Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are changing the world. Our leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, and are all doing their part to have an impact in their communities and at their workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their background and path to success.
What is your name and title?
Meggie Dials, Senior Regional Vice President of Sales at Salesforce.
Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe your current role.
I lead two teams that sell into large, enterprise companies. We digitally transform companies via a suite of technology products, ensuring customer success and helping them create meaningful relationships with their customers.
How long have you been in your current position?
I have worked at Salesforce for over 10 years and have led teams for the past 6+. This year, I moved into a second-line leadership role.
What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
I could easily point to the decision to come to ExactTarget/Salesforce. However, more specifically, when I started I made the decision to just put my head down and do good work. I was the first in the office, I dressed up more formally than my colleagues (dress for the job you want!) and I let my work speak for itself before I started raising my hand for promotions.
What’s the number one challenge you face as a woman in your industry?
There are a lot of challenge facing women. From being taken seriously, to getting the same amount of airtime in meetings, to knowing when and how to address inequities in compensation, and finding mentors and the work/life balance.
Personally, the work/life balance is a constant struggle as a working mom of two young children married to a man that also travels for work. This is a demanding career and so finding the right balance between getting the job done and also being with my family is tough. Even when I feel like the time investment is balancing ok, the mom-guilt is never ending. I know working dads probably have similar struggles, but our society puts so much pressure on mothers that we often bear the burden at home.
Do you have any mentors? What does mentorship mean to you?
I do! Both of my mentors at work are men and have helped shape my career by giving me space in their meetings and a seat at the table. They have invested in me and my development, given me candid feedback and celebrated my successes. In addition, I have my professional “board of directors” made up of great friends and colleagues who not only support me professionally, but also are my go-to when I look for advice.
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
Develop your brand and then own it. Be intentional about how you want your colleagues to view you and your body of work and then make sure that your presence represents that.
Meaning, your social media, how you interact with you coworkers inside and outside of work, etc.
What woman inspires you the most? Why?
Personally, my mother. She has dealt with such loss in the past four years and her strength is unmatched.
Professionally, my good friend Cindy. She has such courage not only in how she approaches her career, but also in how she communicates. She also moved to Tel Aviv for a year to take on a massive project at Salesforce. She constantly inspires me.
Are you reading/listening to anything interesting at the moment? Please share your most recent favorite book or podcast!
I’m currently listening to Epstein, Devil and the Darkness (I love investigative journalism podcasts!) and reading “G’morning, G’night” by Lin Manual Miranda.
What’s something coming up that excites you?
In the immediate future, I am going with my husband and children to Florida for 4 days! I can’t wait to see my children delighted by the ocean and sand!
Originally posted: March 11, 2020
