Our bags are packed for Hawaii because PTC 2019 is right around the corner! Naturally, we’re excited to escape to the warm, tropical beaches of Honolulu but what we’re even more excited for is kicking off the Pacific Telecoms Council week with our networking event this Sunday, January 20th from 5p-7p. It’s not too late to register!
Back in October, CyrusOne partnered with us to sponsor our first ever European event. Through that, we got to know CyrusOne’s Regional Marketing Director, Rebecca Wall-Morris, who is based in London and an advocate for ‘women supporting women’.
We’re thrilled to have CyrusOne’s support again for our PTC event #WTFPTC19. It’s a breath of fresh air to have sponsors on board who live and breathe the WTF mantra of supporting fellow women in the industry to help foster career growth. We are delighted to feature Colleen Sherman, a Global Account Director for Cloud at CyrusOne, in this installment of our Sponsor Spotlight series. Colleen will be joining us for Sunday’s event so be sure to say aloha!
Get to know CyrusOne’s Colleen Sherman, Global Account Director - Cloud
Is this your first time going to PTC?
I’ve attended once before. As a company, we are global, and PTC reaches all of our customers. It is an incredible conference, bringing the best of the best into one location and growing together.
What are you looking forward to most at this year’s PTC?
I am really looking forward to becoming a part of WTF and sharing ideas with other women in the field of technology.
What’s the one trait that has helped you tackle the gender divide in our industry and succeed in your career?
I believe that through constant learning in the core business you represent will allow the divide to be a non-topic. I have never felt at a disadvantage being a woman, but I also strive to be the best in understanding the industry and dynamics of evolving times to keep myself educated.
What’s one thing you wish you could teach your younger self upon entering your career?
I would have early on become more multi-faceted in all arenas supporting the IT world. Being in Infrastructure services for my whole career, I would have started early in gaining knowledge on the end-to-end process of networks, storage, and compute all the way up the stack in order to understand the full picture. I also would have found a mentor earlier on in my career. I believe this is a critical stepping stone to our growth.
How do you see WTF helping the gender gap in our industry?
It is breaking down walls between us and embraces relationships with one another that can be very powerful both professionally and personally.
What is a WTF (in the original meaning) moment you had to endure as a woman in your career and what did you learn from it?
Being in the technology business for the last 21 years, IT has predominantly been male-dominated. I was told by many that, as a young woman in this field, I wouldn’t be taken seriously. I used my youth as an advantage and worked with men who looked at me as a daughter and wanted to help. It goes back to being confident, knowing your business, and doing more than the next guy to learn.
contact Colleen
Colleen Sherman
m: 817.528.5228
#WTFPTC19
Over and out - excited to see y’all on Sunday!
-The WTF Squad