At Front we’re lucky to take inspiration from CEO and Co-founder Mathilde Collin every day. We know gender inclusivity all starts at the top, and we’re proud to have women leading teams throughout our company, too: 57% of executives and 55% of managers across Front are women.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re putting a spotlight on some of the women who lead teams here at Front, from sales to marketing, data, finance, and more. They shared their favorite parts about management, philosophies on leadership, and advice for other aspiring leaders.
LB Harvey, Chief Revenue and Success Officer
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I love creating a sense of team, a group of people all coming together to run hard at shared goals. It’s amazing when you accomplish great things and also feel the collective win.
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions?
Put yourself out there! Don’t let fear hold you back. Make your career aspiration known and then be really and truly open to a conversation on what it will take to get there!
Ashley Alexander, Head of People
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
My favorite part of managing is when I’ve worked closely with someone to really challenge them over time, and the excitement that comes over them when they have mastered a new skill or completed a major project and they see how far they have come. Seeing people realize their own growth over time is such a joy. I also love to pull ideas out of people and ask them to challenge decisions or come up with new solutions, which often helps us achieve better outcomes.
Got a tagline that describes your leadership philosophy?
Clarity is key = our role as people leaders is to clear the noise out of the system so people can focus on their work and their development. Bringing people clarity, even if it isn’t what you think someone wants to hear, creates trust, reduces stress, and allows people the room to do amazing work.
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions
Utilize your community. Talk to other women leaders, learn from them, be vulnerable and share your story, and ask questions! This is truly a community of amazing people, and we should help each other.
Eleni Pavlakis, Product Analytics Lead
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I care deeply about the people I manage, and I love figuring out what motivates them and how I can support their growth. I think that believing in people is contagious (in a good way). They can tell when you are genuinely invested in them, and it makes them want to invest in their own growth.
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions
Find your allies! They don’t need to be on the same team or in your function—women across the company can share interesting perspectives on the problems you’re experiencing and have really great ideas you can learn from.
Maggie Peressini, Head of NORPAC Sales
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I love watching people learn and develop in their career.
Got a favorite leadership quote?
"You manage things; you lead people." — Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions?
Be confident! As women, we tend to apologize more than our male counterparts or second guess ourselves when we shouldn’t. The most important quality we can all have as women in leadership is great confidence!
What leaders inspires you and why?
LB and Mathilde. They are both assertive and also compassionate leaders. Outside of the sales world, I am inspired by Kamala Harris and her relentless rise to the White House.
Christiana Rattazzi, Head of Product Marketing
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
There isn’t just one! But my top one is able to spot and cultivate a team member’s innate super power and harness their confidence to use it to both have an impact on the company and momentum in their development.
Got a favorite leadership quote?
Am I allowed to have two? Both from the Romans (surprise, surprise). One is from Seneca: "No [person] is more unhappy than [he or she] who never faces adversity. For [he or she] is not permitted to prove [themselves]." While aptitude matters, I also hire for attitude. Something like grit can’t be taught.
Also... from Cicero: "The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk." I am a big fan of humility, and I tend to operate from a place of "strong beliefs loosely held."
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions?
Don’t be afraid to speak up. The further along you get in your career, the more you will be sought out for your breadth of experiences and the opinions they inspire. Especially in a remote world where we have fewer physical cues to track, it can be easy to sit back on a video call and wait for your turn to speak—or hesitate due to fear of interruption.
What leaders inspire you and why?
I’m a big fan of Sheryl Sandberg. She understands some of the issues that women face and offers clear, pragmatic advice to how to navigate a career. She isn’t shy about telling women when we get in our own way, and she gives tips on how to unblock some of those challenges.
Heather MacKinnon, Head of Brand Marketing
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I get my energy from working through complex problems with people and discovering new and better ways of doing things. I just love when I can help my team overcome a challenge and realize amazing results. Even better when it’s just a matter of helping people see and understand the impact they are already having.
Got a tagline that describes your leadership philosophy?
Most failures aren’t failures—they’re learning opportunities.
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions?
Being a leader is about helping other people succeed. There are countless ways to do this before you technically have a leadership title. Demonstrate your leadership skills early and advocate for yourself by pointing to the ways that you’ve helped others succeed.
What leaders inspire you and why?
Mathilde Collin (obviously) for being real, authentic, and genuinely committed to such a noble mission: Work happier. Manny Medina, CEO of Outreach, for his vulnerability and openness on social media. And, Alexis Ohanian for championing parental leave and normalizing the working parent experience (even if his experience is far from normal!)
Sylvie Woolf, Head of Customer Success & Solutions
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I get very invested the people I work with. Watching them to get the next level with their teams through change management, career development, or knocking a goal out of the park brings me joy!
Got a tagline that describes your leadership philosophy?
My team is the #1 motivator for me at work. My family is the #1 motivator for me in life.
What leaders inspire you and why?
I’m inspired by Arianna Huffington. I’m mid-way through her book "Thrive" and love her unique perspective on the "third metric" (well-being, intuition, compassion and giving) that leads to true happiness.
Shriya Ravikumar, Head of Sales Operations
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I enjoy guiding people through discovery, whether it’s related to solving a business problem or developing themselves personally.
Got a favorite leadership quote?
A wise Sales leader once told me: "You can’t shoot a moose from the cabin." While I’m no hunter (and in fact a vegetarian), this quote has always motivated me to get out of my comfort zone, take action, and be results oriented.
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions?
Root your choices and decisions in your values, and surround yourself with people who align with them and will lift you up.
What leaders inspire you and why?
The best leaders I’ve worked with have had a great mix of ambition and empathy. Not only do they push you to great outcomes, but they also do it in a manner that builds on your best qualities.
Heather Young, Design Research Lead
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I enjoy getting to know them as individuals, using our complementary skillsets to make magic happen through collaboration, helping people navigate organizational and interpersonal situations, fostering career growth and development in a way that feels fulfilling for them.
Got a favorite leadership quote?
"I hire people brighter than me, and then I get out of their way." — Lee Iaccoca
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions?
Be strategic about how you choose to spend your time. Women in particular have a tendency to volunteer for extra tasks and side projects, which is great, but make sure you choose what you’re volunteering for wisely, get crisp on where you’re headed, and prioritize tasks and projects that are aligned with that goal or help you move in the right direction.
Cori Morris, Manager, Customer Support
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
Onboarding new teammates! I love watching the progression from the day a new hire starts and 1-2 months later.
What leaders inspire you and why?
Mathilde! I’m inspired by her resiliency, dedication, persistence, and thoughtfulness in everything she does.
Adèle Dugré, Head of Customer Success EMEA
What’s your favorite part about managing people?
I enjoy providing resources, tools, and guidance, so my team can blossom at work and grow.
Got a favorite leadership quote?
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself."
What’s your best advice for other women aspiring to move into leadership positions?
Be proud of your achievements and ambitions; don’t wait to be seen!
What leaders inspire you and why?
Michelle Obama: she’s the perfect balance between work and family ambitions.
Want more inspiration from women taking the lead in business? Read these brilliant quotes from inspiring female leaders or our Fronteer Spotlight with CFO Jenny Decker.
Written by Emily Hackeling
Originally Published: 8 March 2021