Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
What is your name and title?
Claudine Emeott, Sr. Director of Impact Investments at Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund.
How did you get here? Please share any quick stories from past work experiences.
Impact has always been my career through-line. That North Star has taken me to some very different places and given me a range of experiences I am very grateful for. I began my career in economic development consulting, both in emerging markets and in the U.S. In 2011, I left a consulting job in Chicago to move to Kathmandu as a Kiva Fellow. This experience with Kiva opened my eyes to the power of technology to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. After spending a year in Nepal, I moved back to the U.S. for a full-time role with Kiva, working on a new impact investing initiative for social enterprises.
In my five years at Kiva, I loved working at the intersection of investing, impact, and technology.I knew that I wanted to commit my career to the field. When Salesforce announced a new impact investing initiative, I was really excited about the opportunity to work for a much larger, but still mission-driven company. I joined Salesforce in 2017 to lead the Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund.
In your opinion, what’s the #1 decision or move you’ve made that has helped advance your career?
I have always been open to taking a major leap when the opportunity on the other side has the potential to meaningfully shift my career – whether that was moving to Kathmandu with Kiva or making the transition to a large company like Salesforce. I welcome the chance to stretch myself.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year?
Early on in the pandemic, I read something that strongly resonated with me — “We expect women to work like they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work.” In the chaotic transition to working, parenting, and schooling all happening at home, many women found themselves still fighting against that double standard in impossible circumstances. I personally had to combat the urge to apologize when one of my young children burst into a room while I was on a video call. I made the conscious decision to be candid with my immediate team about the very real challenges of juggling this stressful dynamic.
Sharing my own challenges paved the way for my team to open up about whatever they were encountering as well. Ultimately, this brought us closer together in a year of distanced working.
What is one thing companies can do, big or small, to help create an environment that advances women into leadership positions?
There are so many ways you can show up and speak out for gender equality. One thing companies can do is to close the pay gap. If you’re a hiring manager, take steps to close the gender pay gap at your company. Salesforce has invested more than $12 million to ensure that our employees are receiving equal pay for equal work. We conduct annual pay audits, evaluating by both gender and race. As a hiring manager, you can also examine your hiring practices to evaluate whether they are inclusive.
When did your company join Pledge 1%? What does your impact program mean to you?
Since the beginning, Salesforce has aspired to be a different kind of company — from our subscription-based software model, to our 1-1-1 giving model that put community service in the center of our culture. In 2014, leaders from Salesforce joined Atlassian and Rally to launch Pledge 1% and accelerate our vision to integrate philanthropy into businesses globally.
Our approach to the 1-1-1 model has evolved and expanded to address the needs of all stakeholders. The Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, launched in 2017, advances social and environmental causes alongside strategic and business goals.
Is there a cause that is particularly close to you? If so, why this cause and how did you get involved?
I started my career in international development, and this work has always been close to my heart. A couple years ago I joined the board of the nonprofit Project Concern International. Last year, PCI served over 20 million people around the world with programs that enhance health, end hunger, and combat hardship. PCI has a strong focus on supporting women and girls in particular. That really resonated with me as a woman and mother. It has been a great experience serving on the board of PCI, and now the transition board of Global Communities (which PCI merged with in 2020).
What’s been the one (or two!) things that have helped you navigate this past year? Any tips or tricks to dealing with remote work?
Walk and talk alternative for some meetings — I think we can all agree that an old-fashioned phone call can be a nice break from Zoom meetings. It’s even better if we can get outside for a walk and fresh air!
In place of a commute, when I would listen to podcasts and read the news, I have had to develop a new morning routine. My morning workout is sacred, as is my first coffee of the day. I’ve also started using a paper journal every day to document gratitude, intentions, and top priorities. I find that using paper and pen is also a welcome change from my laptop. I’m still working to create other rituals to close the day.
