Katrina Wong is the VP of Product Marketing and Demand Generation at Twilio Segment. She has a proven track record for launching products in new markets and helping companies move up to the Enterprise. She has also created award-winning integrated campaigns with data storytelling. Prior to Segment, Katrina worked at Hired, Zuora, Salesforce and SAP. She started her career as a management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. With over 15 years of marketing experience, Katrina is passionate about helping companies through stages of substantial growth including helping 3 companies scale from pre to post IPO.
How did you break into leadership?
I worked for an amazing company that was marketing-first. The CEO was a CMO by training, and he believed in cross-training all marketers across the various sub disciplines. We had clearly defined career paths and I started as an individual contributor in customer marketing. I then started leading campaigns which translated well into demand gen. From there, I was promoted to manage the demand gen team. I later developed product marketing skills by leading corporate marketing which included working with analysts. I eventually got promoted to run all of marketing at another company.
What unique obstacles or challenges have you faced as a woman in a tech leadership role?
There are stereotypes about women leaders that I’ve had to battle, including decisions being questioned by peers and teams members because they seemed too bold.
How do you negotiate a higher salary?
When it comes to negotiating a higher salary, be bold and ask for more. Earlier in my career, I didn’t realize that you were supposed to negotiate; managers and HR are expecting you to ask for more. I didn’t understand how to research and advocate for myself. These days, I am passionate about mentoring young professionals about this. Lead with data. There are so many sources available these days. Rehearse with a mentor, colleague, past manager, friend, or family member. Practice makes perfect.
If you could do it all again, what would you do differently?
I would not fret as much about where I am going. It’s not the destination that matters—it’s the beauty of the journey.
What’s been the highlight of your career thus far?
Building and leading a high-performing team has been the highlight of my career. Together, we’ve launched award-winning campaigns that have generated a lot of revenue for the company. It is incredibly rewarding to coach, mentor, and see how team members grow over time. When you build with a team, you get addicted to how your collective efforts amplify results.
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What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith is a must-read book for anyone looking to understand advancing from mid-level management to executive leadership.
Thanks to Jes Kirkwood who conducted this interview!