do every day and brings me joy and the feeling that I am making a difference and contributing in the Salesforce Public Sector business unit, which has the ability to serve in more efficient and streamlined ways. Along the lines of the previous answer I gave.Just think about how many government agencies and divisions may not YET have these capabilities ⏤ to deliver on their mission/vision, in a modernized fashion, at scale. This ties into how all of us access critical services going forward into the future. It does not need to be hard! It can happen in days not weeks or months. It can be a strong partner to the business when friction is removed and technology can be allowed to transform ⏤ increasing trust along the way.The future of services delivery will be digitized. I am glad to be a part of building awareness and driving adoption, as a marketer. This is essential to how we collectively serve each other.What was your biggest career struggle and how did you overcome it?This is a good question. I am feeling this acutely at the moment.It feels to me that there is an enormous gap in the resources I have between and expectations of my team. I am in the shoes of my fellow government agency leaders. We are grounded in doing more with less, and continue to thrive and deliver, in this way.I think that many people around the world are feeling this in the face of a global economic downturn.One of the ways I am thinking about it differently is that we really do have an opportunity to be more creative when it comes to setting expectations and enabling my team to thrive inside of that space. And, at the same time, allowing them to achieve their collective and individual goals while having a meaningful impact.As I said previously, the most important thing is our wellbeing and balance. This is an ongoing challenge on a daily basis. As a leader, my role is to enable successful outcomes. This extends to helping our customers do the same.