Advice for Your Younger Self

Strong professional relationships are a career-long asset — networks built over time provide perspective, support, and opportunities that wouldn’t surface otherwise. Being proactive about development matters just as much: asking for stretch assignments, making growth goals visible, and thinking beyond the next role toward longer-term aspirations. Identifying the skills needed to get there and finding mentors and advocates who can help open doors — including asking directly for experiences like P&L ownership — can unlock paths that might not appear on their own.

Taking initiative and backing yourself are just as important as any technical credential. Approaching challenging or unfamiliar work as a chance to grow alongside a team, rather than waiting until you feel fully prepared, builds both capability and credibility. As work becomes increasingly remote, preserving human connection takes deliberate effort. And rapid technological change — including AI — is best approached with curiosity and a sense of agency rather than apprehension.