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This blog is a series that highlights the voices of Uniphorians.
I sat down to welcome our new Chief People Officer, and the following is the edited transcript of our conversation.
Annie: Tell us a little about your background and how you got started in HR and tech
Stephanie: My parents moved us from the east coast to the San Francisco Bay Area when Silicon Valley was beginning to take shape. My father was an intellectual property attorney. I grew up around technology. My first job in tech after graduating college was at Oracle, leading one of their customer support teams. Working at Oracle was one of the best and most pivotal experiences of my career. I learned about working in tech, really understood the value customers had on the business and discovered that HR was the career I wanted to pursue. Following my experience at Oracle, I took a short stint at a dot com before making the bold move to transition my career into HR. I have had the privilege of working in HR over the last 15+ years at some of the most notable growth tech companies in Silicon Valley. And I could not be more excited to continue doing what I love most at Uniphore!
Annie: You have established yourself as a strong leader of people over your career. Share with us some pivotal moments that shaped you into the leader you are today.
Stephanie: My father was an incredible mentor and role model to me growing up. He taught me the importance of having a strong work ethic and what it means to have a fulfilling and happy career. Early in my career, I was drawn to customer-facing roles and developed a strong affinity to what it means to serve customers. I could see how leading and developing teams would have a positive impact on customers and the business. I would not be where I am today had I not focused my time and energy on building great teams and hiring great people who I can learn from and who balance out my skill set. I am tremendously proud of the number of people I have hired and developed over the years who have gone on to take on bigger roles—and many who have stepped into my role as I moved on to my next career endeavor. I would characterize myself as a servant leader. And I see it as my responsibility to continue to develop the next generation of leaders and HR professionals.
“My father was an incredible mentor and role model to me growing up. He taught me the importance of having a strong work ethic and what it means to have a fulfilling and happy career.”
Annie: How do you keep learning?
Stephanie: Continuous learning is paramount for industry growth and long-term success. For me, learning takes shape in many different ways and has evolved over my career. For example, when I realized I wanted to pursue a career in HR, I decided to invest in pursuing a master’s degree that would give me a solid HR foundation. From there, I decided that to be a well-rounded HR professional and to learn as much about the field as possible I would take on several different functional jobs in HR and work in different industries. This intentional decision of mine has given me great depth and breadth of experience. I love to surround myself with teams from whom I learn every day. I create a very open and transparent way of working, so all great ideas are heard, and teams learn from each other. Additionally, having mentors and networking is so important. I’ve had many different types of mentors over the course of my career and have learned something new and different from each of them. Lastly, thanks to YouTube videos, I can learn just about anything, like how to clean my Nespresso machine!
Annie: How do you start your day?
Stephanie: I am an early riser! I love to wake up at 5 a.m., have my coffee, organize my thoughts for the day and then go for a five-mile run. This is how I have started my day every day for the last 20+ years. Some of my best and most strategic thinking happens when I am awake early and out running!
Annie: What made you decide to join Uniphore? Was there a moment when you just knew you had to accept the offer?
Stephanie: As soon as I entered the HQ building in Palo Alto, I felt right at home. After meeting several members of the team, I knew Uniphore was the kind of company with the right culture and values that played to my strengths. I have always been drawn to mission-driven entrepreneurial growth companies, where I can build and grow. I feel like the opportunity in front of us is tremendous, and I am thrilled to be a part of it and to call myself a Uniphorian.
“As soon as I entered the HQ building in Palo Alto, I felt right at home.”
Annie: What are you most looking forward to with your new role at Uniphore?
Stephanie: I love to build and scale teams and organizations. I am excited to take all that I have learned over the course of my career and help build upon this great culture and company. And I am really excited for my first trip ever to India!
Annie: What advice do you have for those trying to get into the field?
Stephanie: Find a mentor. Get functional business experience and experience in a variety of roles within the HR function. Network! And never ever give up on your dream, no matter how many setbacks you may encounter along the way. I am always happy to network and have a mentoring conversation with anyone interested in pursuing a career in HR.