The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 20, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 21.
Next is Caitlin Lambert, senior sales enablement manager at RingCentral, and finalist in the Marketing Executive of the Year, Public Company, category. Here, she talks about recent achievements, shares career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024?
One of the biggest achievements was launching Project Domino, a strategic initiative aimed at expanding public sector access to reliable connectivity, supporting critical government mission needs.
To do this, we focused on understanding the specific voice and connectivity requirements of individual agencies and departments. This allowed us to deeply understand the challenges faced by the actual users and purchasers of the technology. Equipped with this insight, we shifted our approach to emphasize the problems they needed to solve rather than simply highlighting technology capabilities.
The results were significant: RingCentral’s city and county accounts grew by 18% year-over-year, and we saw a 17% year-over-year increase in the number of school districts we supported.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Looking ahead, my main focus is to build on the momentum and the strong relationships we’ve established through Project Domino. We’re leveraging our expanded footprint to create even more impact, continuing to push for growth in new areas. A key element of this is enablement: ensuring that our sales and marketing teams are equipped with the right context, tools, and content and directing them to high-impact events in targeted regions.
Beyond that, we’ll continue to evolve Project Domino as priorities shift. Every successful plan should be iterative, and this one is no different. It’s essential to keep the tools and strategies fresh and relevant. My role puts me in a strong position to orchestrate the needs of everyone involved and balance priorities in the process. There’s still much to accomplish, but looking back, we’ve already made significant strides.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
The two key factors that have contributed to my success are flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing business needs. Technology evolves quickly, and so do the needs of public sector agencies. You must be prepared to pivot when those priorities intersect. A big part of this is building strong teams and ensuring cross-functional collaboration. This collaboration is critical for truly understanding the customer and focusing on their needs and challenges within the broader market context.
Beyond that, acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses. Be honest about what you can and cannot do and surround yourself with the right resources to fill in the gaps.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know about?
A few quick things that often surprise people: I’m a big reader — I aim to read 75 books a year — and I’m left-handed. Like many others, I have a deep passion for traveling and immersing myself in different cultures. So far, I’ve visited 13 countries, with Ireland and Portugal being two places in particular that have brought me a lot of joy. My goal is to visit all seven continents before I turn 35, and I am eager to continue exploring more of the world and discovering new favorite destinations.