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 DOD Industry Executive of the Year (Public Company) finalist Tamara Greenspan, who’s group vice president and general manager for public sector applications at Oracle. Here, she talks success in her current role, shaping the next generation of leaders, proud career moments and more.
What has made you successful in your current role?
I continue to focus on my customers and dedicate my efforts to their success. I gain personal and professional satisfaction supporting the federal government customers and their missions.
I’ve supported my customers for the past 33 years through their database, ERP and now their cloud journeys. It has been an honor to serve them and follow them through to successful transformations. It’s really fulfilling and satisfying to me that I have been able to do that for our customers and for my team.
I know it is unusual to be at a technology company for so long, but I feel it is important to finish what I started and enjoy being a part of the process from start to end. I am very proud to be a part of the Oracle Team that supports the public sector market!
I’ve been very lucky to assemble a team of people who are extremely talented and dedicated to our customer base. I am honored to lead this strong, well-tenured team who are all focused on the same goal ⏤ customer first.
Many of the folks on my team have worked with me for over 15-20 years. That’s been very exciting, but to do that, it is important to cultivate, motivate and support the overall team efforts. That’s a big focus of mine as I foster the team culture to encourage continual growth and professional development.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
Oracle Women’s Leadership’s mission is to develop, engage, and empower current and future generations of women leaders at Oracle. I am the co-chair for the Oracle Women’s Leadership Group in the D.C.-area. We bring programs that help professional and personal development, and the community as well.
I strongly believe that these types of training and seminars can help employees evolve and grow to become better leaders. From our Emerging Leader Summits to our Women in Tech Series, we have invested in special long-term programs. To date, 1,700 women have joined embarking on new career experiences including coaching, speed mentoring with Oracle leaders, learning sprints and alumni networking.
I also started my AFCEA NOVA volunteer path being a co-chair of Women in NOVA. We focused on programs which brought together government senior leaders and industry leaders to discuss various STEM-related topics to help the community learn and connect. Bringing together senior military and SES leaders to share their stories, direction and lessons learned was a valuable forum.
I also enjoy mentoring to help the next generation of leaders. I find it very rewarding to share my knowledge and expertise, expand my own network, and advance my leadership skills to help Oracle colleagues develop and succeed. It is enlightening to watch others’ careers grow as they build professional networks, learn to navigate workplace challenges, and develop technical, business and leadership skills.
My interest lies outside of Oracle as well, as I mentor future leaders whom I have met through professional organizations. I am part of the Institute of Excellence of Sales Women’s leadership program. I am one of the facilitators presenting a session on “Getting a Seat at the Table” helping young professionals understand the value of mentors and sponsors helping them to achieve their career goals. It is an interactive session I do once a quarter.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
Looking back at my 33 years at Oracle is quite an interesting path. I started at Oracle after graduating college in 1989 as a 6-month temporary employee at Oracle. I realized the value of finding strong managers and team members to help mentor and give me direction at a young age. I learned the ins and outs of government business and the value of creating relationships with my customers and always delivering on my word.
I moved through the sales ranks at Oracle and have established a career I am very proud of. I also am lucky to have learned from many incredible leaders as I have had great mentors and a wonderful sponsor who understood my potential and helped me achieve my goals.
I talk about work and my career, but my proudest achievement is my three amazing children. All three were born during my career at Oracle and I have seen them grow into incredible young adults with their own lives and aspirations.
I was able to do my job with the support of my husband and by equally prioritizing the demands of a career at Oracle with the demands of my personal life. I figured out that this balance is less about dividing the hours in the day evenly between work and personal life and, instead, is more about having the flexibility to get things done for Oracle while still having the time and energy to enjoy my personal life. People always say you can’t have everything you want, but I believe you can, and I am extremely proud of the path I have taken.