Beth Broderson & Desta Price Join Sitecore's Executive Leadership
In a previous article, I desired to take a more in-depth look into a common theme I was noticing with the gender gap in technology, primarily with women. Sitecore is known for pushing the envelope to help close that gap with their initiatives like Women of Sitecore, a community that focuses mainly on building diversity and inclusion in the tech community. Women in the group are encouraged to network amongst one another, whether that’s through mentorship, community efforts, or to simply find support.
Adding to their track record of their women in tech leadership, Sitecore announced the more recent hiring of not only their first Chief Customer Officer, Beth Broderson, but also added Desta Price as their new Vice President of Product Management.
Sitecore’s CEO, Mark Frost, comments on the news and how critical Beth and Desta roles will be in the development and execution strategy for Sitecore customers.“As we expand our product offerings, grow into new customer segments, and continue to drive a superior customer experience across all areas of our organization, it is imperative that we bring on board talent of the highest caliber,” and added “Beth and Desta are customer-focused, results-driven experts and we are very happy to welcome them to our executive team. Both of them will have a critical role in ensuring the voice of our customer takes center stage in developing and executing our product and services strategies.”
I had the privilege to connect directly with Beth and Desta for an exclusive interview and to hear more about their roles with Sitecore, their thoughts on the technology gender gap, and what Sitecore’s diverse culture means to them.
Beth Broderson, Chief Customer Officer
What do you intend to bring to your new role at Sitecore from your two decades of customer success experience and enterprise platform technologies?
“It’s all about the team. My contribution to the Sitecore team is customer success-focused vision, strategy, energy, collaboration, a relentless focus on execution, along with a big dose of humility.”
You mentioned in the press release that you're “excited to serve as a champion and advocate for our customers as they use Sitecore solutions to connect their brands with their customers for life-long relationships.” How do you intend on contributing to Sitecore’s customer journey and growth strategy?
“The journey begins with our customers, understanding where they are in their journey to digital transformation, and where Sitecore can accelerate the successful execution of their strategy. Since joining Sitecore, I’ve spent time with dozens of customers and partners, and see some very consistent themes. Customers are challenged to build and execute on Digital-First strategies that create a compelling brand and sustaining customer relationships. My mission is to help them get there.”
The flourishing diversity at Sitecore has had a welcome effect on company culture. Being the company’s first CCO and C-suite female, what are your thoughts on this “huge diversity milestone for Sitecore”?
“Diversity across all roles, and at all levels in our organization, has such a positive impact on business outcomes. My teams are all global, which allows me to tap a wide variety of professional and cultural experience when I build teams. Diversity is especially important in the world of customer experience because our customer base is similarly diverse. In my experience, truly diverse teams—meaning diversity in culture, talent, experience, and perspective—is what drives lively team engagement, true innovation, and breakthrough performance.”
Desta Price, EVP of Product Management
What are you going to bring to your new position as Sitecore’s EVP of Product Management from your deep expertise in enterprise platforms and customer success?
“I am delighted to join the team at Sitecore and help guide their future product strategy given my experience in working with enterprise solutions and using market-based decisions leveraging the latest technologies. I was drawn to Sitecore’s market leadership and believe together we can extend that leadership through continuous innovation. By listening to the market and our customers, we will provide companies with a competitive advantage in each of their markets.”
How will you ensure the voice of Sitecore customers take center stage in developing and executing the product and services strategies?
“Customer input comes through many forms, and at Sitecore, we leverage every available channel to make sure we are gathering as much feedback as possible. There are three primary feedback mechanisms driven by our customers including group meetings, individual meetings, and an online community. Group meetings, like the Sitecore Customer Leadership Board (SCLB), enable us to hear from our customer’s strategic leaders, pinpointing the opportunities and challenges they see in meeting market demands and analyzing how Sitecore can help them optimize. Individual meetings such as one-on-one customer sessions or usability testing sessions by our UX team ensure we are building the best functionality and experience for users. Finally, our online community enables us to have a pulse on the collective customer group and what is most important to them.”
The female representation on Sitecore’s executive leadership team now stands at four times an industry average of only about 10%. What are your thoughts on the technology gender gap and Sitecore’s diverse culture?
“Sitecore’s diverse leadership team was a huge influence on my decision to join. I believe Sitecore’s diverse culture enables us to be more thoughtful in our approach to the market and therefore will lead us to improved productivity and innovation. As a leadership team, I believe our varying backgrounds and experiences enable us to shape the best product solutions for our users and customers. I also see joining the Sitecore leadership team as a way to encourage other females to take the next step in their careers and to not shy away from having a seat at the table.”
My POV
You may even remember Sitecore’s former CTO and EVP of Product Management, Ryan Donovan, who has recently joined Hootsuite as their SVP of Product Development and Technology. With Desta now in Ryan’s position, I’m excited to see what her journey into Sitecore brings, especially with being a female in that role.
On that note, Sitecore’s CEO, Mark Frost, commented on the diversity of the company and the effect it’s had on Sitecore with this tweet that he shared on his personal Twitter account, “The evidence is clear that companies that prioritize diversity make better decisions and improve performance” And I couldn’t agree with Mark more.
Gabriella Pirrone
Gabriella is the Digital Marketing Assistant for CMSC Media. She brings a wealth of knowledge from not only a CMS perspective but also content, SEO and eCommerce. She enjoys everything social media and staying ontop of the latest trends in the digital marketing world.