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Meet the 2019 Honorees! Sherry Smith, CEO, Triad

Sherry Smith is the CEO at Triad

What is the greatest challenge you have overcome?

Truthfully, each career step is challenging within its own right, and for me personally, that was the case whether it was earlier in my tenure when I moved my family to another state for the opportunity to lead the business for a major client, when I was elevated to the role of CEO at Triad, or most recently, as we’ve evolved our brand and our company’s marketing approach to offer expanded services.

However, no matter what the situation was, I learned early on to trust my intuition, develop the framework, and work in partnership with those around me to move the ball forward. If I believe strongly in something and know we need to move in a certain direction, I’ll go for it because it’s what’s right for the business. My philosophy is simple: be prepared to work hard, have fun and don’t be afraid of change.

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a woman in the workplace?

What I see today as a major advantage of being a female within the corporate landscape is visibility, which often leads to access to great opportunities. More and more, women today are going above and beyond to stand out amongst the crowd, and although there are no guarantees their efforts will lead to something better, there are plenty who have certainly succeeded and who have made a name for themselves — and that deserves to be recognized.

As far as disadvantages, I think women can sometimes be their own biggest challenge in the workforce. I’ve seen the judgment, and I’ve felt it, too, which is why I feel strongly that it’s so important for women to support one another — whether in leadership, or our counterparts, women who are new to the workplace, those coming back from maternity leave, or lastly, those who choose to take a step up or take a step down. Everyone’s choices and experiences are different, and I believe we need to support and encourage each other to do our very best in all circumstances.

What do you think women in the workplace have today that they didn’t have before?

I think women will have more mentors and a larger support system.  I believe women in the workplace today truly have more opportunity than they ever have before. Speaking from my own personal experience, I was often the only female at the table in many different circumstances. That has really changed over the years and it’s incredibly encouraging to see. There are more programs available for women, and while we still have a long way to go, there are a greater number of women in leadership positions now than there were five to 10 years ago.

What do you think the next generation of women marketers will have that the present one does not?

Hopefully, the next generation will have benefited from this generation’s attempts to level the playing field. In the past, there weren’t as many opportunities, specifically in the marketing and technology space, however with the evolution in that space today, women are much more inclined to make a mark in this sector of our industry. Women today are in a unique position to mentor young professionals perhaps more now than ever, so I think that will cause the next generation to be freer to apply themselves to tactical and strategic challenges. Hopefully, their success will depend entirely on merit, with their career progression determined as a direct result of hard work, talent and perseverance.

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