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Last year, we kicked off a Women in Technology blog series focusing on some fantastic women in leadership roles here at the Sage Intacct office of Sage. These women come from all walks of life, and are mentors, moms, bosses, and even beekeepers. Their stories and wisdom inspired me, and I trust you’ll find the same.
This profile is with Sue Auchincloss, Senior Web Marketing Manager, at Sage Intacct.
Brittany Benson: Thanks for chatting with me today! Can you tell me about your role at Sage Intacct?
Sue Auchincloss: Absolutely! I’ve been at Sage Intacct for nearly three years, and I’m the Senior Web Marketing Manager. In my role, I create and implement website strategies to drive engagement, conversions, and revenue.
I also have my hands in more than 15 different marketing technologies that are running on the website. This martech stack requires integration management and performance monitoring to ensure everything is functioning properly and data is flowing seamlessly.
I love my role because I get to blend strategy and execution while optimizing the customer journey using diffent marketing technologies and data-driven insights. My team is consists of two very talented women in tech as well: both highly skilled in their respective areas of technical web programming and website design.
Brittany: Can you tell me a little bit about your path to this role?
Sue: I started off in traditional marketing where the only thing we could measure was how many brochures we printed. How times have changed!
My big shift into tech came when I was working for a digital advertising agency. Although I was hired as an account director, the agency insisted everyone had to learn real digital marketing and technical web skills from the ground up. Everyone had to learn implementation and reporting across paid search, SEO, social media, technical website programming, and marketing technology tools. Thanks to tagging, tracking, and deep analytics, we could measure everything we did, and we could quickly identify areas of opportunity. I was hooked. As I gravitated towards website and digital marketing management, I worked for two leading cybersecurity companies prior to coming to Sage Intacct. Those jobs set me up for a career in B2B SaaS marketing.
Brittany: Next, can you tell me about a woman who has inspired you?
Sue: There are so many women who inspire me on different levels, both professionally and personally. But my mom is my biggest inspiration. She came to the United States from Ireland when she was 18. She was on vacation, but she loved it here so much, she ended up staying! She had an excellent work ethic, and she built a solid support network. I remember when my brother and I were in high school, my mom was working full-time yet she went back to college to earn her bachelor’s degree in the evenings. She was always setting goals, and she achieved them one-by-one while making it look easy. She created an amazing and meaningful life for herself and my family. My mom inspires me because of how she lived out the importance of following your heart and being passionate about what you do, and that makes anything possible. I keep that in mind whenever I take on new endeavors.
Brittany: That’s amazing advice! What advice would you have for women that are interested in pursuing a career in technology?
Sue: First, it’s never too late to get into technology. There are so many resources available today and lots of creative ways to get involved. If you’re interested in a career in technology, you can take classes or get certified in a specific area of interest to you. If you need a specific skill and you don’t have it, take the time to learn it. For example, one thing that was important for me was learning various website programming skills. I realized that if I wanted to continue managing websites, I needed to know certain programming languages like HTML, PHP, and CSS. After some research, I found Stanford University’s continuing education program was right for me, and I put in the time and the work.
I also recommend having a mentor. Grow your bench of champions and supporters. Attend relevant conferences, workshops, and events to build your network. Connect with thought-leaders in your area of interest. In my role, I’m always researching and testing emerging web technologies. Staying current while being an early-adopter of emerging tech is critical.
Brittany: What would you say your biggest achievement is?
Sue: One of my biggest achievements developed out of the recession. I took my passion for cooking and wellness and started a personal chef business. I started by providing meal prep services to some acquaintances who had lost their jobs and were struggling with health issues or recovering from an injury or surgery and didn’t have additional support. It was a really tough time for so many people.
I consulted with my clients’ doctors, nutritionists, and physical trainers to design and provide healthy and balanced dietary programs specifically for each client’s individual wellness needs. I quickly found myself as more than a personal chef – I became a teacher of healthy eating and cooking habits, a guide to identifying beneficial ingredients designed to counter various ailments, and sometimes I was just someone who would listen and be present for my clients.
When you’re fighting a serious illness, recovering from an injury, or struggling with weight-related issues, food and support play a critical role. It was wonderful to see my client’s progress over the months and years that followed. Knowing I had a positive impact on someone’s wellness journey, and that I was able to help them get through a challenging time in their lives was a significant achievement for me. I still enjoy the science of cooking, and the positive impact it can have on people’s lives. It’s something I continue to do in my spare time.
Brittany: What is the best part of your job?
Sue: My team! I’m really fortunate to get to work with such incredibly intelligent, dedicated, and fun teammates. We’ve got a diverse group of people on the web and digital team with unique and specialized skills, so when it comes time to ideate or trouble-shoot a challenge, we get different perspectives and creative approaches.
Brittany: That sounds very gratifying! Lastly, do you have a vision for the future?
Sue: Professionally, I see myself creating opportunities and investing in artificial intelligence and innovative, life-enhancing technologies. I want to help identify ways to use technology to make a positive impact on people, in our professional and personal lives.
On a personal note, traveling, photography, and vegetable gardening are huge passions of mine, so I plan to do more of it all in the future.
Brittany: That’s great! Are there any off-work passions or hobbies that you care about?
Sue: I volunteer and coach at the First Tee, a national youth development organization that instills life-enhancing values for young people and promote healthy choices through the game of golf and various educational programs.
One thing I love about this organization is that they feature a S.T.E.M day that’s designed to empower and inspire girls by providing insights into technology and creative workshops. They get hands-on experience building different robotic components and circuit boards, doing coding projects, statistical analysis, and fun physics experiments. I learn something new every time too!
Next up for me, I am working on building and programming my own personal robot. I never thought I’d say that! I’ll admit, it was a “white elephant” holiday gift, but I love the challenge and I get to nerd out. Always keep an open mind, you’ll never know where inspiration will come from.
To check out the other blogs in Sage’s Women in Tech blog series, view:
