LISTEN TO THE LATEST SHE'S SO SUITE PODCAST
IN THIS EPISODE KRISTI AND MARIA DISCUSS:
Mental Wandering Insights
Mind's wandering is natural; restart reading to capture missed chapters, bring fresh perspectives from discussions.
Professional Book Club Benefits
Joining book clubs enhances professional growth through collective insights and engaging discussions on relevant literature.
Leveraging Leadership Networks
Bouncing ideas off experienced leaders brings valuable advice, helping tackle challenges with informed perspectives.
Podcasts and Webinars
Consuming diverse multimedia content reinforces knowledge, providing fresh vantage points for professional development.
Future Aspirations
Aspirations range from career continuity to entrepreneurial ventures aimed at creating positive, empowering societal impact.
Power of Confidence Poses
Adopting power poses, like "superwoman," enhances confidence and reinforces self-assurance in challenging situations.
Journaling for Growth
Journaling personal and professional experiences serves as a reflective tool for continuous improvement.
Navigating Imposter Syndrome
Embrace challenging roles; push past imposter syndrome for personal and professional growth.
Women Empowering Women
Female leadership recruits empower and inspire others, fostering a supportive and thriving professional environment.
Work-Life Integration
Balance personal and professional priorities, integrate stress-relievers like fitness and meditation into daily routines.
Sponsored by: ClientSuccess and WednesdayWomen
Produced by: Manali Bhat
Listen to the She's So Suite Podcast:
Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
Podcast Episode Overview:
Welcome back to another episode of She's So Suite with your host, Kristi Faltorusso. Today, we have a captivating conversation with Maria Burch, the Chief Customer Officer at Trustwell, a SaaS-based platform committed to food transparency. In this episode, Maria opens up about her dynamic career journey, from initially aspiring to be a teacher or lawyer to finding her calling in customer success at a startup. She discusses her company’s book club, her passion for continuous learning through reading and webinars, and the invaluable advice she gains from professional friends in leadership roles.
Maria shares intimate insights into her personal and professional life, including her strategies for building confidence through power poses and affirmations, her philosophy on work-life integration, and the mental health benefits of fitness routines like Orangetheory. She reflects on the emotional challenges of leadership, her triumphs in establishing successful customer success departments, and her ongoing commitment to mentoring the next generation of female leaders.
Kristi delves into the complexities of navigating male-dominated industries, the importance of female empowerment, and Maria's role in creating supportive environments for her team. Get ready for an episode filled with inspiring stories, practical advice, and empowering discussions that highlight the resilience, adaptability, and leadership of women in the C-suite.
About Maria Burch:
Maria Burch is currently the Chief Customer Officer at Trustwell, where she focus' on providing exceptional leadership to my teams and have a rich background in customer-centric roles within SaaS technology. She is responsible for multiple teams, including Customer Success, Implementation & Training, Account Management, Professional Services, Support, and Operations. By employing a systematic approach with her direct leadership team, they ensure that the customer voice permeates throughout the organization, driving improvements in product adoption, customer satisfaction, retention, and business expansion, all while prioritizing sustainable growth.
Maria graduated with a degree in Communication and Media Studies, complemented by a minor in Political Studies, from Canisius University in 2003. This educational foundation has enabled her to hone a profound understanding of customer engagement and relationship management, which has been pivotal throughout her career.
The last 14 years of her career have been in customer-focused positions, showcasing a progressive journey from individual contributor to Manager of Customer Success, culminating in her first executive role as Vice President of Customer Success at Teamworks. My tenure there was marked by significant achievements, including reorganizing teams from ""wearing multiple hats"" to a structured setup of CSM, Support, and Implementation teams. Her role focused on growing both our US and international businesses through referrals, contributing to a 100% year-over-year ARR growth and 40% of all sales leads coming from customers.
After Teamworks, she moved to the VP of Customer Success at FoodLogiQ (one of the companies now under the Trustwell umbrella), where she was hired to ensure the voice of the customer permeated the organization while setting up the customer success, support, and implementation teams for scale without sacrificing customer engagement.
Following that, she joined Ziff Davis as the Global Head of Client Services in their Martech division. This role further solidified her expertise in managing and elevating customer service standards on an international scale. She worked with my team to ensure they exceeded all annual revenue targets and significantly reduced churn through account management, customer success, and support training programs. In January 2022, she transitioned to Senior Director of Operations at Ziff Davis, overseeing their iContact brand's Customer Success, Support, Product, Sales, and Marketing teams. It was here that she learned how to develop and execute a Product, Sales, and Customer Experience strategy to successfully increase ARR and customer satisfaction.
Her journey exemplifies a commitment to excellence and a relentless pursuit of customer-centricity, making me a driving force in Trustwell’s mission to deliver unparalleled value and satisfaction to its clientele. Her philosophy, centered on the significance of relationships and the imperative to act as a champion for customers, has been a driving force in her career. This approach not only fosters strong customer relationships but also encourages teams to leave a lasting imprint in every customer interaction.
In her opinion, her most significant career accomplishments have always centered around mentoring and leading others to reach their full potential. This includes recognizing and nurturing hidden potential, providing career paths for team members, and strategically leveraging employee skills to ensure they are positioned for the next opportunity in their careers.
In addition to my professional achievements, she is also committed to continuous learning and development. She has led and participated in various initiatives aimed at improving employee engagement, elevating women’s voices in technology, and fostering a positive work environment. She served as the Founding Co-President for the Family ERG at Ziff Davis and was a member of the RTP Women Alliance in Tech Leadership. Additionally, she currently serve as the Executive Sponsor for our AI Committee and am a member of WomXn at Work inside Trustwell.
While her professional accomplishments have been life-changing, she couldn’t have done any of it without the love and support of her entire family, including her fiancé, stepdaughters (18 & 12), and their 2 ½-year-old Australian Shepherd. Outside of work, she is actively involved in Carnage Magnet Middle School's PTSA, serving as the Carpool Chair and a member of the Audit Committee. When she is not championing customers and/or employee needs, you can find her reading a book, enjoying time with her family, and often eating a cupcake while drinking an americano (my coffee of choice).
Timestamps:
00:00 Trustwell improves food supply transparency and traceability.
06:21 Studied communication, worked in sales, found purpose.
09:31 Say yes to challenges and overcome doubt.
12:03 Operational platform empowers athletes; hard but rewarding.
16:06 Women in tech face challenges being heard equally.
19:23 Use data for informed decisions and reflection.
21:27 Built customer success dept, managed flooring execs.
26:56 Empowering female leaders through collaborative guidance.
30:43 Balancing life, empowering women, standing firm professionally.
33:46 Balancing career, family, exercise, and self-care.
37:44 Focusing on strength, leadership growth, continuous learning.
39:18 Learning from others and utilizing podcasts/webinars.
41:53 Considering entrepreneurship and impactful innovation in future.
"
Comentarios